Page 80 of The Tribrid Princess and the Taste of Chaos (The Rossi Legacies #7)

Sienna

T he light is blinding, blurring everything until the world around me sharpens again, and when it does, I know exactly where I am. The balcony of his palace. The one from my visions. It’s real now. Stone, sky and ethereal light stretching endlessly before me.

He’s already here.

“My beautiful betrothed,” Helios greets, a smile curling his lips. His voice is like honey, smooth but sickeningly sweet. It still seems to come from within my mind rather than in front of me.

And now, for the first time, I can see him properly.

He’s ageless .

Perfection.

But it’s just surface deep.

His eyes are a dazzling gold, his skin radiant, and he is impossibly tall. Over eight feet for sure, displaying dominance and cruelty cloaked in divine arrogance.

And gods, I hate him.

I have never known hatred like this. Never.

I resent him for what he made me do. That is something I will never forgive him for.

The way he made me hurt Jayce just to claim me as his bride. I feel it burning inside me like a curse. The guilt and pain are something I will never be able to forget. And I don’t deserve to forget what I did.

“I have fulfilled my promise; your father is home,” he says, offering his hand like he expects gratitude. “It is time for you to fulfil yours.”

My chest is tight, my blood loud in my ears. Every instinct in me screams to rip his hand from his wrist. Not that I’d succeed.

He is a god.

Instead, I clench my fists at my sides and stare him down with every ounce of rage I’ve bottled up. But I can’t look at him for long. He’s too intense, the glow around him blinding.

“I’ll be your queen,” I say coldly, every word like broken glass on my tongue. “But it will be by title only. I’ll never truly be yours.”

His smile fades, the light behind his eyes dimming to something harder, sharper. He steps forward, that divine light around him shimmering.

“You will be mine, fiery one,” he says quietly, the threat in his tone barely veiled. “You will be mine.”

I may not be able to meet his gaze head-on, but I don’t flinch, my voice sharp like a blade.

“No. You can pretend what you want, you can make me marry you, you can keep me here, and you can announce to the world that I am yours… But you will never have anything more than the shell. My soul, my heart, my love, you know who they belong to. To someone you could never hope to be.”

And someone I will never be worthy of.

I turn my back on Helios, waiting for his wrath, but it doesn’t come, only silence.

Maybe because he knows I’m already bleeding. That’s punishment enough.

Jayce.

His name alone is a wound.

I know what I did to him. I know I shattered something I never should have when I walked away. And I will never deserve his forgiveness. Not now. Not ever. That is my damnation.

I just pray he hates me enough to move on. I hope the betrayal twisted like a knife so deep that he lets go. Because I need him to rebuild his life. It’s the only thing keeping me going.

“Take my new bride to her chambers,” Helios commands, his voice thunderous and cruel. “The wedding shall be arranged.”

His footsteps vanish behind me, swallowed by silence. And I remain, staring out at a realm meant to be heaven, yet all I see is the bleakness of my future.

‘I love you.’ His words echo in my mind.

And I never replied.

I turned my back, pretending it didn’t destroy me. I let him fall to his knees, let him beg me to stay and said nothing. Because I had to. I had no choice. Because I thought silence would be better than showing him the pain I’m in. I did this all for his safety.

The fractured bond still aches. And my silence haunts me.

So now, here, all alone, I answer him, even though he’ll never hear it.

“I love you, too,” I whisper into the wind, broken and quiet. “With everything I am.”

I just… I couldn’t say it then. Because if I had, I would’ve never had the strength to leave. I couldn’t risk your life, not after what I saw Helios was capable of. I had to sacrifice everything to save you.

A breath catches in my throat. I press a hand to my chest, trying to contain the sob that threatens to escape me. The pain is constant, a hollow echo of what I lost. But I welcome the pain. It’s what I deserve.

“So live, Jayce, please. Find someone who can give you everything I stole. Someone worthy of you. Because I was never strong enough to be what you deserved. All I did was hurt you. I’m sorry.”

I close my eyes. Silent tears burn hot down my cheeks.

I will never forgive myself. Not for the oath I made by accident. Not for the betrayal. Not for loving him enough to leave him behind. What I did was unforgivable. I know that.

