He saw the reluctance before Maris inclined his head and did what he asked. It would only go worse for Darling if Maris defied Arturo, too.
As soon as Maris was gone, Arturo shoved Darling away, but not before he’d wrenched his hair again. “I want that other shirtlifter out of my house.”
“He’s the Andarion ambassador. He can’t leave without a replacement.” A replacement Nykyrian would make sure didn’t happen. Maris’s real role here was to stay and watch Darling’s back. Whenever Arturo went too far, Maris would notify Nykyrian who would then do his best to pull Darling out until his uncle had time to cool down.
Arturo cursed in frustration. “I better not catch you in another display like that. You hear me?”
“I hear you.”
Arturo slapped him again. “That’s to remind you of your place, cockboy. You’re not governor yet. I am.”
“Yes, my Lord Counselor.” He couldn’t resist using the title he knew his uncle despised as it reminded Arturo of his lesser place in their world and the fact that he could never have full governorship—only a secondary regeant position.
Arturo raked him with a condemning glare. “You look just like your pathetic father. Get out!”
Darling gave a sarcastic and effeminate military salute before he obeyed.
In the hallway outside, he licked the blood away from the corner of his mouth as he imagined kicking the door in and gutting his uncle on the floor.
One more day.
Yeah, this was going to be the longest thirty-six hours of his life.
But after tomorrow…
Zarya would be his. His uncle would be dead. And he’d finally be free of the utter hell he’d been living in for more than half his life. No more torture. No more bruises, broken bones, or scars.
No more lies.
And yet, in the pit of his stomach was a bad feeling he couldn’t shake. Something was going to go wrong.
He could feel it.
You’re just paranoid. Arturo would never check the location of his mother or brother. He didn’t care enough to do so.
Annalise was safely ensconced in her dorm room and currently guarded.
What could go wrong?
Still, he heard Hauk’s voice in his head. Never underestimate fate’s ability to screw any plan to the wall.
But fate owed him this. All he wanted was one single chance to be happy, just once in his miserable life. It really wasn’t asking too much, especially given his past.
He slowed as he entered the hallway that led to his bedroom. As always, his uncle’s guards were waiting there for him. Yet another degrading routine his uncle insisted on whenever Darling was home, and it was one Darling would die before he told anyone about.
If only I hadn’t had to come home tonight to complete my plans…
Rage clouded his sight. I hate this shit.
As bad as it would be just in principal, the guards lived to make it as demeaning for him as possible. They loved having power over an aristo. Of being able to use Darling as their personal scapegoat. Even now, he could hear their laughter as they mocked him.
Damn them for it.
One more day…
Yeah, what was another night compared to all the ones he’d already survived?
Still his stomach churned on bitterness as he met the guards’ smirking and gloating gazes, then headed into the bathroom across the hall from his room. He turned the water on to brush his teeth. Needing something to comfort him, he pulled Zarya’s ring out of his pocket so that he could kiss it and think of the only person whose smile made his life worth living.
How he wished he was with her now…
He slid the ring onto his pinkie and remembered the way she’d opened herself up for him last night. In her arms, he felt like he could fly. He didn’t know how she did it, but whenever he was with her, he didn’t hear the voices of his past or the ones in his head that constantly derided him. She expelled every demon inside him and made him forget the past. With her, he only saw the future.
Zarya was his haven even in this miserable hell.
Staring at himself in the mirror, he despised what he saw there. He always had. All of Arturo’s insults rang in his ears. But the ones that hurt most were from his own mother’s lips.
“You will never be what your father was. You’re just a pititful shadow of him. May the gods help us if you ever inherit.”
He flinched, then pushed those ghosts out of his memory.
Please let tomorrow work out the way it’s supposed to.
Don’t worry, Dar. You’ve been on missions before that went bad and yet turned out fine. Whatever happens, you will adapt and you will survive.
For Zarya, he would walk through the fires of hell just to make her smile. And if everything went through tomorrow, he’d make sure she never cried again.
Look on the bright side. Either you’ll succeed tomorrow or you’ll die.
One way or another, he’d finally be free.
3
Darling lay on his “bed” alone, going over all the plans for tomorrow. He mentally checked and rechecked every single second of the day. There were so many details. So many things that could get royally screwed.