Pain floods my system, and I let out a whimper as I open my eyes. Dane’s worried ones stare back at me. “Serena, don’t move okay. You’re in a really bad shape,” he whispers.
“Really?” I choke out. “I never would have guessed.”
Relief fills his eyes, and he rests his forehead against mine. “Still a smart ass, I see.”
“You know it,” I whisper and draw in a shaky breath, but Declan’s dark eyes meet mine, and the pained smile on my lips falls away.
“What the fuck happened, Serena? And I want the truth,” he growls, and Dane’s eyes darken at the threat coming from his friend. But I give him a small smile and shake my head and my eyes move around the group. My eyes widen when I spot Nyx standing behind the crowd. A strand from Her dark hair flicks up at the breeze blowing in the night air, rustling Her black, lace gown.
I shake my head and cough. The pain erupting through my chest has me gasping, but I wave Dane away and stare into the eyes of my teammates, their worry solidifying my decision.
“I was sent here for a mission,” I whisper, and Declan’s eyes darken.
“What kind of mission?” he takes a step forward, but Dane shoves him back.
I sit up slowly using my not-broken arm, the bark of the tree scratching against my back. The ground around me feels wet, and I haven’t a doubt my stitches have torn.
“I was forced to come here by Master Rostova to recover the godly relics. Which meant doing well in school, entering the Trials, and succeeding.”
“And then what! You were just going to sell us out?” Declan roars, the sound ripping through the forest; the lump in my throat tightens further.
I glance into Paxton’s eyes and flinch at the betrayal in them. “It was either I hand over the trident or they were going to kill you,” I whisper, and my stomach sinks at the dead silence in the air. “I couldn’t let them do that to you. I couldn’t lose you. Any of you.”
“You knew they were going to do this to you?” Dane asks, disbelief filling his tone as he kneels next to me, gingerly touching my broken arm.
I try to shake my head, but the pain of moving my shoulder sends burning agony through my body. “I knew it was a possibility… being attacked… but I didn’t think they would—”
“You let them beat you until you were nearly dead,” Pax growls.
“I didn’t want to give it to them, Paxton! But it was either you guys or the damn trident, and I couldn’t… Not after getting to know you all. I don’t know what Master Rostova has planned, but I know that nothing good can come of him having these items.”
My eyes bore into Paxton’s and some of the anger in his eyes fades away the longer I stay locked onto them. “I did what I had to, to survive,” I say. “I came here with every intention of screwing the Light over, but you guys grew on me, and I have lived this past month feeling like I could barely breathe because I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you. But I knew that if I told you, you would never look at me the same way again. No matter what I said, or how true my words were. I wanted to fix my problems on my own. I couldn’t risk you. I would rather die.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I allow the emotions I’d sealed away to burst free, drawing a sharp sob from my throat and a strangled gasp from Dane. His hands grip my torn jacket, and his knuckles whiten as he experiences everything that I do.
Pain.
Fear.
Anger.
Betrayal.
Guilt.
So many emotions consume me, but only a single tear falls from my eyes as I glance up at their faces, all masks dropped.
“I realized I’m not Dark, not in the traditional sense, but I’m not good either,” I whisper, my voice crackling as I focus on Nyx and Her ethereal beauty. “So, do what you want. Turn me in. Kill me. Whatever. But please know that everything I’ve felt has been true, and I wouldn’t change anything between us. Any of you.”
The guys share a look as their auras merge; I know they’re talking. I close my eyes to give them privacy and let the moon’s light wash over my skin, allowing the prickles to work their way into my body, knitting me back together.
“Serena,” Declan begins. His eyes soften as he comes to kneel on the ground beside me, holding my hand in his. “We know what you went through, and we know what you felt for us was real, but we can’t forgive you for lying to us. We’re a team, and teams don’t lie to each other.”
I scoff, shaking my head. “Teams don’t lie? Are you going to tell me what happened to me that night that sent you running?”
A shutter falls over his eyes, and I give him a sad smile. “If you want the truth, the whole truth,” I say, glancing to Nyx and the rest of the group, “then I deserve the same.”
He remains silent, but he nods, and I smirk, the cut on my lip pulling. “Good. Well, I guess I should probably start off with the most important thing you need to know,” I glance up and meet his eyes, watching as they swirl with pink confusion. “I’m not exactly human. I am part primordial. And Nyx is my mother, creator, whichever is easier for you to process.”
Their eyes widen as they gaze between Nyx and me, and I see their confusion play out on their faces. But Nyx nods Her head, shooting me a small smile as She accepts my decision to tell my team.
The silence in the air is deafening, but
