𝐒𝐲𝐧 ┃𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

122. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑆𝑖𝑑𝑒

Queen

I kept a safe distance away from her, circling her both in shock and slight curiosity. She eyed me in return. Not with the same peculiar fascination that I did, but with boredom and a hint of amusement. "How are you not freaking out right now?" I asked her. "This is a really trippy dream."

"Not a dream." She crossed her arms and took a seat on the swing. "Just your subconscious. And I'm not as starstruck as you are because I've been here. With you, since we were born. I've just been...in somewhat of a deep sleep. That's the best way I can put it."

"Wow." I crouched down in front of her and studied her face-- my face. Dark chocolate almond-shaped eyes, dark lashes, defined brows with the same familiar birth marks laying on her caramel skin-- one above her lip, the other faint above her left cheekbone. It was me. I saw the same reflection every day, but this felt different. The insecurities I had weren't ones I could see on her. Hmm. If this was what Syn saw...I could understand why he was so in love.

I reached out, touching her face. My fingers trailed along her soft, dark pink lips and a slow, teasing smile spread across them. "Do you want to fuck me?" I heard her say. I immediately dropped my hand, giving her a disgusted look. She raised her brows and shrugged. "Why not? It's not like anyone would know. Besides," she leaned forward, hooking a finger into the neckline of my top, "I know what you like."

"Haha, that doesn't seem incestuous at all." I deadpanned and stood back up.

"We're not sisters," she reminded me, dropping her hand back to her lap. "I am you, and you are me. If you've touched yourself, then you've touched me. But now if I touch you back..." she licked her lips, batting her lashes up at me, "that would be a problem?"

"Uh, yeah." I wrapped my arms around myself and took a step back. The way she was looking at me had to be illegal. If Syn saw it, he'd snap her neck. Or would he...I didn't know how that math worked in this situation.

She stood up and my eyes unintentionally skirted down the rest of her body. I was stunned again. I was no better than a man. Suffice to say it-- I was curious and what other opportunity would I have to satiate said curiosity. "Weird question, but can I touch you?"

She seemed taken aback for a brief second before holding her arms out. "Feel free."

I took her hand and flipped it. Palm upward. The hand which only moments ago seemed mundane moments ago began to turn black at her fingertips. It continued down, painting her hand a deep inky color. At her wrist, it disbursed into small lines, like veins up to her forearm. I felt something sharp graze my wrist and I snapped my eyes away from the lines. Her nails had grown into claws as dark as night, just like her hand. "What are you?" I whispered in awe.

She smiled. "A part of you that's been inert for far too long."

I furrowed my brows. "You're not from Lilith," I said slowly, the reminder of her making my heart hurt for a moment. Being in here made me forget why exactly I ended up here in the first place. I withdrew my hand from hers, immediately missing the warmth. But I needed to regain my focus. "You say you've been with me since I was born, but Lilith just died..."

"Well, not from Lilith. But because of Lilith, I'm here with you," she said, further confusing me. "I've always been here-- an intrusive thought, a whisper urging you to give in...but when you killed her..." her words trailed on.

She wasn't from Lilith's dark magic. She was here, in my subconscious because I killed my mother. Someone who loved me..

Putting two and two together, I found my words and spoke, "You're a succubus."

She winced. "That has to be a slur." She sighed. "But for lack of better words, yes. You are."

"Me?"

"You should learn to stop separating us," she said. "We are one, Queen. The part of yourself that you try to suppress and control all the time...I'm that, personified. You're just finally able to see me for who I am. You."