𝐒𝐲𝐧 ┃𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

121. 𝑀𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟

Queen

I had to wrack my brain for the memory he drudged up. Those years were a blur for me and I knew why now, they had toyed with my head. I had the briefest recollection of what he spoke about. But what was a pivotal point in his life, was just another day to me. A strange one, but not one I thought about for more than a day afterward.

I remembered his voice a bit, his probing questions, him trying to attack Xyla...he was a creep. One I had no problem snitching on and ultimately stabbing, but he must've held a grudge.

I laughed a bit. "Seriously?" I asked him and he gave me a questioning look. "You're doing all this because I got you arrested for...literally doing what you were doing..."

"You misunderstood," he said.

"I was a child."

"A child who became the reason I was held in captivity for almost a decade, yes. But that's not the reason I told you the story. I've forgiven you for that, long ago."

Forgiven me. I wanted to laugh in his face but I had a feeling it wouldn't do me any good. If he was as off the rails as I thought-- well knew now,  it was better I remained cautious. Especially now that Lilith had given him the spell. I needed to play along for now. "Thanks..." I mumbled.

"They took me," he continued, "sold me to Jeradua when they found out exactly what I was. I was thrown into a damn dungeon and tortured for nine years while they tried to figure out how to kill me. Nine years. I hated you every minute of those nine years. I swore to myself that when I escaped, I'd make you pay."

"And that's what this is..." My mind filled in the blanks, "you making me pay for that."

He smiled and shook his head. "I told you I forgave you."

"Then why am I here?"

He laughed. "You're playing the game wrong." He took back control of the conversation and I rolled my eyes. "My turn. Do you love Syn?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"Answer it."

"Yes." He nodded once. I didn't understand why he asked a question he already had an answer to, but if they were going to be that easy, fine. "How did we get here?' I asked my question, emphasis on here. "You escaped, okay. You forgave me, cool. So why are we here?"

"How or why?" He nitpicked. "Those are two different questions. Choose one."

I didn't realize they were when I asked. His question put me on the spot instantly and I thought hard. If I asked him "how", he'd give me logistics. I knew that much. It'd be a waste of a question. So I opted for the second one. "Why?"

He smiled. "We are here because I have been in love with you for years. I think my turn to feel that love has been long overdue."

I let out a huff of laughter. None of this was making sense. His carrying a petty want for revenge was idiotic, but at least it came full circle. I could reason with that, as stupid as it was. But love? It made no sense. Maybe somehow during the time he was Aiden...

"For years now, I've been in the shadows," he said. "You may not have known, but I was always there. The shadow outside your window, a guard outside your bedroom, pastor, coworker- a passing face in a crowd. I've been almost everything just for the chance to be near you...no matter how brief the interaction."

A chill struck down my body. Goosebumps crawled across my skin as a collection of faces flashed through my mind. Thousands of faces I've seen over the years- smiled at, hugged, laughed with.