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“This place is sacred to my people,” she began, her voice more measured. “We often hold ceremonies here, a place where we connect with our goddess.” She glanced around as if seeing the space with fresh eyes, and pieces of the puzzle fell into place. “I came here today to seek her solace.”

The last part came out so quietly, almost in a whisper, that I barely caught it. But it was enough to make everything click into place. Her nightmare… she’d come here because of those memories. The ones she couldn’t escape.

“You weren’t supposed to see me,” she murmured, her voice tight with something I couldn’t quite place. “I cloaked myself in invisibility.”

My brow furrowed, her words setting off warning bells in my mind. “I didn’t see you,” I corrected. “What I saw was a shadow, a blurry figure, but nothing clear.” I was trying to piece it together, to make sense of why I’d noticed her at all.

“You shouldn’t have been able to see anything, not even a blur,” she said, her voice cautious now, the tension thickening between us. “It must be one of your hybrid abilities.”

Her eyes studied me, searching for something beneath my surface. But I kept my face blank, giving her nothing to work with.

I saw what she was doing. She was trying to divert the conversation, steering it away from that brief crack in her carefully guarded armor. That faint show of vulnerability.

Clever girl.

But I wasn’t about to let her off that easily. “Nice deflection, Princess,” the words laced with sarcasm, “but we had a deal. Truths for training, remember?”

Her gaze flickered, the slightest sign that she knew she’d been caught. “I haven’t forgotten,” she replied smoothly, but there was an edge to her voice now, a tension she couldn’t fully hide.

“And I already told you two truths, Mr. Nikolai,” she said, her tone clipped, as if trying to regain control.

“Oh, I’m Mr. now, huh?” I mocked, raising an eyebrow. “Half-truths, correction.”

Her eyes narrowed, clearly not amused by my sarcasm. “You’re testing my patience.”

Yes, I was testing her.

I shrugged, unfazed. “I prefer full truths. So, what else are you hiding?”

She stared at me, her silence only deepening the intrigue, and I knew I was close to unraveling something she didn’t want to reveal.

“You got your truths. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m leaving,” she said calmly, her composure returning as she turned toward the pond, her back to me.

But before she could dive into the water, I gripped her wrist, spinning her back to face me. “Not so fast. I still have questions.”

Her eyes widened, a brief flicker of surprise crossing her face before she grimaced, the pressure of my hold clearly too tight. I loosened my grip slightly, though I didn’t let go.

You’re not getting off that easily.

“You’re keeping me here. The least you can do is answer my questions without half-truths or deflecting.” My voice was sharp and unforgiving. I knew I was being a prick, but my patience had run out long ago.

Her eyes narrowed at me, the flicker of surprise quickly replaced by a cold, steely resolve.

“You think you’re entitled to everything just because you’re trapped in this?

I’ve given you more than I should have.” Her voice was sharp, but there was something beneath it, a thread of tension that she couldn’t quite mask.

I kept my grip firm, my frustration boiling over. “I didn’t ask to be trapped in your world, and I sure as hell didn’t ask to be lied to. You’re keeping me here, against my will, might I add. The least you can do is stop hiding behind your half-truths and evasions.”

Her jaw clenched, and for a moment, I thought she might snap back, but she exhaled slowly, her gaze dropping to where my hand still held her wrist. “You want answers? Fine.” Her voice lowered, almost a whisper, but the intensity remained. “But understand this: you might not like them.”

I met her gaze, unflinching. “I’ll take my chances.”

Her eyes flashed with a mix of defiance and something I couldn’t quite place.

Sorrow, maybe? Or was it just exhaustion?

“I won’t do this now, not today.” Her voice was firm, but there was a crack in her armor, just a tiny one, before she yanked her wrist free from my grasp with more force than I expected.

I stood there, stunned for a split second, as the lingering warmth of her skin left my hand. And then she was gone. Vanished, as if she’d never been there at all.

My pulse raced, the rapid beat of it pounding in my ears. How could she just walk away like that? After all the lies and half-answers, the games she played, holding me here like some sort of prisoner.

I blinked, the space she had occupied only fueling my rage. I fought the urge to scream into the suffocating silence she left behind. Every part of me felt like it was on fire, an inferno of frustration, helplessness, and something I wasn’t ready to name. Something I hated.

No. I would not let this stand. She couldn’t keep walking away, thinking she held all the cards, leaving me with nothing but more questions and a seething rage that threatened to consume me.

My fury deepened, hardening into something more dangerous, a cold, calculated determination. If she thought she could play this game with me, she was fucking wrong.