Baited~ Book 2

30

"Jan... I know about your nightmares." Janus's eyes were blown wide as Roman tensed beside him in confused worry. "I'm psychic, Janus. I know more than you think. Dad wasn't the only one who used you."

"Don't..." Patton frowned as he shook his head.

"Janus... These things need to be shared. Just as Roman's secret must and will be told at one point, so do yours. No one will ever be able to help you if no one knows." Patton took a step forward making Janus stumble back. "Say something happens. Say Deceit makes a LONG appearance... People need to know the real you. The you that went through hell... the you being twisted to become that."

"Patton, I'm telling you to not do..."

"You were tortured, Janus!" The room plummeted into icy temp as Janus started to cry. Roman just stood there listening as Patton's frown grew. "You were a literal slave. You were beaten and tortured and used up. And this was after you watched your parents get murdered." Janus slowly let Virgil down onto the floor as Patton shuddered feeling the rage rolling off of him. "You were only a child and you witness their death... force to serve the people that killed them only to have them nearly kill you. Plus Dad and everything..." Janus snapped and suddenly there as a snake wrapped around Patton, his teeth bared and ready to strike.

"Janus?!" Roman jumped going to try and help only to freeze as the lizard clawed at his feet. Roman frowned picking it up as Janus slowly made his way closer to Patton.

"Janus..."

"I told you no. My past is my past..." Janus held his hand out and the snake squeezed tighter making Patton wince. "It's not for others to tell."

"Someone needs to know." Janus's eyes wiped up revealing the glowing bright yellow that sent shivers down Roman's spine. Roman sighed as he held his own hand out and the snake glitched out making Janus turn his attention to him.

"Did Virgil ever tell you the night I met him... I was actually there for a job... to kill him?" Janus froze up as Roman smiled sadly. "I wanted to be a dragon slayer. I thought... I thought dragons were evil beasts. I was wrong. The thing is though... I was so scared, I didn't want to even try. I nearly did kill him."

"Yeah, right."

"My past isn't traumatic. It's not... riddled with pain and chaos as yours and Virgil's but I have made my fair share of bad choices. You... You being cursed is one of them." Janus scoffed as he turned back to Patton making Roman tense. "I tried to give you everything." Everything seamed to snapped making Janus stumble a bit hearing the painful guilt in Roman's voice. "That night... I tried to give you everything. I wanted you to suffer. I wanted you to feel what Virgildid so... I took his curse... his pain... his... His insanity and took it all away."

"Roman, what are you saying?" Roman smiled sadly as he looked down at the small lizard in his hand and sighed handing it back to Janus, who was back to being himself again.

"I was trying to give you Virgil's curse and his insanity." Roman stuffed his hands into his pockets as he stepped back with a shrug. "I'd love to say I was just trying to help Virge but... Like I said, I wanted you to suffer. I failed." Janus's eyes went wide seeing the purple creep into Roman's eyes. "I was trying to transfer it all to you and I failed... I started to get corrupted. If Virgil hadn't snapped me out of it I would've ended up cursing myself." Roman frowned as he looked away. "I did curse myself. I cursed us both. Maybe if I had failed completely, you wouldn't have to deal with this shit. Now we're both suffering and it's my fault."

"Roman, your not making any..."

"I failed in giving you both, Janus." Roman cut the snake off as he stared at the ground. "Don't... Don't me have to say it. This is... What I've said already hurts?"

"You tried to give me his insanity and it didn't work?" Roman nodded as Janus glanced down at Virgil who couldn't take his eyes off the prince. "But... Virgil isn't dealing with his insanity like before. He said he can't hear those voices anymore. That it's really quiet..."

"That's because it isn't there." Patton smiled softly as Janus just stared at the prince with horrified understanding. They had already guessed but hearing it from him made it feel so much worse.

"Roman, where is it then?" The prince frowned as he shook his head. "Roman?"

"No." Janus sighed as he let Virgil down again. He had to get Roman to tell him. No matter what happened."

"Roman."

"No."

"Roman, tell me."

"No!" Janus watched Virgil run to Patton, clearly knowing what was going to happen but his eyes never really left Roman. Janus took a deep breath feeling his skin crawl. Virgil needed Roman to admit it. To say what they all knew... to confirm it. He needed to know the truth.

"Roman, tell me what you did right fucking now." Roman twitched as Janus's voice boomed through the room. The snake gulped seeing Roman's eyes start to glow brightly despite not even looking at him. "Don't you think I have the right to know? Damn it, Roman. You tried to give me his insanity. What if you tried again?"

"I won't."

"But you could." Janus clenched his hands in anxiety just watching Roman's posture stiffen. "How do I know you won't? How do I know this isn't all a trap?"

"It's not." Janus tensed hearing the subtle glitch returning to Roman's voice but he didn't stop.

"That's not reassuring. Roman, you admitted to wanting me to suffer. Feelings like that don't just go away. I know you still hate me. It's obvious. You'll try again. How do I know the next time you won't succe..."

"I̸ ̴C̸A̸N̸'̸T̷ ̸T̸R̵Y̷ ̷A̶G̸A̴I̵N̸!̷" Roman snapped, eyes glowing a dangerous purple as his voice echoed around them. "You can't get the insanity... ̶B̵E̷C̶A̵U̶S̵E̷ ̶I̷ ̴A̸L̴R̷E̸A̶D̷Y̶ ̴H̶A̷V̴E̵ ̵I̶T̵!̷" Roman froze up in the realization of what he just said as Janus just smiled.

"I knew it."