The tavern was nearly empty now, the fire in the hearth burned down to embers. Phoenix lounged across from me like he owned the place, his long legs stretched under the table, his black coat spilling over the bench like ink. His red eyes gleamed in the dim light, watching me with the kind of calm detachment that made my blood boil.
"You're lying." I said for the second time this evening, my voice cracking just enough to betray me.
Phoenix sighed, tapping his fingers against the edge of the table in an infuriating rhythm. "Why would I lie about this, human? Do you think I enjoy delivering bad news?"
"Yes." I snapped, glaring at him. "That's exactly what I think."
He grinned at that, all sharp teeth and smug satisfaction. "Alright, fair. But not this time. I'm telling you the truth. Alexander is marrying Lilith."
"No." I said, shaking my head so hard it made me dizzy. "He wouldn't. He hates her. He told me-"
"He told you what you wanted to hear." Phoenix cut in, his voice turning cold. "Because that's what he does. That's what we do."
I slammed my hands down on the table, the sound echoing through the empty tavern. "No. You don't know him like I do. He wouldn't go back to her. She's poison."
Phoenix raised an eyebrow, unimpressed by my outburst. "Oh, I know her better than you ever will. And trust me, she's far more than poison-she's ambition wrapped in silk. And Alexander, for all his brooding nobility, has always been drawn to her, like a moth to a flame. Or have you forgotten why they were together in the first place?"
I swallowed hard, trying to push down the knot forming in my throat. I did know. Phoenix had told me about her, about the way she'd seduced him, manipulated him, nearly destroyed him. But he'd told me it was over. He'd told me-
"You're lying." I said again, weaker this time.
Phoenix rolled his eyes and leaned forward, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "I tire of repeating myself, little one. Alexander is marrying Lilith. The palace is being decorated as we speak. The invitation is sealed. He's probably with her right now, deciding which ancient relics to display for their esteemed guests."
Something inside me snapped. The idea of Alexander standing beside Lilith, his hands brushing hers, his lips curling into that quiet smile he only ever gave me-it was too much.
"Take me to him." I said, my voice shaking.
Phoenix blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then he let out a low, amused laugh. "Oh, you want to storm the palace now? Confront him in front of his precious court? Adorable. Truly."
"I'm serious." I said, standing up so fast the bench scraped against the floor. "Take me to him, Phoenix. Now."
He looked up at me, his red eyes narrowing. For a moment, he didn't say anything, just studied me with that infuriating smirk. Then he stood, moving with a predator's grace, and took a step closer.
"And what exactly do you plan to do when you see him?" He asked, his voice soft and dangerous. "Beg him to choose you? Cry and make a scene? Or maybe you'll finally see the truth and fall apart completely. Thinking about it, that would be fun to watch."
"Shut up." I hissed, my fists clenching at my sides. "I don't care what you think. I just need to hear it from him. So either take me there, or get out of my way."
Phoenix tilted his head, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. Then he sighed, as if I'd just asked him to do something terribly inconvenient.
"Fine." He said, his voice dripping with exasperation. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
Before I could respond, he grabbed my wrist. His touch was ice-cold, sending a shiver up my arm, and then the world around us shifted. The dim warmth of the tavern dissolved into darkness, replaced by a biting chill and the distant echo of footsteps on stone.
I stumbled as we landed, the sudden change in atmosphere make me dizzy. When I looked up, my breath caught.
We were in the palace.
The grand hall stretched out before me, lit by rows of candelabras that cast flickering shadows on the marble walls. The air was heavy with the scent of old wood and some faint, metallic tang that made my stomach churn.
"Phoenix." I whispered, glancing around. "What did you-"
"Shh." He said, pressing a finger to his lips. "Wouldn't want the guards to spot us, would we?"
I shot him a glare, but he only smirked and gestured for me to follow. His footsteps were silent as he moved down the hall, and I had to jog to keep up.
As we turned a corner, voices drifted toward us-low, murmuring, and familiar. My heart clenched.
We reached a set of tall, ornate doors, slightly ajar. Phoenix stopped and leaned casually against the wall, crossing his arms. "Well, there you go." He said, his voice mocking. "Your precious Alexander, just as promised."
I shot him a look and crept closer to the doors, my pulse thundering in my ears.
Alexander stood by the massive hearth at the far end of the hall, his back to me. He hadn't changed-he was still tall, still impossibly poised, still carrying that quiet magnetic power that made it so hard to look away.
"Go on." Phoenix whispered behind me. "Ask him. Confront him. Let's see how this little fairy tale ends."
