what the right thing to do was, I just couldn’t stomach it. Because I was selfish. I couldn’t believe I was willing to sacrifice an entire nation, just to keep Ethan at my side, but I was seriously considering the idea.
Malovia, or Ethan? The two swirled in my mind and mixed together to become one.
I couldn’t rescue one without damning the other. I had to save them both.
I had one plan tonight. I would get the footage on Gabby, and use it against her to put us in a stalemate, so I no longer had to do her dirty work. I couldn’t share the information about her using dark magic even if I wanted to— for if I did, she’d expose Ethan and I’d lose my mate.
To protect him, I had to get on even footing with Gabby. I’d figure out a way to explain it to my friends later. Once I could blackmail her, the playing field would be even.
Perhaps afterward we could find a way to stop her and Eli without putting Ethan in jail. But as for this night, my only goal was to get her on tape using black magic, so I’d no longer be her puppet.
I needed help. I couldn’t do this by myself. After my dance with Ethan I wandered the empty halls of the palace, searching until I found the chapel near the northeast tower. Stained glass windows lined the stone walls, and the wooden pews were desolate and empty. Statues portraying each of the gods lined both sides, with Tomir at the front near the altar.
It wasn’t as beautiful as the Katedra da du Boyina, but it was still pretty. That wicked music coming from the ballroom had long faded. I headed to the right side of the room, and fell to my knees in front of the Milonna statue.
She seemed so fake like this, now that I had seen her with my own eyes. Her face was stone-cold and void of passion. I didn’t know how people could pray to idols like this, but here I was, begging for help. I lit a candle at the altar, and conjured the illusion of a white rose before I laid it across the feet of the statue as an offering.
“Goddess, help me,” I pleaded. “Show me the right path. Tell me what the right decision is.”
Milonna only responded with a quiet voice inside that whispered, The choice is in your hands.
It felt like she was telling me whatever road I chose would be the right one, which was wholly frustrating. I wanted a clear answer, not a vague philosophy that every decision I made would be led by fate.
I’d been forced to come here tonight by Gabby. She wanted to taunt Ethan, and I wasn’t brave enough to say no. Delmare and Stefan were covering for me. They made up excuses to tell the others, but both of them had told me this was the last time they would. They insisted I needed to tell Ethan the truth.
As badly as I wanted to, I’d seen the look in Elijah’s eyes when he’d taken my hand and guided me to the middle of the ballroom, parading me around like a prize. I was his puppet, and he wanted me to know it. He had me under his control. If I did anything... anything that was out of line, he’d make my mate pay for it.
And I refused to put Ethan in pain. No matter what it cost me. Not even my dignity was worth it. So when he showed me off to his court, and demanded that I toy with Ethan like he was my doll, I wasn’t in a position to tell him to go fuck himself.
That could all change tonight, if I could give a singular confession. Ethan might leave me for it— he might not want to be my mate anymore.
But at this point, losing him wasn’t as painful as lying to him. It was tearing me up inside. I’d sold so many pieces of my soul to keep this lie, I wasn’t sure there was anything left to give.
I heard footsteps on the stone floor. I jumped to my feet immediately, heartbeat quickening. At first, I thought it might’ve been Elijah, or Gabby, but my guts twisted when I recognized the mask.
Shadows fell across the Phantom’s face as he remained in the darkest part of the cathedral. “I didn’t think a witch like you had any loyalty to the Seven