Sylas straightened slowly, the shift in him imdiate and absolute as though a door had slamd shut inside his chest.
Whatever hunger had been coiled around them monts ago receded, and was replaced by sothing sharper.
He wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her back to her feet. Once she was steady, he looked her straight in the eye, " Venom, you don’t want the real answer to that question," he said quietly.
Theo searched his face. The teasing edge was gone. So was the heat. What remained was far more unsettling.
"Whatever happened between you two, it’s... personal,"
"There are bonds that form before mory," Sylas replied, his jaw tightening, "and Connections that sink into the bone before you’re old enough to na them. When those bonds are broken... they don’t disappear. They rot,"
She didn’t say anything. She waited for more, holding onto the hope that he would say more.
A muscle jumped in Sylas’s cheek. He turned away, walking toward the window and braced his hands against the sill, a calm storm in his eyes as he looked outside, "And so ghosts don’t stay buried," he said, "And so wounds rember the hand that made them,"
Theo stepped closer to him, itching to touch him but she was afraid that would break the mont, "Did you hurt him?"
He laughed once. It was not a pleasant sound.
"Yes, I did," Sylas replied, glancing back at her, "But not completely,"
That stopped her cold.
"And that," he added, "is why he’ll never forgive . Even if he doesn’t know why,"
Silence stretched between them, thick and electric.
"You’re afraid of him finding out," Theo said slowly, "You are afraid of what it’ll do to him,"
Sylas turned fully now, closing the distance with asured steps until she felt him again. He reached out and brushed his knuckles down her cheeks, "I’m afraid," he said softly, "of how it’ll make him feel when he realises,"
Her pulse kicked, "And what will you do?" she asked.
His gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes. "I’ll finish what I started," he said. "There’s no going back for ,"
She lted in his touch, "And ?" Theo asked, "Where do I fit into all of this?"
He traced his thumb over her swollen lips, wanting to kiss her again, "You," he said quietly, "are already standing in the middle of a war that started long before you arrived,"
His thumb lingered for one dangerous second longer, "And if you keep choosing both of us," he added, voice darkening just enough to promise trouble, "You’re going to force truths neither of us is ready to bleed,"
That made her feel scared.
"Zeke has gone through so much already," She said, "I don’t want him to hurt anymore,"
"He has," Sylas echoed, "And that is exactly why he can never find out about the truth. And that is why I can’t tell you, either. Because you won’t be able to keep it from him,"
She sighed and closed her eyes. "Why does everything have to be so complicated?"
Sylas didn’t say anything. He just held her in his arms, as the sun went down, till his office turned dark.
"Co to my place tomorrow,"
"Your place?"
"Imdiately after you’re done for the day. Co over to my place,"
She nodded against his chest, "Alright, I’ll be there," She asked, "Why should I co to your place?"
"Because...there’s a lot to discuss. You need to know a bunch of things before it’s too late, Venom,"
She would definitely be there, "Let’s go tonight instead. I still have about three hours till curfew,"
"Tomorrow would be perfect, Venom," He insisted softly, "Trust ,"
"Alright," She nodded.
"Now leave, Venom," He urged, his eyes lting into darker pools of silver, "The shadows are gathering, and I won’t be able to control myself much longer,"
"Huh?"
"Goodnight, Venom," He didn’t say much, leaving her confused.
His arms wrapped around her and everything vanished into a blur. The next second, she saw herself standing along the path toward her dorm.
Sylas was gone.
Theo returned to her dorm, but Zeke wasn’t back. She laid on her bed, thinking back to what Sylas had told her. Would she really have to choose one of them? She didn’t want to. She wouldn’t.
A knock on the door stilled her, and she paused.
Zeke doesn’t knock. He barges in.
When she didn’t feel any hostility coming from the other end, she opened the door and Liam stood on the other side of the door.
"Oh, hey Liam...," She called, but paused.
He did not look like before. They hadn’t spoken much throughout today. He had left imdiately after class and even at rehearsals, they hadn’t spoken at all.
And right now, he stared at her with contempt in his eyes.
Before she could say anything, he grabbed her hand and dragged her with him. His shoulders were stiff, and he looked deeply troubled and displeased.
"Liam?" She called softly.
He didn’t answer till they were out of the dorm and sowhere alone.
He let go of her hand and turned to her.
Suddenly, he slamd his palm against the wall and leaned closer to her face. He looked like a wolf on the verge of transforming, his eyes switching between their normal brown and a dangerous Golden yellow.
"I’ve been hearing rumours since I returned, Thad," He stated, "Things I chose not to believe, at first,"
"Liam-"
"Don’t speak!" He snapped, gritting his teeth with a snarl, "Then last night..., a few minutes after curfew I ca to your room to see you, and I heard so very strange noises, accompanied by a scream. I wanted to burst in, but it didn’t sound like you were in trouble,"
Her breath hitched.
"I just want to know one thing," His claws dug into the wall, and he looked at her like her next words would either kill him, or bring him back to life, "Do you have feelings for Zeke?"
Her eyes trembled. He studied her.
Her expression and her hesitation said it all.
"Oh my God...," He dragged his hand over his hair in frustration, "First it was Eric, and now it’s Zeke. Am I invisible to you or what?"
Her throat worked. Invisible to her? "I don’t know --"
"I like you, Thad! Fuck, I’m madly in love with you!"
##########
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