The Dark Heir - Nyx

6. Theia.

He looked like a monster. He was a monster. Theia felt her nails digging into the varnish of the wooden bar, her eyes set on the shadowed smile. Her chest rose and fell with panicked breaths as she tore her eyes away and looked at Adonis.

"I was telling him about your time with Nic and I. We assumed you'd want to give him a ride," Adonis mused, nudging Nyx with his elbow. The massive male didn't budge. His body was stiff beneath his cloak, and she felt the way his eyes burned into her face.

"I- I can't," she tried to speak but it came out in a whisper. Adonis's smile dropped slightly. "I'm going to dinner with someone."

"Well, we can ask Elena," Adonis shrugged. Theia's brows furrowed. Were they trying to hook Nyx up with someone? It didn't matter. The sun was beginning to set and she needed to leave.

"Tell Elena whatever, but I have to go," Theia spoke to Adonis, ensuring her eyes don't catch Nyx's as she turned and rushed toward the back door. She pulled her coat from the rack. A tingling sensation brought chills down her spine, and Theia couldn't help but look behind her as she shoved the door open. Nyx still stood at the bar, his elbows pressing against it as he leaned over it in a relaxed pose. Though his face was shadowed beneath his cloak in the already dim light, she knew he was watching her.

Theia felt ill as she stumbled out the back door and slammed it behind herself. Finally, she felt air rush in and out of her lungs. How she survived, Theia didn't know. Nyx still held her mind in a tight grasp all these years later, and she wanted to make him hurt. He had her torn apart for years, and it was his turn.

Theia shoved away from the back door and began her journey to the cafe to meet Silas, rushing to see the male that used to distract her. Her mind couldn't decipher which emotions she felt; fury, sorrow, loss. She wanted to tear her hair out. Theia hadn't even bothered to put her jacket on, but rather held it to her chest as though the sensation would soothe her.

She had done her crying the day before, and now she felt like she had gone into shock. The only sign that anything had happened was her clammy and pale skin, and the unsteady breaths as she hurried down the streets. The sunset darkened the sky, casting an orange tone over the snow dusted village. Theia started to turn her head to look through the valley, but what she saw instead nearly had her tripping over herself.

Nyx, still cloaked, stood on the other side of the street. His hand lifted, giving her a wave with his fingers before stepping down onto the street and towards her. Theia stumbled backwards, praying to the goddesses and Mother to do anything to stop him. As angry as she was, Theia wasn't ready to confront him. He was ready, though. She saw it in the way he marched up to her, gloves hands slipping beneath his cloak.

"We need to have a chat." She felt his gruff voice through to her bones. Theia shook her head, attempting to swallow.

"I- I can't. I have somewhere to be," she croaked, moving to turn away from him. Nyx caught her with a crushing grip on her arm. Theia winced and tugged, but his touch was relentless. It ached to feel his touch for the first time in centuries, and that touch being rough and angry.

"Your male of the night can wait. You owe me an explanation," Nyx snarled. Theia couldn't breathe. The pine and spiced scent of him enveloped her, dragging her down a strip of memories she refused to think about.

"Nyx, let go of me," Theia ordered. She willed her voice to be harsh, but she heard how it broke. His grip only grew tighter.

"Answer my questions, then you can go fuck whoever," he spat, tugging her closer. Theia squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the male beneath the shadows.

"What questions? You owe me." Theia couldn't help but argue. He was entirely wrong, assuming she owed him anything. Nyx was the one who never came back. Theia was simply a forgotten memory to him.