Neria wasn’t sure how long it had been since Fiona was taken away. Probably only a few days, but without her, the room seemed to feel even larger and emptier than before. The small amount of comfort she had slowly begun to find in this strange place had disappeared with her, leaving something heavy settling back into Neria’s chest.
Now she sat on the cold marble floor, her knees pulled tightly against her chest as she buried her face between them.
She had been so careless.
So selfish.
She should have thought about Fiona before she decided to exploit the situation. She should have known there would be consequences, especially with someone like Darian. Instead, she had only thought about getting outside, about feeling the sun on her skin again.
And now Fiona was gone because of her.
Everyone always seemed to get hurt when they tried to be kind to her.
Nerissa had died trying to save her from that harpoon.
Now Fiona was being punished because Neria had used her kindness for her own gain.
Maybe she really was nothing but bad luck.
The thought made her chest ache.
Neria squeezed her knees tighter, trying to swallow the sob that rose in her throat, but another followed it almost immediately. She pressed her face deeper against her arms, refusing to let the sound grow any louder.
The room remained silent, and every second of that silence just made her miss Fiona.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then her door flew open.
Neria’s head immediately snapped up, a spark of hope rising in her chest at the thought that it might finally be Fiona. That hope disappeared the moment she saw who stood in the doorway.
The Emperor.
Darian’s uncle.
Her heart dropped.
Neria scrambled to her feet, instinctively trying to put some distance between them, but her legs caught awkwardly beneath her. She stumbled backward and fell onto the edge of the bed, her hands gripping the sheets as she stared at the man standing in the doorway.
Erik stepped inside.
"Well, well..." His eyes traveled over her with a cold amusement that made Neria’s stomach twist. "There’s my favorite little curiosity."
The smirk on his face was cruel enough to make her heart begin racing.
Neria said nothing.
She didn’t dare.
Something about his presence made her blood run cold. He wasn’t intimidating... no. This man was worse than that.
He horrified her.
Darian was intimidating. She was scared of him, but there was something about Erik that made a deeper kind of fear settle into her bones. The kind that made her body instinctively want to run even when her legs refused to move.
She could hear her heart pounding violently in her chest, each beat seeming louder than the last. The hairs along the back of her neck stood on end as dread held her completely still while Erik moved closer.
His eyes remained fixed on her.
"Oh?" His brows drew together slightly, his gaze settling on the spectacles resting on her nose. "When did you get spectacles?"
There was genuine curiosity in his voice, chuckling at the end.
Neria’s fingers tightened around the sheets.
She didn’t answer.
Erik’s gaze lingered on her for another moment before the sound of the door opening drew his attention.
One of his men stepped inside.
Neria’s eyes immediately moved toward him.
He was a large man, broad through the shoulders, with a scar running from the corner of his mouth down toward his chin. She remembered seeing him before, standing beside Erik during the banquet.
In his hands was a wooden box.
He approached the Emperor without a word, his heavy footsteps echoing against the marble floor before stopping a few feet away.
Erik glanced at the box.
Then he smiled.
"I have something for you Calypso."
Neria’s stomach twisted.
Erik chuckled at the look on her face. "Don’t give me that look..." He opened the box, revealing a neatly folded dress and a pair of shoes beneath it. "It’s just a dress... and some shoes."
His eyes roamed over the long cotton dress she was wearing, lingering on it with obvious disapproval. "Not that nightgown you’re wearing." He clicked his tongue as though disappointed by her choice of clothing.
"I don’t want them," she managed to whisper.
Erik sighed, sounding more bored than annoyed. "It seems Darian refuses to teach you properly."
His gaze shifted toward the man holding the box, and he gave him a small nod.
The man immediately crossed the room.
Neria’s body tensed. She barely had time to move before his large hand closed around her arm and yanked her from the bed. She stumbled forward, trying desperately to pull herself free.
"Let me go!" she shouted, twisting against his grip.
The guards stationed outside her room stirred at the sound of her scream. Two of them stepped inside, their hands moving toward their weapons as they looked between Neria and the Emperor.
Erik didn’t even have to speak.
One cold glance was enough.
The guards immediately lowered their heads and stepped back, leaving Neria alone with the men.
Her heart hammered harder.
She turned toward Erik, hoping for some sign that he would order his man to release her.
Instead, Erik stepped closer.
His hand closed around her throat.
Neria froze.
