Soul Ties

Chapter 67: A Deadly Choice

If someone could control their feelings, would things be much simpler? If they could choose to love only one person rather than falling for another at the same time, would there be less broken hearts? I feel like my heart is being tugged in two directions. One where it has always lived and been comforted. The other where danger could lurk, but the promise of something new tempting me.

Demien claps his hands together. Each time his palms connect it feels like my heart is being pulled. Clap. Seren. Clap. Scorpius. And every time my heart gets yanked one way, the strings inside it twist and knot. The emotional pain is now becoming physical the longer Demien claps.

"This conversation has given me more than I was hoping for, but something still has yet to satisfy me," Demien says when he finally stops applauding. "I have one last question before we decide to move on."

"And what would that be?"

His smile exposes his teeth, each one covered in a blackish film of spit. He presses his body off the damaged throne, overlooking over me. With an extended hand, I allow him to help me to my feet. My knees still feel weak and my body still aches from the beating I took from the guards. But I stand tall in front of Demien, not letting him see me as the frail Luniod he thought me to be.

We spin around and a wave of nervousness consumes me. I would finally be able to see the look on Scorpius' face. I would get to see if Seren was okay enough for this conversation between Demien and I to continue. But all my nerves drop when they both come into view. In fact, I start to feel numb.

Demien guides me over to them, the closer we get the heavier my stomach becomes. Seren sits with her tail between her legs, her head hung. A mixture of blood and tears drip off her chin until they fall to her thighs. She sniffles and the sound cracks my body right down the middle.

What did I expect? Her to be okay with listening to how my heart was making room for someone else? I anticipated her pain with every word that fell from my mouth, but seeing how defeated she looks, how broken, nothing could've prepared me.

My gaze travels a few feet next to her where Scorpius is. His head is leaning against the wall, both legs slumped in front of him. The light from them reflects off the tiled floor. He breathes in, the glow extending up his torso, until he exhales long and slow. The fire under his skin disappears back down to his legs but doesn't completely go out.

His dark hair is out of place and my fingers tingle at the thought of pushing it back like I'd done before. Like I wanted to do every time. Finally, I look at his eyes, his lids low almost like he's trying to keep himself awake. When his focus shifts to me, I wish the floor would open up and swallow me. What I would give to disappear right now.

A single tear trickles down his cheek until it's absorbed against the metal around his neck. Black tendrils spot his neck from where he was trying to pull himself free. The pain from looking at them burns inside me. Although, it doesn't match the pure agony I feel watching him weep.

His furrowed brows are pulled together, his lips turned down. Another tear falls down his pink skin. Demien grabs my elbow to stop me from walking. Coincidentally we're both standing directly in between Seren and Scorpius. Demien takes one step back and chuckles. I don't like where this is headed.

"Who do you choose?" he whispers behind me. I spin around, not sure if I heard him right. He couldn't seriously be asking me to make a choice between them.

"What?" I ask in disbelief.

"You can't remain impartial your entire lifetime. The real reason I hadn't allowed them to be taken away when you begged me was for this moment. I wanted to hear your choice for who it would be that gets the privilege of your heart completely."