The Dark Heir - Nyx

13. Nyx.

He couldn't stop watching her. Nyx had made it his personal game to watch Theia the moment Zen left for training. He'd go to the tavern, sit in the far corner and sip whiskey as soon as it opened. Theia knew he was there, but she ignored him all the same. She didn't know that he watched her at home, too.

It was fascinating to see the way she fell apart within just two weeks of his arrival. When she was home, she'd sit on the couch and watch the fire until her eyes grew heavy, then she'd go to her bed and stare at the ceiling until she fell asleep. He had wanted to destroy her the way she destroyed him, but the task had been far too simple.

Nyx realized that the night she begged him to kill her. The next morning, Zen noticed the bloodied dagger stabbed into the wood of the porch. Nyx had no explanation for her and just took it inside, sending her off to training. Theia was far past the chance of help. He'd taken her mind and shredded it just by simply being around.

What he found interesting was how her habit of sleeping around actually stemmed from her trying to get out of her own mind. She hadn't pursued anyone else since Nyx was at Nic's house, though that hadn't stopped them from flirting with her. Theia ignored them or forced a smile, and they'd get bored enough to move onto someone else.

That's how their relationship had started- Theia wishing to forget what a shit hole her life was. She'd beg Nyx to fuck her until she forgot her own name. Soon enough, she enjoyed sleeping beside him, and then slowly fell in love with him. He was still convinced it was some sort of ruse to keep her close to his family until she got what she wanted.

Nyx sat at the edge of the bar, sipping his third glass of whiskey as he watched Theia serve customers. Her hair was messy, her eyes shadowed by exhaustion. It reminded him of what she looked like when he first met her. Someone sat beside him carelessly, their shoulder hitting Nyx's. His whiskey sloshed onto the counter, and Nyx shot them a dirty look. His brow lifted when he realized it was Silas.

"Heir," Silas acknowledged, settling on the stool and tapping the counter. Every night that Nyx had been in this tavern, Silas hadn't stepped foot inside. His curiosity was peaked.

"Camp lord," Nyx responded, using his title just as Silas had. The male ignored him, knocking his fist on the counter again. Nyx glanced down the bar to see Theia filling glass after glass and hurrying to get them onto the counter, not even bothering to check for payment. The bitch Elena didn't bother to come to work tonight, despite it being the busiest of the week. She had complained about working the next day alone, seeing that Theia would be in Velaris with Nyx.

Hearing Silas knocking again has Nyx whipping his head around. "Do you not see that she's busy? Give her a fucking break."

Silas shot him a look of disdain. "Yeah, I see her."

Nyx rolled his eyes and looked down at his emptying whiskey glass, including the spilt liquid around it. Disgusted at the alcohol touching the sleeves of his shirt, Nyx rose on the stool and reached for the wet cloth on the other side of the bar. He wiped up the mess Silas had made before tossing the cloth back over.

Theia chose that exact moment to walk over. She shot Nyx a dirty look as she grabbed the cloth and moved it to the other counter before turning to Silas. Nyx watched the realization come over her face, her eyes dancing between the two.

"What can I get you?" She asked Silas, her voice wavering slightly. Silas shifted on his seat and glanced at Nyx before leaning forward.

"I miss you, Theia. I was a fool to leave like that, I just was so angry at how you were acting."

Theia cleared her throat and glanced at Nyx. "This isn't the place, Silas. Can you just come by my house tonight?"

Nyx kept his eyes on Theia, watching her every reaction. He wanted to know if she loved this male, if he was a toy for her, or if she even bothered to care. He saw the flicker of pain in her eyes, the way she dug her nails into the varnish of the bar.