His grip wasn’t enough to choke her, but it was firm enough to make the message clear. She could feel his fingers against her skin as he tilted her face upward, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"Such a pretty thing..." he murmured, almost thoughtfully.
His eyes traveled over her face before returning to hers.
"Yet so damn defiant." His smile returned, cold and humorless. "Just like her owner."
Neria stopped struggling.
She simply stared at the cruel smirk on Erik’s face, her chest rising and falling rapidly beneath his hand.
"Tell me you like the dress," he said, his grip tightening just enough to make the threat behind his words clear.
Neria swallowed.
Despite the fear twisting through her, she glared at him. "I hate it."
For a moment, Erik only stared at her.
Then he snickered.
His hand suddenly left her throat, and he threw his head back with a laugh that echoed through the room. Neria instinctively stumbled backward, rubbing at her neck as she watched him.
She hated that laugh.
Before Erik could say anything else, the doors to her room were pushed open again.
This time, Darian stepped inside.
His eyes widened ever so slightly at the sight before him. It was gone almost immediately, replaced by the same cold expression he always wore, but Neria had already noticed it.
Darian crossed the room without saying a word.
His hand closed around Neria’s arm, pulling her away from Erik’s right-hand man and bringing her back to his side. His hold was firm, almost protective despite the irritation evident in his face.
"Why are you here?" Darian asked coldly.
Erik straightened, adjusting his coat as though nothing unusual had happened.
"Such a shame I already gifted her to you..." His eyes drifted toward Neria, a smirk pulling at his lips. "She would have made a lovely addition to my palace."
Neria felt Darian’s grip tighten around her arm.
Not enough to hurt.
But he was restraining himself.
His jaw had hardened, and for a brief moment she thought he might actually lose his temper.
"I brought you a letter from Adelaide."
The next change in him was subtle. His grip loosened almost immediately.
Neria noticed the way his shoulders dropped slightly, as though the name alone had taken some of the tension out of him.
Adelaide?
Who was that?
Erik reached into the inner pocket of his coat and pulled out a sealed envelope. He held it between two fingers, raising it slightly as though deliberately teasing his nephew.
"You’ve been good lately, Darian." His smile widened. "You deserve it."
Erik tossed the letter in their direction, and Darian caught it easily. His lips pressed into a thin line as he looked down at the sealed envelope, his thumb brushing briefly over the edge as though checking that it was still intact.
"Your sister had a slight fever a few days ago," Erik informed him casually. "But she’s better now."
Neria’s brows lifted slightly.
Sister?
Darian had a sister?
She glanced at him, watching as he gave a small nod before lifting his head again, his expression returning to its usual coldness.
"Since you’re done, you can leave."
Erik scoffed, a quiet laugh escaping him. "Always so pleasant, nephew..." He reached for the box from the man standing beside him and held it loosely at his side. "I also came to give this to your Calypso, but she’s rather ungrateful."
The moment Erik’s eyes moved toward her, Neria instinctively stepped backward. She didn’t even realize she had done it until Darian shifted in front of her, blocking his uncle’s view of her completely.
The movement was quick enough that Neria barely had time to react, and for a moment she could only stare at his back.
Erik’s eyes narrowed slightly as he watched them. His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth, and the corner of his lips lifted into a knowing smile. "Interesting..." he muttered.
Darian glanced toward the box before looking back at his uncle. His expression hardened. "She’s not one of your whores."
Erik’s smirk widened. "You’re right." His gaze shifted toward the girl standing behind Darian before returning to his nephew. "She’s yours."
Neria felt Darian’s grip tighten around her arm again.
Erik seemed to notice, because he watched them for another moment before finally sighing and turning toward the door.
He had almost reached it when he suddenly stopped. His hand rested against the doorframe, and he glanced back over his shoulder. Something about his expression had changed.
The amusement was gone, replaced by a strange thoughtfulness that made Darian’s attention immediately sharpen.
"That reminds me, Darian..." Erik paused, his eyes remaining fixed on him. "As a boy, did you ever see your father keep a token of a sort bearing a dragon?"
The question clearly caught Darian off guard. He remained silent for a moment, apparently searching through memories from a childhood he rarely spoke about.
Eventually, he shook his head. "No."
Erik studied him for another second, his expression difficult to read. Then he gave a small nod, almost as though Darian’s answer had confirmed something rather than disappointed him.
"Interesting."
He turned and finally walked out of the room, his men following behind him. The heavy doors closed after them, leaving the room strangely quiet.