I turned to glare at him, but my anger was quickly overwhelmed by despair. Because for the first time, I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer.
I clenched my fists at my sides, my steps echoing in the cavernous space as I crossed the room. Alexander turned before I reached him, his sharp features illuminated by the flickering firelight. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and for a brief moment, something softer crossed his face.
"Jane." He said, his voice low and familiar.
"Alexander." I called, my voice echoing through the cavernous space.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
"You shouldn't be here." He said, his voice soft but firm.
My breath hitched, but I pushed the feeling down, clinging to the anger that had carried me this far. "And yet here I am."
He tilted his head, studying me with that infuriating intensity of his. "Why?"
"Why?" I repeated, my voice trembling as I tried to hold his gaze. "Because I had to see for myself. I had to hear it from you."
Alexander's expression darkened, a flicker of something unreadable passing over his face. "Hear what, exactly?"
"You know what." I snapped, stepping closer. My boots clicked against the marble, the sound sharp and decisive. "Is it true?"
Alexander froze. For a moment, his expression was unreadable, but then something shifted in his eyes-guilt, maybe, or something darker. He didn't answer immediately, and the silence stretched until it felt like it would crush me.
He let out a slow breath and turned away, his shoulders stiff. "Jane-"
"Is. It. True?" I repeated, my voice rising with the anger I'd been holding back.
Alexander's jaw tightened, and his gaze dropped for a moment before meeting mine. "Who told you?"
"Does it matter?" I demanded, taking a step closer. "How could you do this to me?"
The pain in his eyes was real, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except the searing betrayal tearing through my chest. "Jane-"
I stared at him, my chest tightening. "Would you have ever told me?"
He stared at me, his eyes shadowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. "About your father? Never."
The air seemed to go still. My breath caught, my anger momentarily forgotten. "My father?"
Alexander hesitated, his jaw tightening as he glanced away. "Isn't that why you're here. To seek the truth of your father's death?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He opened his eyes, and the weight of his gaze was unbearable. "He died...by my hand."
The world seemed to stop. For a moment, I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The words didn't make sense, didn't belong in this moment.
I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "What do you-"
"I didn't know who he was. I didn't know who you were. All I knew was that he was the enemy, and I-" He broke off, his voice cracking.
"No." I shook my head, backing away. "You're lying."
"It's the truth." He said sharply, his voice breaking through my spiralling thoughts. "I killed your father, Jane. And I've regretted it every day since."
The weight of his confession slammed into me, stealing the air from my lungs. I stumbled back, my legs trembling beneath me. "You..." My voice broke, tears welling in my eyes. "You killed him?"
"I didn't know he was your father." Alexander said, his tone desperate now.
The room blurred around me, the edges of my vision swimming. I could barely process the words, barely hold onto the pieces of myself that were rapidly unraveling.
"You killed my father." I whispered, the tears spilling over now. "And now you're marrying her. The woman who killed my mother."
Alexander flinched, his composure finally cracking. "You know of my marriage?"
"It was my sole purpose for coming here." I uttered. "To ask you if it was true or not."
He froze, the blood draining from his face.
"And instead of coming here to find out one truth about you, I find out two." I said, my voice quiet.
He remained silent.
I glared at him, my mind racing, my heart pounding as I asked. "Why her?"
"It doesn't matter. This isn't about her." Alexander said, stepping closer. "This is about you. About making things right."
"Making things right?" I spat, the anger surging back with a vengeance. "How does marrying Lilith fix anything? How does lying to me, killing my father, make things right?"
"I'm not marrying her because I want to." Alexander said, his voice raw. "I'm doing it to protect you."
"Protect me?" I repeated, my voice trembling with rage and grief. "You've done nothing but destroy me, Alexander. You killed my father, and now you're choosing her over me."
"I'm not choosing her." He said, his voice breaking. "Jane, please-
"Don't." I said, stepping back. "Don't you dare say my name like that."
Alexander froze, his dark eyes filled with something like despair. Then he closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of my words had finally crushed him. "I chose you. I always chose you. But some choices aren't ours to make."
I stared at him, my chest heaving, my mind a storm of emotions I couldn't untangle. And in that moment, I wasn't sure what hurt more-him marrying Lilith, or the revelation of what he'd done to my father.
Either way, I felt like I was breaking. And I didn't know if I could be put back together again.
Alexander stared at me for a long moment, his gaze heavy with something I couldn't name. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "Forgive me."
But I couldn't stay there, couldn't look at him a moment longer. I turned and fled, the sound of my footsteps echoing through the vast, empty hall.
Behind me, Alexander didn't call out. And that hurt most of all.