Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 27

"One night, Arysa, just one night." The door slammed shut behind him. He brushed his cloak out behind him and ran a hand through his ink-black hair.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She sat on the floor, leaning against the cold glass balcony door. He cast his eyes over her and sighed.

"Why did you run away?"

"Because it's never going to be over." She breathed. "You said--you said--" She couldn't say it out loud.

"I said I love you." He said quietly.

She stared down at her feet. "Don't you get what that means?"

He came towards her and sat down on the floor across from her.

"It means that I love you." He smiled, relishing the words on his lips. "And I finally get to say it."

"No." Arysa snapped. "It means that you'll never leave me alone. It means that I'll never be free. It means that you'll never stop. It means--it means--it means it's never going to be over."

"You're right." He replied. "I won't ever leave you, Arysa. Because you're mine." He laid his hands on her knees. She pressed further back into the door.

She looked up at him with tears burning in her eyes. "It'd rather die than be yours."

"You'll never die." He leaned so close to her his breath skid along her jawline. She pulled as far away from him as she could. "Not with me around to save you."

"I don't need you to save me." She ripped her knees out from under his hands and got to her feet. He just watched her.

"Tell that to the dusk riders." He said.

She stilled, and her eyes burned into his. "You know who they are, don't you? You know who they work for."

"And if I do?" He got to his feet and took a step towards her.

"How can you say you're saving Rahaida when you're actively working against it?" She breathed as she backed away.

"You wouldn't understand my methods." He responded. "You wouldn't understand why I do what I do."

"You keep saying that." Arysa's voice was biting.

"Because it's the truth." He snapped.

He started towards her and she turned and made a break for the door. He caught her round the waist and jerked her back into his chest.

"Let go of me." She hissed.

"No." She could hear the smirk in his voice.

She jerked her elbow back into his stomach and he gasped, his grip loosening on her enough for her to reach for the dagger on her vanity. Just as her fingers touched the hilt, his hand curled tight around her wrist and stopped her in her tracks.

"That's not nice." He mocked. "I'm trying to have a decent conversation with you."

"Nothing about this is decent." Arysa snarled.

His eyes hardened. "If you'd just be cooperative we wouldn't end up in situations like this."

"If you'd just be a decent person we wouldn't end up in situations like this."

He sneered.

"Let go of me." She tried again.

"No." He repeated.

"Why not?" She snapped. "What else do you hope to gain from being here, torturing me?"

"I gain time with you." He shot back. "Any second being with you, even if you're fighting me tooth and nail, is worth it. Because I love you."