“Come, My Queen…” a voice whispers gently beside me.

I turn to them, they are some kind of faerie-like women, impossibly delicate, half my size, with wings that shimmer like starlight. And then the sun hits their skin, and it sparkles dazzlingly. They hover in the air, waiting, their expressions unreadable.

I wipe my face with the back of my hand, square my shoulders, and take one last look at the sky. The sun is still shining down, and the clouds have stunning hues of pink, gold and orange.

“Does it ever go dark here?” I ask.

“No, My Lady, this is the Kingdom of the Sun God; it is always day.

And I prefer the night...

Then, I turn away and walk into the palace that will never be my home, following the creatures that lead me deeper into the gilded cage made of gold and marble.

But I will not make this easy for him. There’s a storm brewing inside of me.

He thinks he’s won, but he hasn’t.

And he is about to get a taste of chaos.

Jayce

Three months have passed since that night.

I returned to the Academy three days after the Blood Moon.

Dad told me to take some time off to clear my head, but I didn’t listen.

I couldn’t just sit around and mope. I showed up to every training session, every lesson, every game.

I threw myself into my responsibilities like they were the only thing keeping me upright. And maybe they were.

I had things to do, and I got them done.

Shahira’s awake now, and they say she’s going to be fine. Sometimes I wonder if Sienna had anything to do with that. Maybe she did. Maybe not. Either way, I no longer care.

It’s been two months and three days since the numbness settled in for good. It’s exactly what I needed. I haven’t felt anything real since then.

Since her betrayal.

Since her lies.

Since her rejection.

So I focused on what I had left. My family. My duty. My division. The war ahead. The future. Not the past. Not her.

Heaven tried to apologise on Sienna’s behalf. She looked sorry, even sounded like she meant it. But it fell flat. Words like that don’t touch me anymore. Whatever meaning they once held died with the last pieces of our bond. I don’t need her ‘sorry’. What Sienna did will never be justifiable.

There’s been tension between my family and the Rossis ever since. Despite an apology from Uncle Alejandro, it’s too late. I don’t want it, and deep down, I know Dad didn’t accept it either. For the sake of the family, they’re trying to be civil, but I keep my distance.

I’ve got no time for petty politics, and even less for unresolved guilt that doesn’t belong to me. Rayhan asked to speak with me. I didn’t respond. I won’t. That chapter of my life is over. There’s nothing left to say.

The school year has now come to a quiet end, and I’m clearing out my room.

Tossing whatever I need into the suitcase, half-focused, half-exhausted.

I’m not going home. Not this time. I’ve arranged to spend the end-of-year holidays in Russia, near the Siberian Wastelands.

The situation there’s deteriorating, movement from beyond that shield is growing, and if I can help, I will.

It’s something to do, somewhere to be, and the best part, it’s far from memories of her.

I reach for the pile on my desk and grab the old sketchbooks I haven’t touched in months.

I hesitate, my thumb brushing the worn edge of the cover, but the familiar itch to start sketching has vanished.

The spark that once ignited my hands is gone.

I don’t want to sketch. I don’t want to remember.

I scowl and toss them straight into the bin.

Something slips out as they fall. A small envelope lands against the toe of my boot.

My body tenses when I recognise it.

I bend down and pick it up slowly, my fingers curling around the paper I once held like it meant something. My heart kicks once, a traitorous beat, and I hate it for that. I stare at the envelope for a moment longer than I should, memory threatening to breach the silence I’ve wrapped myself in.

But I don’t let it.

The lightning comes fast, flickering across my palm, the envelope catching fire. I drop it, watching as the flames race across the paper. The photographs slip out, curling at the edges as they burn.

One lands face up right in front of me. It’s her, kneeling in front of the bike, helmet on, with wings.

So she did have wings. I didn’t imagine it that one time.

I let out a humourless breath, almost a laugh, but full of scorn.

I watch the fire consume the image, just as easily as she destroyed what we had.

When nothing remains but blackened paper, I step on it and grind it beneath my heel until it’s nothing but dust.

Then, without a second thought, I reach for the lid of my suitcase and shut it.

I’m about to zip it up when my door slams open behind me.

I turn sharply, every muscle tensing as Brock barrels into the room, breathless, his eyes wide and heart pounding so loudly I can hear it.

