Futures Unseen (Chasing Titania #2)

Descent into Oblivion

After the events of last time, I decided to go straight for the kill. I headed into Ezra's room with that burning question on my tongue.

"What happened at the Belle mansion?" I asked him.

Ezra rolled his head in my direction. "Why must you utter the name of that harlot?"

"Bella?" I tried.

"Bella Belle, heiress of the Belle fortune," he giggled. "I'm sure she had a hell of a time."

"What happened there?"

Ezra smacked his head back against the chair. "I fell in love."

"With Bella?" I ceased my pacing.

"Oh heavens no," Ezra laughed, bringing his hands to his head. "No, no one could ever love something as heartless and depraved as that. She tried her damnedest to get between us, but I kept falling faster and faster. I hit the ground when I thought he had died. That vile monster saw it. The snake saw it too. I was in love! It was so foolish. I thought it would disappear! I lied to myself. I told myself it didn't matter, that nothing would happen. I was twisted, tied into knots around a snake."

"Bella Belle tried to break you up with who?"

"The snake," Ezra's gaze fixed on the mirror. "He hasn't let me go since."

I wondered if maybe he saw something in the mirror. There was nothing there.

"Bella Belle killed me," I tried to get him focused back on me. "She festered into a demon."

"Probably because I destroyed her entire self-image," Ezra shrugged. "When you can't have something, it can drive you mad."

I swear there was more meaning than the pass-off he had handed me. Ezra had too much madness to let it fly by in the comments. I opened my mouth to ask something else.

"You know, he lies," Ezra chuckled between words. "Argus was denounced as a nobleman. Then, he threw it out when he got the chance at that life again. For me! Riches beyond your imagination, and you threw it away for empty promises!"

"Argus wasn't a nobleman?"

"You were so stupid!" Ezra started to cry. "I was going mad! I couldn't stop it; I tried. I locked myself away because those images of death plagued me. Every single intimate moment became a foreboding wrought of death. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was disappearing every day."

I stayed quiet. This wasn't right. They were supposed to be some golden love story. The luckiest lovers in the entirety of Gaellileo. I knew it wasn't true, but how far back did this rotting go?

"I was young and stupid when I said yes," he gasped. "I'm sorry. I love you, you vile snake. Everything you have done for me hasn't been for naught. I've seen it. I'm sorry I can't do anything about it."

"I can do something about it," I approached Ezra. "That's what I've been trying to do."

He shrank in fear. Shame came off of him in waves. What was he talking about? His eyes flicked to the door. It flew open. Argus froze in the doorway.

"I'm sorry I never tried harder," Argus spat out. "You warned me, and I brushed it off. I thought every time I saw something, it was too soon. It was impossible. But I was stupid too."

I jumped back as flames ripped through the air in front of me. Ezra screamed as they flew up his arms, burning away the ropes.

"No!" He shouted. "I didn't ask for this! Put them back!"

He held out his hands together. Argus ran to him, clutching those hands against his sides.

Everything clicked into place. Love was the answer. Not just romantic, but platonic too. Fae loved Ezra regardless of what he was going through because they had seen the good in him. The soft man who didn't wish to harm others. They pushed through the madness into what made him great and glorious.