Page 68 of Truth Revealed

Instead, her chest ached, a vise clamping down so tight she could hardly get a breath in. It was her chaos. It wanted out and it wasn’t gentle, banging around the inside of her chest as it swelled until her lungs refused to work. Her hands tightened around Truth as Hope tried to pull him away from her, gave up, and grabbed them both, pulling them out of the midst of the fight and onto the grass underneath a tree, away from the pavilion. It was dark—the park lights had gone out and the grass around them was just an expansive patch of black. Even the moon was hiding, clouds covering the pale glow until nothing but shadows remained.

Silence was thick in the air as Daria’s stomach churned. With Hope’s help, she laid Truth out on the ground and choked back a sob as she saw the damage. She knew nothing about swords or how to use one, but apparently Deceit had plenty of practice. A deep, gory gash slashed right across Truth’s chest, parting skin and muscle until the garish shine of bone peeked through.

A deep, shuddering breath was sucked in through Daria’s lips as he met her gaze. Pain clouded his vision, but he gripped her hand so tight she didn’t think she could feel it anymore.

“Daria, I swear, I only did it to help Youth. And he helped us get across the river. Warned me before Pandora showed up at the house. Please, trust me.”

The breath he sucked in after he spoke was wet and weak. His big, ocean-blue eyes pleaded with her, but Daria’s mind was so twisted up, just like her stomach, that she didn’t know up from down and left from right.

The one thing she did know? She loved him.

And it was a pretty shitty moment, while they lay bleeding out, to realize the depth of emotions you felt for someone in the same moment you realize they’d betrayed you.

“Stop talking,” she ordered, voice wavering. “You’re going to be fine.”

“It’s just a scratch,” he whispered, voice breaking as his eyes slid closed. “And that’s the last lie I’ll ever tell you,” he added with a cough, as blood leaked from the corner of his lips.

His eyes closed, and he went limp in her arms.

DARIA

“Daria, he’s going to be okay,” Hope insisted. “He can’t die from that, it’ll just take him a while to heal.”

“I know,” she replied.

Slamming her eyes closed, she shook her head against the images coloring her mind. The slice against his chest was at the same level her throat would have been if he hadn’t stepped in the way. Deceit would’ve killed her if not for him.

“Oh God,” she sobbed, breaths coming fast and ugly as her cheeks turned red and her chest hurt so bad she couldn’t breathe.

Controlled chaos is the most powerful.

For some stupid fucking reason, her dad’s words jumped out in her mind, as she sucked in shallow breaths.

Controlled chaos is the most powerful.

The vise around her chest tightened, and if it had barbs, she was certain blood would be dripping from the wounds.

Controlled chaos is the most p—

Daria laid on the ground beside Truth, turning her head to him. His chest rose with tiny movements, and she shut her eyes against the sight. The grass was cold against her side and she felt every blade brush her cheek. Deep breath in—cold air painting her lungs with ice. Deep sigh out—a fog of air like smoke from fire.

Controlled cha—

Daria latched on to the chaos, not with the intent to control her emotions and bend it to her will, but with the need to embrace it, to let it run its course and do what it needed to. It was part of her and she had to trust it.

She had the mindfulness to look across at Hope, who knelt on his knees beside her and Truth.

“Get everyone out,” she demanded.

And then she let go.

The ground rumbled beneath them and Daria gasped as the chaos fled her body. She finally took a full, deep breath. On her exhale, an eerie wind began to blow, tossing her hair into her eyes. It was scary the way Truth’s hair whirled around his face, yet he didn’t move.

The shaking of the ground intensified, and it was only then that Daria realized the fighting had stopped. Placing a palm on the cold, trembling ground, she pushed herself up and glanced at the pavilion. The rickety old construction of the awning shook vigorously, dangerously. Hope grabbed Death and tackled him out of the way just as one of the pillars gave way, snapping in half with a ferocious crack, and the roof caved in on the right side of the structure.

Daria gaped as the foundation of the structure buckled, caving in to the center. One of the tables slid into the center, the seat clipping one of Pandora’s demon’s knees and knocking him to the ground. He shouted, but no one even glanced his way as the ground opened up, caving in and taking the table and the demon with it.

“Holy shit,” she breathed.