Page 43 of Evermore (The Never Sky #3)

Paesha

B reak him.

He deserves to bleed.

Make him suffer.

The voices had become a constant storm in my mind, but something felt different now. The chaos had purpose, direction. The scattered pieces were falling into a pattern I was only beginning to understand.

I paced my gilded prison, letting my gaze drift from the floor I’d been commanded to die on to the mirror.

Winter wasn’t there anymore. The reflection that stared back made my heart stop.

A woman I’d never seen before stood where my image should be, breathtaking in a way that made my chest ache.

Her long dark hair fell in waves past her shoulders, framing a face that seemed both familiar and foreign.

But where my gaze held shadows and confusion, hers burned with fire and purpose.

The smoky voice that had been haunting my thoughts purred from her lips, “One would think you’d be more fearful.”

“I’ve had voices screaming in my head for days, lady. Fear’s the least of my problems,” I yelled over the whispers, covering my ears as if that would save me from it all.

But the woman cleared her throat and with that simple gesture, the other voices fell silent, cowering before her presence. Even the Remnants stilled their constant swirling.

“Who are you?”

Her reflection rippled like disturbed water as she smiled.

“I’m Sylvie. The first of us. The original soul that your beloved Keeper has been chasing through time.

” Her fingers traced patterns on her side of the glass.

“Did you enjoy the show out there? How he stood by while my father commanded you to stop breathing?”

“Your father…” The pieces clicked into place. “Alastor.”

She nodded. “I was a demigod cast from Etherium when my father was banished. All because I dared to love. Sound familiar?”

I thought of Thorne’s refusal to help only hours ago. It was right there. Alastor had given him my freedom on a fucking platter and he’d refused.

“He speaks of love while watching you suffocate. He preaches devotion while letting you rot in madness.”

“The voices…”

“Are yours to command.” She waved her hand. “If only you’d take the time to listen, rather than fight back. Can’t you see what you are?”

I stepped closer to the mirror, drawn by the power in her words. “What am I?”

“You’re not some helpless mortal to be played with and discarded.

You’re not a prize to be won or a soul to be caged.

You may not have the title of a god, but you have the power of one.

You’re vengeance incarnate. You’re every death he’s caused, every lie he’s told, every heart he’s broken given form. ”

The Remnants stirred, responding to her words. To the truth in them.

“All my father wants is to see him fall,” she continued. “Help him achieve that, and your freedom is guaranteed.”

My freedom. My escape. My future. I studied my reflection beside hers, seeing for the first time how perfectly we mirrored each other. Two sides of the same splintered coin. “What do you need me to do?”

“When the moment comes, and it will come soon, you’ll know exactly what to do.” She reached through the glass, her fingers brushing my cheek in a touch that felt like fire. “You’ll know. And you will follow through. Are you ready?”

I closed my eyes, letting her words sink in.

All this time, I’d thought I was fighting against the darkness inside me.

But maybe I’d been fighting the wrong thing.

The faces of everyone I loved flashed through my mind.

Quill’s infectious laughter, Thea’s unwavering loyalty, Archer’s protective determination.

Elowen’s motherly nature. I had everything to lose.

A family. A home. My humanity. And that was exactly why I had to do what she asked.

To protect them. To be free of the gods’ games once and for all.

The monster living in my mind wasn’t a monster at all. She was just a woman who’d been betrayed. “Yes,” I whispered, opening my eyes to meet her gaze. “I’m ready.”

Because, to destroy the real monsters, I had to learn to accept my own.