Page 60 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos (The Rossi Legacies #7)

Sienna

M y heart stops as I stare at him, the shock stilling me as I stand there frozen. He looks back at me with no expression, yet I can sense his power wrapping around me like a blanket.

Gods…

Realisation is like a cruel awakening. The price is me.

He’s watching me keenly, and then I gasp, realising I wasn’t even breathing, my head spinning violently.

The price is me.

Jayce…

How can I leave him, Dad- Dad won’t be happy-

“What is it? You will be happy. You will live the life of a goddess and will be married to a god. One day, all of your family will die, and you will meet them again. It is not like I’m asking you to sacrifice your life.”

I look at him through blurred eyes, my throat tightening.

“Why do you want me?” I ask, trying to make sense of it.

Is it because I’m with Jayce, because he’s from the Deimos line?

The gods are not black and white; there are so many sides to them.

Their morals don’t align with ours. I need to be careful.

“Because of your beauty, of course.”

“So, this has nothing to do with the Deimos bloodline?” I ask softly, yet firmly, not wanting to upset him when he holds the key to Dad’s return, but I can’t agree blindly either. I need to know exactly what this means.

His lips curl in a dangerous smile. “Well, we have always had similar tastes in women. No one gets hurt, you will not be dying, and your father will return body and soul as if not a day had passed since he left.”

No one gets hurt, but Jayce… Jayce gets hurt. My heart squeezes painfully at the thought of leaving him. My head spins. I can’t be selfish, but how much will this hurt Jayce?

“I need time to think,” I say.

His gaze softens, then fills with disappointment.

“I thought the greatest gift I could give you was your father… It was a fair trade. It seems he isn’t the most important person to you.

There is a small window where I can use my powers to restore your father.

Time is something we do not have. So let me know now if you refuse, so I don’t waste any more time here then. ”

His words sting like a knife coated with poison. “No! It’s not like that; it’s just my father wouldn’t forgive me if I did this.”

“You can’t be sure, not when the world may end. At least you’ll be safe.”

Jayce… What about Jayce?

I can’t bring myself to mention him, not when I know the past between Helios and the Deimos Bloodline.

“If this is about your own wants-”

“No…” It isn’t. I’ll live in heartbreak as long as everyone else is ok, if Jayce is ok.

My heart thunders.

He will have a mate out there. He’ll find love again. He can live without me.

My eyes prickle at the thought of him, my mama, Ahren, Heaven, Allie… everyone.

“Does Jayce Westwood, the Deimos King, have a mate? Can you see that?” I ask, the pain in my chest is unbearable. My emotions are spiralling, and I can feel them whip around me.

He nods. “He does.”

I look down, then I am all there is to sacrifice. Mama will have Dad, Ahren will find his mate, and Allie and Heaven have each other. I’ll join my grandfather and Uncle Chris.

“Very well then. I agree,” I whisper.

“Excellent! Then it is bound by our blood.” I blink as I feel sharp pain rush down my neck.

I gasp, clamping my hand over where my mate mark would go as I feel searing pain rush through me.

I think I see something molten gold blaze from Helios’ neck.

I wouldn’t call it blood; it’s more like a dazzling light, and then he steps back as everything becomes blindingly bright.

“Then on the night of the Blood Moon, come to where the veil is weak and we will make the exchange; your father for you.”

I nod, my heart shattering.

“Even a god cannot break the oath made by a god. Remember, if you do not honour this oath, your entire bloodline shall suffer and the ones you love most. Remember it, daughter of three.”

Helios’ voice echoes from all around, from within, from behind, from above.

And then he’s laughing.

“To have the mate of the Deimos King on my arm! Do you see this, Andronikos?! I win!”

His words echo again and again in my head as I find myself being sucked away.

His words turn in my mind as I process them, my own heart thrumming in my ear.

To have the mate… I gasp, a sob escaping me as agony rips through me as I realise what I’ve done.

I’m Jayce’s mate! I am Jayce’s…

He tricked me.

He tricked me!

“Sienna!”

Someone calls me, but there’s nothing I can do but cry my heart out. Hope, faith, and trust all shattered. He’s mine, but I can never have him. I traded his love… I… I failed once again…

“Sienna, please, my lovely, talk to me…”

Arms wrap around me as I simply keep crying.

“Someone! Jayce! Someone call Jayce!”

I vaguely realise it’s Shahira, and I hold on to her.