I frown. “What is it?” I ask.

He swallows, struggling to speak, “It’s- It’s your brother.”

Unknown POV

I flick through the file in my hand, a faint smile ghosting my lips. The bell signalling the end of lessons for the day rings through the school halls, reaching me loud and clear.

Finally, I have this, and they won’t even know what’s missing. I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing, and no one will ever find out. Crouching down, I slip the package I’m holding into my hiding spot, rolling up the papers and sliding them into my inner jacket pocket.

I glance up at the statue before me, hidden away from all eyes and yet right in front of everyone.

Silently, I turn and walk to the library, a place I visited for months, searching, reading, thinking, all leading up to the papers I now have, and no one is any the wiser.

I walk through the shelves, finding myself in front of the forbidden section. It was never in here. Leo isn’t fool enough to put important things in places prone to being broken into, but he’s not the only smart one around.

Now to deal with one last annoying problem… I remain where I am, waiting.

Suddenly, the lights go out. It’ll only be this part of the wing, nothing obvious or big, but enough to shut off a couple of cameras. I don’t have long to get this over with.

He’s been getting close.

Moving swiftly, I leave the library and head down the hall until I step into a narrower hall when I spot him, and by the looks of it, he was coming for me because he stops when he sees me, his eyes glowing.

“So, all this time, it was you.” His accusation rings through the quiet hall, his eyes hard.

“Ares,” I say, as if I’m bored.

He stands there, his eyes hard, fists clenched, but the shock in his eyes is almost amusing. “You’re the traitor, and here I was thinking it was Jayce… I never thought it’d be you.”

I shrug. “Well, surprise,” I smirk, tilting my head.

He frowns. “You put the seeds of doubt in my head… All along you played me, wanting me to focus on Jayce, but I’m not fucking stupid.”

“You’re not that smart either, just the average middle child.” My smile grows as I see his anger rising.

I don’t want to hurt him, not really, but now that he knows who I am… I don’t have any other choice.

“Why, why would you betray your own family?” he asks quietly, his aura rising.

I smile, opening my hand by my side slightly, allowing the bottle of poisonous fumes to drop into my palm from my wristband. “I guess you’ll never find out.”

He moves. He’s fucking fast, but I’m confident in myself. Crushing the little bottle in my hand, I release the puff of fumes into the air, and my eyes blaze. “Sorry, Ares, but you’re far too fucking nosy,” I whisper softly as the poison takes effect.

He coughs, instantly covering his face, but it’s too late for that. The poison has reached its target. I had taken the antidote a short while ago, but he… he isn’t so lucky.

I move back as he struggles, coughing as he staggers.

“You… What…”

I stand in the shadows watching him. The halls are empty, silent – not a soul in sight. I had made sure they would be distracted by the two boys I had pitched against one another.

The perfect distraction.

I watch as Ares hits the ground hard, his eyes meeting mine, full of betrayal as he coughs up blood, blood that’s already leaking out of his nose and ears.

“You should have stayed out of it,” I whisper.

He tries to speak, frowning, and I know he’s trying to be a hero even now, but the mind-link won’t work either. I’m not an idiot. But like the rest, he is. He just couldn’t stop searching for the truth.

And now he’ll pay for it. With his life.

Turning, I walk away.

No one will question where I was when it happened. I’ve been careful, and I planned it all. Every step I took has guided me. Every mask, every lie, every effortless smile. I played it to perfection.

I walk slowly back down the halls. It’s a good thing walls don’t talk… after all, these walls have witnessed too much, but none of that matters now.

Soon, they’ll grieve.

The seeds of discord have been sown deep. They’ll suspect the wrong ones, and I’ll watch them tear each other apart from the inside. Because that’s the thing about betrayal, it never comes from your enemies. It comes from within.

As the power flickers back to life, I step into the light.

By the time they find him, I’ll be exactly where I’m meant to be.

In plain sight.

Concerned about the blackout.

And when they tell me Ares’s fate, my face will fall, my eyes will fill with worry and fear as I race past them all, breathless and wide-eyed, desperate, and worried.

Exactly as they see me – exactly as I planned.

As one of them.

END OF BOOK 7