"You're not weak," I interrupted him heatedly. "You are one of the bravest men I've ever met. You're crying because you have a heart. It does not make you weak. It makes you strong and the world needs more people like you."
"But—But what if I fail?" I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut. "What if I can't do it, Kaden?"
I knew the unspoken message in his words.
"We'll prevent that from happening," I promised him. "We'll fix everything before that time comes."
"What if we can't? Kaden, what if I let them both down?"
Images flickered to life across my mind's eyes, horrific, bloodstained images. I whimpered again.
"I'm with you till the end," I said to Andreas. "We won't fail. We'll find that curse-breaker. We'll free Colton."
That bastard. He was the reason why Andreas was like this, sobbing in my arms. I didn't even want to help him anymore, but I had to. For Andreas's sake. For Elle's sake. If only our best friend wasn't in love with him… if only it was someone else.
But what if we can't?
I didn't voice the though aloud. How could I, when my mouth could barely form coherent words? "Don't—Don't tell Elle. Please," I slurred, exhaling shakily.
"I won't," I begrudgingly promised. "Now let's talk about something else. Let's get your mind off of this."
I nodded helplessly, falling silent. What was there to talk about?
Meanwhile…. Elle's POV:
I sat on the edge of Colton's bed, letting my eyes drift over the words on the page in front of me. A chapter from Frozen Moon—the book Colton had began reading to me a while ago. Just when I was about to finish a chapter, though, there was a click in the lock, and the door swung open.
Colton:
I entered the room, sighing. I wasn't expecting Elle to be in here, but I was glad she was. I closed the door and walked towards her, sliding into the bed and laying down. I wrapped an arm around her stomach, my face pressed against her back.
I immediately twisted around to face him, cupping both of his cheeks in my hands as I studied his features. "Cole? Baby, what's wrong? What—What did you talk do Andreas about?" Worry leaked into my voice… I could clearly see the exhaustion in his eyes.
"It's nothing…" I murmured, resting my hands on hers. I closed my eyes, letting her touch soothe me. I wanted to spend the last of my days bringing her peace. "I'm just tired. I've been working on Supernova, and it's draining me."
"Liar…." I whispered, pressing my lips to his forehead. "I'm not blind, Cole. Tell me, what were you talking to Andreas about?"
I let a chuckle escape from my lips.
"You know, you're too observant," I murmured. "Perfect quality for the future queen."
"Colton."
I knew what he was trying to do; distract me. And I was determined to win.
"Stop changing the subject. Please, love, tell me, or I'll ask Andreas."
"You're far too stubborn for your own good…" I sighed heavily. Just as I was about to brush it off, the knock on the door interrupted me.
"Your Highness? His Majesty requires your presence."
I looked at Elle apologetically, but I was glad for the distraction.
I gave him a long, tormented look. "I'm not letting this go…." My voice came out in a whisper, eyes anxiously flicking to the guard. "But fine. Be back soon, okay?"
I kissed her before I pulled myself to my feet.
"Don't wait for me," I told her quietly. "Sleep if I'm taking too long."
Then I walked over to the door, opened it a little and walked out, shutting it tight.
When I came back at night, I didn't know who I was anymore.
Naturally, I was still awake, waiting for my beloved to return.
When he finally did, pushing the door open, it was too dark to gage his facial expression… but still, I could tell something was wrong. "Cole?"
I laid next to her, pulling her into my arms, heaving a deep sigh.
"He knows," I replied quietly. "He's known all along…"
"Knows what?" I whispered urgently, struggling to make out his features in the darkness. "Cole, are you okay? What happened?"
"About you," I sat up, my fingers in my hair. "My father knows who you are. He's known for a long time."
My blood turned to ice.
"What?!" I whispered, utter terror drenching my voice. For the first tie since I'd gotten my power under control, the pipes in the walls began to creak and groan. "How–How long do I have left??"
"A lot of time," I answered, letting a smile form on my lips. "You have a lot of time, Elle."
"I—I don't understand," I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. "Why doesn't he want me dead?"
"It's… a long story…" I sighed. "One I still can't grasp."
"We have time," I prompted him, confusion clouding my eyes. "Explain—Please."
"My father has the gift of prophecy," I began. "He saw you in those visions. You had the crown on your head and you were sitting next to me, your throne neither below, not above. You had Scylla in your lap. He didn't know it was you until he saw you in the assembly on the first day."
I went perfectly still. Though he’d already calmed and reassured me, I felt anxiety seep through my core.
"Women… bonded women were–are strong. When women began to bond, the men began to fear they would lose control. They believed they would become equal to men. So the first Court after the Academy was created… made it seem like women were losing control or dying after the Oath," I continued sorrowfully. "Anyone that retaliated would die. Do you remember the couple Altair told us about?"
