Fate Breakers

Chapter 19

Liam

"I am so angry with you." If Hypnos insists on looking over my shoulder, he's going to hear me complain. "You went behind my back, and you ignored my boundaries."

"I have done what is best for you."

"I don't need someone, Hypnos."

"Alone, festering with your anger and drowning yourself in work is not healing. You need companionship. And you will need Ceno Arco at your side soon enough."

This is nothing against Ceno. I like him as a person. Truthfully, I do like him. He's entertaining, hard working, and he's honest. He's a good person, too good for this cursed army. He should be out in this world, helping people, building up communities, not here festering with the rest of us.

"This is not up for debate, Liam."

"I refuse."

"Open a book, any book. You'll see how trying to outrun a decision made by the Gods will turn out."

"Why are you so insistent on this?"

"You know I cannot share the whole truth. Aside from that, I see you struggling. Humans crave companionship."

"None of us are Human."

There's silence. I was already kicking myself mentally the second the words left my lips. It's stupid to pretend that we are so above our non-magical counterparts when we are so gravely similar.

I set down my tools. "I don't want someone."

"Lying to yourself is only making this worse."

"I am not lying." It's just that the only person I want can't be here. He's gone, and he'll never come back.

There's no one I want more.

There's more silence, but this feels different. "You've done something, haven't you?"

"I've found your Soul Mate for you."

My chest tightens. "Hypnos."

"You're going to like them."

"I am not interested in a relationship."

"Sure you're not."

"Hypnos!"

"As I said, not up for debate."

"Why are you doing this to me?!"

"Not to you, for you, and I do this because I care. I want what is best for you, whether you believe it is truly what is best or not."

↻

Dark waters flood my vision. I break from the dark sea to an even darker sky. There's a ship on the horizon. It's on fire. It's all on fire.

The sound of my own gasp startles me. For a moment, I can't tell if I'm still dreaming or if I'm awake. Ceno's still asleep. Lucky him...

I flop back onto my pillow.

You breathe, and you keep going.

I breathe and close my eyes again.

"Hypnos, bright-winged bringer of blessed sleep, son of misty-eyed Nyx of the sooty night, why have you shown me this?"

Silence.

"... Hypnos?"

Lemongrass and lavender fill my nose. My body goes weightless. I drift back to sleep, but I see the same thing. The waves, the sky, the boat, the fire... but there's something else there.