Page 148 of The Nymph Prince

“You know nothing!” He flipped around to me, his eyes full of unshed tears. “My brother died that day, and I cannot even properly mourn him because of you! Everyone believes you’re him. You wear his face. You have his voice. But you aren’t him and never will be.”

When I reached for him, he jerked away.

“Do not touch me!” Tears streamed down his cheeks and he angrily wiped at them. “Thery was all I had. I have no one now.”

“You have me,” I said, refusing to back down. “I cannot change what happened, and I’ll never replace your brother. I know that. But I know his thoughts and I can feel how much he loved you, Seth. Let me be here for you. In any way I can.”

“You said your name is Alek?”

I nodded.

He cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes again. Barely holding himself together. As upset as he was, he wasn’t broken. Theron’s memories showed me Seth’s strength, how he’d always found a light in the darkness.

“I need time, Alek,” he admitted as his chin trembled. “I’d appreciate it if you stayed away for now.”

I didn’t stop him when he turned to leave. He needed distance to work through his grief, and I’d respect his request.

Emotionally drained and in desperate need of sleep, I turned to go inside the palace. A dark shape moved to my right.

“He’ll come around,” Reif said, coming into view.

“Shoulda known it was you,” I said with a relieved smile. “You’re fortunate I’m not in my normal body, for you might’ve been blasted backward.”

“Thank the gods for that then, eh?” Reif walked at my side instead of behind me as he sometimes did. We entered the palace and made for the staircase. “I much prefer you in this body if I’m bein’ honest. Did you ever wonder why you were drawn to it?”

“I’ve wondered. I haven’t a clue as to how it happened.”

“Maybe it was his magic,” Reif suggested. “I’ve heard of it happening before. When a soul refuses to move on, anyone who’s sensitive to the spirit world can sense it.”

I stopped walking and stared at him. Stunned.

Theron had looked directly at me and weakly smiled before he’d died. Had he sensed me and used his last bit of strength to draw me to him?

“How do you know this?” I asked him.

In the months I’d known the guard, he’d said very little about magic. When hehadspoken of it, it’d been to voice his opinion on how much he feared it being in the hands of the wicked.

“A friend.” Reif’s voice cracked and he continued down the corridor.

Much more than a friend, I suspected, but I kept that to myself. It must’ve been his elf. Elves were known for their magic, too.

“I cannot figure out, though, how I was able to enter his body when Haman had to have a whole ritual to enter mine.”

Reif thought on it before saying, “I think it’s different when the vessel is willing. Haman needed the dark magic to enter yours, because you fought against the darkness. It’s also why he wasn’t at full power when we faced him.”

“And Theron used his dying moments to say the spell that’d allow me into his?”

“Makes sense to me,” he answered.

Malik greeted us outside the chamber door. He looked exhausted, dark circles resting beneath his red-rimmed eyes.

“Go rest a while,” Reif said to him. “You’ve been awake much too long.”

“I cannot sleep,” Malik responded with a shake of his head.

He didn’t need to say as to why. Battle took its toll on the survivors. I was startled by any loud noise and my eyes lingered in dark corners for too long, just waiting for someone to attack. I couldn’t imagine how Malik felt, having fought longer than me.

“Then I’ll stay and keep you company,” Reif said, touching Malik’s arm before going to the other side of the door.