He looked like a monster. He was a monster. Theia felt her nails digging into the varnish of the wooden bar, her eyes set on the shadowed smile. Her chest rose and fell with panicked breaths as she tore her eyes away and looked at Adonis.
"I was telling him about your time with Nic and I. We assumed you'd want to give him a ride," Adonis mused, nudging Nyx with his elbow. The massive male didn't budge. His body was stiff beneath his cloak, and she felt the way his eyes burned into her face.
"I- I can't," she tried to speak but it came out in a whisper. Adonis's smile dropped slightly. "I'm going to dinner with someone."
"Well, we can ask Elena," Adonis shrugged. Theia's brows furrowed. Were they trying to hook Nyx up with someone? It didn't matter. The sun was beginning to set and she needed to leave.
"Tell Elena whatever, but I have to go," Theia spoke to Adonis, ensuring her eyes don't catch Nyx's as she turned and rushed toward the back door. She pulled her coat from the rack. A tingling sensation brought chills down her spine, and Theia couldn't help but look behind her as she shoved the door open. Nyx still stood at the bar, his elbows pressing against it as he leaned over it in a relaxed pose. Though his face was shadowed beneath his cloak in the already dim light, she knew he was watching her.
Theia felt ill as she stumbled out the back door and slammed it behind herself. Finally, she felt air rush in and out of her lungs. How she survived, Theia didn't know. Nyx still held her mind in a tight grasp all these years later, and she wanted to make him hurt. He had her torn apart for years, and it was his turn.
Theia shoved away from the back door and began her journey to the cafe to meet Silas, rushing to see the male that used to distract her. Her mind couldn't decipher which emotions she felt; fury, sorrow, loss. She wanted to tear her hair out. Theia hadn't even bothered to put her jacket on, but rather held it to her chest as though the sensation would soothe her.
She had done her crying the day before, and now she felt like she had gone into shock. The only sign that anything had happened was her clammy and pale skin, and the unsteady breaths as she hurried down the streets. The sunset darkened the sky, casting an orange tone over the snow dusted village. Theia started to turn her head to look through the valley, but what she saw instead nearly had her tripping over herself.
Nyx, still cloaked, stood on the other side of the street. His hand lifted, giving her a wave with his fingers before stepping down onto the street and towards her. Theia stumbled backwards, praying to the goddesses and Mother to do anything to stop him. As angry as she was, Theia wasn't ready to confront him. He was ready, though. She saw it in the way he marched up to her, gloves hands slipping beneath his cloak.
"We need to have a chat." She felt his gruff voice through to her bones. Theia shook her head, attempting to swallow.
"I- I can't. I have somewhere to be," she croaked, moving to turn away from him. Nyx caught her with a crushing grip on her arm. Theia winced and tugged, but his touch was relentless. It ached to feel his touch for the first time in centuries, and that touch being rough and angry.
"Your male of the night can wait. You owe me an explanation," Nyx snarled. Theia couldn't breathe. The pine and spiced scent of him enveloped her, dragging her down a strip of memories she refused to think about.
"Nyx, let go of me," Theia ordered. She willed her voice to be harsh, but she heard how it broke. His grip only grew tighter.
"Answer my questions, then you can go fuck whoever," he spat, tugging her closer. Theia squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the male beneath the shadows.
"What questions? You owe me." Theia couldn't help but argue. He was entirely wrong, assuming she owed him anything. Nyx was the one who never came back. Theia was simply a forgotten memory to him.
"I owe you nothing," he seethed. "You took money from my father and you ran away as soon as you got what you wanted. How much did you take? I expect it to be returned by the end of the week."
Theia's eyes shot open as she already forgot her desire to never see his face. His light eyes were hardly visible beneath the cloak, but she glared right at them.
"Your father gave me that money. He handed it to me and told me I was supposed to leave," she argued, tearing at his grip again. Nyx scoffed, an indecent sound. Theia gritted her teeth.
"My father said you took that money from him and threatened him to bring you to Windhaven."
"And your father is a fucking liar," Theia snarled. She didn't expect this level of anger to seep from her, but she was glad it did. Nyx's grip on her arm was punishing, and she fought against every urge to wince.
"Don't fucking speak about my family. Have that money in my hand by the end of the week, Theia. If I don't have it by then, I'll make you regret ever knowing me."
"I already do," she spat, finally tearing her arm free. She shot him one last look before turning away and marching to the cafe where Silas waited. Her entire body shook with the force of her rage. She wanted to tear him apart. Theia glanced over her shoulder, but the street was empty of Nyx. Her teeth ground together as she tore the cafe door open and aimed for Silas. She needed a distraction.
