Page 104 of Revenant

I give him a tight-lipped nod and turn on my heel. Eryx has been the catalyst for far too many disasters, and he continuously gets off unscathed. I think it’s time he feels a fraction of the pain he’s inflicted on everyone else.

32: Alicent

Adrenaline heats my veins as I storm out of Blackthorn Den and into the quad. Pryce is nearly on top of me as his fingers grip my bicep, hauling me back toward him. I pull out of his grasp and continue on my way. “I’m over this, Pryce. Come with me or don’t, either way, I’m not taking this anymore,” I yell over my shoulder, yanking the door to Vesperian Hall open with more force than necessary.

Rage blinds me as my feet carry me through the familiar walls, building with each step I take. Vesperian Hall always feels awake—haunted in a way that makes you never feel at ease.

Pryce’s footsteps barely break through the white noise blanketing my ears, and I know he could easily stop me—catch up to me—and I’m grateful he’s keeping his distance.

In the grand scheme of things, I should listen to my instincts more often. Maybe if I had, I would’ve run for the hills the moment this place began to feel like anything more than the escape I was searching for.

My old room passes in a blur, then Moriah’s shortly after, and there’s only a millisecond where I think I should stop. Wondering if she would talk me off this ledge, insist it was a bad idea, or encourage me to unleash my hatred on the most deserving.

Rounding the corner, I get a little lost—considering I’ve only been in the wing a handful of times, and have never been to Eryx’s room. I look behind me at Pryce expectantly, his shoulders tense, acting like he’s going to withhold information. I raise a brow, silently telling him he has two options.

One: tell me where to go.

Two: don’t and I’ll make sure his fate matches Eryx’s.

Given our most recent conversation, this should be a no brainer.

With a defeated sigh, he gestures toward the right, and I don’t waste any time. Eryx doesn’t just get to take and take from everyone and not expect consequences. I’ll be damned if he uses me as a blood bag anymore. He can’t feed? Can’t stomach anything else?

Then he can fucking rot.

If I was certain a stake to the heart would grant me that reprieve, I’d do it without hesitation. But considering he’s still alive after all this time, I’m not sure it will be as effective as I’m hoping. Truthfully, it would probably piss him off more. Not from the fact I was trying to kill him, but that I ruined whatever shirt he’s wearing. I know at this point, I have to be smarter, try not to act on pure instinct alone, but just like everything else—it’s easier said than done.

Since the second I stepped foot on campus, Eryx has done nothing but berate, bully and try to ostracize me over something that I had nothing to do with. I mentally try to come up with a game plan because, right now, I’m only moving on sheer will and adrenaline. I don’t have a single clue what’s going to happen; I just know I can’t keep living like this.

And he can’t keep getting away with doing whatever the hell he wants. Not when it directly affects me.

Others at the school may think he walks on water, but the truth of the matter is that on the inside? He’s drowning in it.

The moment I see his door, everything rushes at me like a freight train. The snide comments, the dismissive attitude, trying to play chess with the people in my life. And front and center, the moment that solidified his fate—when he decided I wasn’t worth anything more than the blood running through my veins.

I push the door open without permission, gripping the doorknob and twisting like it personally offended me. Eryx stands poised on the other end of the room, his half-hooded lids finding mine instantly, acting as though this interruption is nothing but an inconvenience.

I’ll show him a fucking inconvenience.

His eyes track behind me, no doubt clocking Pryce before returning to me. “Pryce, care to explain why you led the parasite to my chambers?”

My magic burns with a raging vengeance, swirling through my veins with a blazing heat. “That’s really rich coming from you. Considering you’re the bloodsucker who takes without permission.” I grind my molars with so much force, I’m shocked they don’t shatter. He lets out a heavy sigh, swirling his drink before downing the contents and resting it on the counter with the calmness of a still lake.

Eryx rolls his eyes, seemingly already bored with this conversation. “Don’t pretend the rush wasn’t exhilarating.”

“Are you fucking dense? No actually, are you hearing yourself speak the words coming out of your mouth? In what world, or rather, universe, would you ever think any second of that was enjoyable?”

“Considering how you’ve been whoring yourself out, how was I supposed to know you’d take my advances any different?”

My hands fly to my head, gripping my hair at the root because I feel fucking insane. Like what is happening? Am I in a twilight zone? I have to be with the sheer audacity he has right now. “As if I would ever let you touch me. Be so fucking for real, Eryx.”

“Last time I checked, beggars can’t be choosers. And whores are always beggars.” He circles his wrist with his fingers, resting them there as if he’ll be able to find a pulse in that soulless vessel.

“And how would you know that exactly?” My pointer finger and thumb close around my chin, while my eyebrows pull together as if I’m thinking. “Oh, that’s right, you’re a fucking perve that decided to take it upon himself to watch me have sex. Not only that, with your twin no less.”

His head ticks to the side, his nostrils flaring as if what I said got under his ice cold skin. But I’m sure it’s an act, a whisper of human emotion, because one thing about Eryx—there’s no humanity left inside him. “That’s what this is all about, truly? You’re not upset I fed on you, and from the looks of it, you’re not even that angry I kept your little puppy away either.” He flicks his gaze to Pryce again, just to emphasize his point.

“Actually—”