This time I’ve fucked up so badly that I don’t think anyone can help me… I touch my neck, flinching when I feel the open wound. A blood oath…

I stare at my hands as Jayce’s scent fills my nose, and then I feel Shahira’s arms release me, and they’re replaced by stronger ones. I can’t stop the tears even as he strokes my hair. The guilt is consuming me.

“It’s going to be alright. Tell me what’s wrong, Sienna.”

His voice is soft, full of concern as he tries to soothe me, but I can’t say anything. The guilt tearing me up.

“Please don’t leave me,” I whisper.

How can I ask him that when I am going to leave him? I don’t deserve him.

“Never,” he promises.

I feel him lifting me up into his arms, and I curl into his chest as he carries me to his room.

I keep my eyes shut, not knowing how I can face him with what I’m going to do…

I don’t have much longer left with him…

“Want to talk about it?” he whispers, combing his fingers gently through my hair.

I can’t.

“No,” I whisper, all I want is to turn back time-

Ahren! Ahren!

My heart thunders with a moment of fleeting hope, but it’s gone as fast as it came. Helios is a god. How do I reverse a time that isn’t on this planet? How do you reverse an oath made to a god?

Even I know the time in the Realm of the Gods is different than here.

There is no way.

I’m sorry, Jayce… I’m so sorry…

On the night of the Blood Moon, I will just make sure to leave before the bond snaps into place, so he never knows that we are fated. So he never has to know what it feels like to lose a mate.

I love you, Jayce.

And I am sorry.

I’m awoken early to see Jayce enter the room. He’s already kitted up, holding a bowl of cereal. “How are you feeling?” he asks as he comes over, placing the bowl down. He kisses my forehead softly, searching my eyes.

I shake my head slowly. “Are we getting ready to leave now?”

He nods, but he doesn’t look away. “Yeah, feeling up to it?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” I whisper. My eyes sting. I don’t know how much longer I have with you…

“Sienna, I’m worried about you. What happened?”

I shake my head, knowing he will know when I lie. “I need you to respect that I don’t want to talk about it,” I whisper, the guilt suffocating me.

He’s silent for a moment before he crouches beside the bed, placing his hand on my thigh. “Alright, but how can we fix it if you don’t talk about it?”

I don’t reply. What does he know?

“When you’re ready to talk, I’m here for you.”

“Thanks,” I say. I stare at him, burning every speck of his face into my mind. Even a real god doesn’t hold a candle to him. He’s my god.

“You’re worrying me,” he says softly, tapping my nose. Even if his tone is playful, the concern in his eyes is real.

“It’s all going to be ok. Come on, let’s get ready. We have a mission to complete.” I pick up the bowl, and although I have no appetite, I force myself to swallow a spoonful just so we don’t have to continue this conversation.

I can sense his eyes on me, that intensity and the prickle on my skin that I’ve always felt every time he turned my way… that look I mistook for hatred.

He’s my mate…

There’s a knock on the door, and Jayce stands up, going over to it. He pulls the door open. Artemis stands there, ready as well.

“Hey, Si…” She smiles at me, and I wonder who else heard me cry last night. She looks concerned, but I’m grateful she doesn’t ask anything else.

“Hey.”

She smiles before turning to Jayce. “How long until we leave?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

I place the bowl down and stand. “I’ll go get ready, too.”

I excuse myself, brushing past Jayce. Artemis turns to look at me, but I don’t look back, heading straight to my room. I slip inside, hoping not to disturb Shahira, but she’s already up.

“Hey, Si, are you ok?” she asks softly.

I nod. “Yes.”

She gives me a small smile. “Please don’t use that dream spell again? I don’t think it’s good.”

No kidding…

I nod. “I won’t use it again. I promise you.”

She nods slowly, watching me. “Did something happen? You had a cut on your neck.”

I shake my head. “No… nothing.”

“Ok…” She doesn’t believe me, but I don’t have the heart to reassure her right now. Not when my own world is shattering.

I get my bag that is already packed and my outfit, and head to the bathroom.

Jayce is my mate, but I can never let him find out. That’s a secret I’ll take with me…

I open the bathroom door and gasp when I see Jayce leaning against the door frame.

“Ready?” he asks, not commenting on the way I jumped back.

Nodding, I stretch out my hand, needing his comfort even when I’m breaking inside. He takes my hand in his half-gloved one, raising it to his lips and kisses my knuckles softly.

“Come on then, let’s do this.”

“Yeah.”

Our eyes meet before he leads me out to the lounge area and then out of the dorm. My eyes never leave him, the shattered shards of my heart being ground into dust.

I never deserved you. And for leading you on? For that, I am sorry.