He was at a table along the window, his fingers drumming against the table as he studied the page of meals. His eyes lifted along with a smile, though it fell when he looked her over.
"What's wrong?"
"I need you," she said in a low tone, not bothering to sit down. Silas's brows pulled together as he glanced around the room.
"But we are meant to eat dinner. I haven't ordered yet," he motioned to the menu in his hand. Theia clenched her jaw as she dropped onto the seat and bounced her leg, watching the street outside of the window. Silas's hand slid over hers, the slightest bit of calm hardly touching the overworked nerves. Her head snapped to face him, and she could see the worry in his eyes.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but I don't know if I can do this," Theia ground out, glancing around the half-full cafe. Silas's hand stilled on top of hers, his face twisting into confusion.
"Do what? Dinner?"
Her chest ached at the suspicion in his voice. She knew he had always been waiting for her to end their relationship, whatever it was. She didn't want to, but her mind was torn between tearing Nyx's head off or fucking Silas until her body felt raw.
"No- Yes, I don't know. I can't think straight, I just need a distraction," she bit out, squeezing his fingers. Those were her famous words. She said them each time Theia wanted sex. Silas knew it, and his face fell. He glanced around the cafe, a frown shadowing his face.
"Fine, uh, let's just go then."
Her chest ached even more. She wasn't one to force someone into sleeping with her, and she could see that Silas had no interest in anything but spending time with her. The cafe served whiskey, which could be her only other choice. With a sigh, she let her head drop.
"No, it's fine. I'm sorry. Let's just order," she breathed, pulling her hand from his and lifting the second menu. She felt Silas's eyes on her, but she couldn't handle seeing his face. Theia knew she hurt him.
"What can I get you?" A cheerful voice interrupted Theia's emotional turmoil. Theia sighed and dropped the parchment onto the table.
"The roasted chicken and vegetables, two glasses of whiskey," she ordered, leaning back in her seat. Through her peripheral, Theia saw how Silas stared at her before making his own order. The waitress chirped her reply and took the menus as she left. Silas leaned forward in his seat, reaching for Theia's face. She frowned as he forced her chin up to meet his eyes.
"What's wrong with you? Two glasses of whiskey? Come on, Theia. Tell me what's going on," he urged, his thumb stroking the skin of her jaw.
"Nothing. I mean- I've just had a long day. A day I want to forget, I'm fine."
He didn't seem convinced, but Silas pulled his hand away and leaned back. His arms crossed as he studied her. Theia sighed and turned her eyes back to the window. Her breath hitched when she saw a figure in the dying light. A cloak billowed in the evening wind. Nyx's face was still hidden away, yet he watched her with his arms crossed. Theia tore her eyes away and dropped her gaze to the table, nails digging into the flesh of her palms.
"Who is that?"
Apparently Nyx wasn't as sly as he thought. Theia lifted her gaze to see Silas leaning forward in his seat, eyes narrowed on Nyx's figure.
"No one, Silas. Just ignore them," Theia snapped. Silas shot her a glare, such a rare sight on his gentle face.
"You don't get to act like this and tell me to ignore someone who is watching you through the damned window. Who is it?" His voice was harsh. Theia knew he was getting fed up, but she was already so close to the edge of her sanity. She opened her mouth to reply, but the waitress interrupted by setting their drinks down.
Theia grabbed the first glass of whiskey and downed it in one breath. The burning in her throat didn't soothe the fire in her veins. Her eyes shot back out the window to see Nyx's head turning towards the falling sun, and then his body turning entirely. She watched as he retreated down the street, eventually turning behind a building.
"Theia."
Her eyes turned to Silas yet again. His glare was focused entirely on his unanswered question, and Theia couldn't breathe until she swallowed the second glass of whiskey.
"It was just someone from earlier in my life. I haven't seen them since I was young and I didn't expect to see them again, that's all," she tried to calm his frustration, but Silas didn't seem convinced. He watched her throughout the dinner. She felt his eyes as she downed glass after glass, inhaling her food in a rush to get home. Silas still seemed angry as they paid and left the cafe, and as they made the trek home in the dark.
She felt haunted by the memory of Nyx. He misunderstood the situation from so long ago, and gave her no chance to explain. Even when his threatening figure wasn't in sight, Theia couldn't stop seeing him. The alcohol didn't seem to damper her anger. She was still on edge as she and Silas walked into the house. Her anger grew when Silas ignored her and went to the bathing chamber, and again when he marched to the bedroom.
He gave her no chance to explain, nor to try and seduce him in her drunken manner. The ghost of Nyx crowded her as she sat along the hearth. She was terrified to look at the windows, expecting to see his silhouette in the moonlight. The monster that destroyed her was back, and he was hungry for revenge.