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It doesn’t take me long to gather a small bowl filled with cool water and a rag to sit on the table beside my bed. It’s joined by a mug of whatever ale Tulip got with her dinner, half empty and lukewarm. I wince at my offering, but Mace takes it and drains it in a single pull.
“I can’t heat the water, so cold will have to do.”
A lazy smile drifts to his angular face. “That will be fine. Thank you, Viola.” I wring the excess water from the rag and begin cleaning his bare chest, arms, and face, dipping it into the water whenever it becomes too loaded with his blood. The water quickly becomes a milky red.
As I clean, he speaks.
“The fight initially started because I kissed you,” he begins.
“Technically, I kissed you.”
A wry smile creeps up his face, eyes glittering with amusement. “Oh, I also made that assessment, but Zeph did not quite care about that distinction.”
Embarrassment floods my cheeks at the memory. I had been so caught up in the sexual tension of the evening that I acted rashly, I realize now. “I’m sorry about that.”
“I promise you, there is nothing to be sorry for. Anyways,” he continues as if he doesn’t notice the flush on my face, “the main disagreement was about your use as a vessel, as I’m sure you could guess.” I’m not surprised, that’s certain. But why would they come to blows over that?
“I must be frank with you, Viola. I do not want you to think I’m keeping anything from you. And if you do not want to be the vessel after you hear what I’m going to say, I swear I will get you out of here, keep you hidden from Stone. Whatever you want, I will fight for you to get.” His hands are on my wrists, stilling them in their journey to clean his body. My gaze locks with his, and his eyes, ordinarily bright as emeralds, are shadowed and intense.
I sit back on my heels, my thigh resting against his outstretched leg. “What is it, Mace?”
“We’ve never successfully completed the ritual, obviously.” His voice is breathy, and it suddenly dawns on me that the waver in his tone is not pain but fear. “But in every attempt, it resulted in the death of the suspected vessel, just like with Link.”
“But I’m the vessel, so I should be fine, right?” He winces a shrug and reaches for me, tugging me ever closer to him. I threaten to topple over from my odd position, so I readjust myself to sit beside him, shoulder to shoulder. I turn my face toward his, the proximity igniting the flame we left simmering.
“I think you will be. But the risk is that summoning Himureal could drain you entirely, and you’d die.”
A fitting ending to me, I imagine, considering the death that lies in my wake.
“I would never force you into such a risk. I truly believe bringing the Gods back is the best thing for this world, and I want to see them returned. But not at the cost of your life, Viola.” I could search for it all I wanted, but I detect no deception in his words.
“All that aside, why would that cause Zeph to attack you?”
His hand finds its way into mine, and I realize I was tapping my fingers rhythmically on his thigh. “Zeph does not want you to be given the choice to be a vessel. He says he cannot let you make that choice if it would lead to your death.”
Fury ignites in my chest. “It’s not his decision to make!” I snarl.
Mace nods emphatically. “That’s what I told him. He said he would take you away and remove your choice in the matter by any means necessary. I worry he may attempt to harm you in a twisted attempt to keep you safe.”
My anger bubbles up, and I hop off the bed, pacing across the floor in a fit of rage. “How fucking dare he? Everyone in this Gods-forsaken city doesn’t give a shit about what I want! I am nothing more than a tool. A tool for the Gods. A tool for battle. A tool forsex.“ The last word is a snarl I hurl at Mace. “Was that your idea, Mace? To seduce me so I would be so blinded by lust for you that I’d choose to be your vessel?”
As I say the words, I believe them less and less. My anger is reflected to me on Mace’s face. “I have been nothing but honest with you, Viola. To my own detriment, I may add! You hate me, my brother hates me, and if word gets out the Gods are gone before I can bring them back, my entire city will hate me! And I’m willing to risk all that to give you a choice!”
The anger towards Mace drains from my body, but the fury I feel towards Zeph rages on.
“Do you think this home is where Stone wanted to put you? He wanted to kill Tulip and lock you in an underground cell. He wanted to perform the ritual days ago, and I’ve held him off so I could have more time with you. More time to tell you the truth, to lay myself and my faults bare to your judgment. More time to explain to you the risks and rewards of being a vessel. More time to know you. More time to be with you.”
By this point, I’ve sunk back to the side of the bed, but I cannot face Mace. The passion in his words hit their mark, but still, they cause an ache in my chest.
I feel the bed beside me shift as Mace’s weight settles beside mine.
“I am infatuated with you, Viola Mistflow. You continuously surprise me. You’re ruthless and dangerous. Almost every time I speak to you, I wonder if this is the time you’ll slit my throat.” I choke out a laugh. “But you’re also passionately protective of those you love and your people. You are the shade under a tree on a warm summer day. I fight so hard to ignore you, but I just cannot. I will live the rest of my years better for having known you for only a fraction of my life.”
I dig my nails into my palms, pressing crescents into the soft flesh to staunch the emotions rising inside me.
Almost on command, my shadow-snake slips from under the bed and slides up my body, wrapping himself protectively around my upper arm like a sleeve. His presence gives me immediate comfort.
“I want to know everything there is to know about you, Viola, and I fear there is not enough time in this life to do so. I want the Gods to return. I believe it is the only hope for our world in the coming years. But I want you to live more. So, I will not ask you to be the vessel. I will only ask you to look at all options and follow your gut instinct. From what I’ve seen, your gut is rarely wrong.”
