Chapter 142
“Ermis!” Lyra rushed to his side “I did it, we have him right where we want him!” she said, coming to kiss Ermis on the cheek, one in which he evaded.
She did not miss it but decided not to say anything.
“you are sure you slept with him?” he asked looking at her with a stern face, causing her to roll her eyes.
“I think I would know if I did something as that!” she snapped suddenly irritated that he asked that type of question.
Ermis sighed, mumbling an apology as he went inside to get the casement to start the procedure which he planned.
Ermis’s eyes narrowed as he observed her. This was his chance. He approached cautiously, his hand gripping a small, enchanted dagger he kept concealed for such occasions.
“Lyra I need you to lay there for me” he said, pointing to the raised table like structure
Lyra turned, her eyes flashing with fear and concern “this would not hurt me right?” he said nothing as he led her to the place
He pulled out a small, intricate vial and approached her, his eyes never leaving hers. “You carry Helios’s essence,” he said, his voice steady. “His saliva, his seed. I need it for a binding spell.
”
Lyra’s eyes widened in realization and terror. “You wouldn’t dare,” she hissed, struggling against the chains. “you said all I had to do was sleep with him and the spell could be carried out that way” she shoved her hand against the chains which did not budge
“I am sorry, but this has to be done” Ermis replied. With precise movements, he collected the necessary residues from her body, his hands deft and sure. He knew the risk he was taking, dabbling in dark magic, but that feeling of dread was overcome by the desire to make Helios fall
Once he had the samples, Ermis stepped back, securing the vials in his satchel. “This is for the good of the kingdom,” he said, more to himself than to Lyra.
Leaving Lyra bound and weakened, Ermis hurried back to his place, his mind racing with the possibilities of the spell he was about to cast. He knew the dangers of using such powerful magic, but he also knew it was the only way to have a hold on Helios and control him however he chose
In the dim light of his laboratory, Ermis laid out the ingredients for the binding spell. He worked quickly, mixing herbs and enchanted powders, chanting incantations that reverberated through the room. The air crackled with energy as he added Helios’s essence, the final component needed to complete the spell.
As the potion began to glow with an eerie light, Ermis felt a surge of power. He poured the mixture into a shallow basin and dipped his hands into it, feeling the magic course through his veins. With a deep breath, he focused his thoughts on Hellos, envisioning the young warrior in his mind.
“By the power of this binding spell,” he intoned, “I link Helios to the pain of his own betrayal. May he feel the weight of his actions
and suffer as he has caused others to suffer.”
The potion bubbled and hissed, the magic taking hold. Ermis could feel the spell latching onto Helios’s essence, creating a connection that would bind him to the pain and guilt of his actions. It was a dark and dangerous magic, but Ermis was determined to see it through.
As the spell reached its peak, Ermis felt a strange sense of satisfaction. He knew that Helios would suffer, he looked to Lyra who had dread in her eyes. She shook her head as Ermis approached her with the concoction she pleaded.
“you said you loved me and that was the only reason I helped you. You know it would kill me if I took that, slowly and painfully,
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Chapter 142
please don’t do this”
Her pleadings fell on deaf ears as he grabbed her neck, forcing the potion down her throat.
“you would die, but so would Helios. And as if I would fall in love with a siren, so weak and worthless” he said the last part trying to stop himself from laughing as he went out
As she struggled against the chains, Lyra’s thoughts turned bitter. “How could you, Ermis?” she muttered under her breath. “I thought you were different. I thought you cared.”
Her mind flashed back to their first encounter, Ermis had been one the few who had shown her kindness, who had treated her with a semblance of respect despite knowing what she was. She had mistaken his professional interest for something deeper, allowing herself to believe that there might be more between them.
The door to the small chamber creaked open, and Ermis stepped inside. He looked weary, his face lined with the weight of his recent actions. Lyra’s eyes narrowed as she watched him approach, her anger flaring anew.
“Lyra,” he began, his voice soft.
“Save your breath, Ermis,” she spat. “I know why you’re here. To gloat? To justify your betrayal?”
“You used me. You pretended to care, to understand, and then you turned on me the moment it suited you.”
“I didn’t choose to be a siren, Ermis. I didn’t choose this life. But I thought, for a moment, that maybe you saw more in me than just a monster. I should have known something was wrong when you gave me your stupid assignment. I just did not think I would be a victim”
Lyra turned away, her heart heavy with betrayal. “Then leave me, Ermis. Leave me to my fate. I don’t need your apologies or your
pity.”
Ermis hesitated, wanting to say more, but knowing that anything he said would only deepen the wound. With a heavy heart, he turned and left the chamber, the door closing behind him with a finality that echoed through the room.
Alone in the darkness, Lyra allowed herself to cry, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. She had lost the one person she thought might understand her, whom she loved and was willing to do anything for, quite literally
But as the night wore on, her sorrow began to transform into something more potent: resolve. If Ermis saw her as a monster, then she would embrace that role. She would show them the true power of a siren, and they would come to regret ever underestimating
her.
Lyra began to plan her next move. She would escape these chains, she would reclaim her strength, and she would make Ermis and the entire stupid kingdom pay for his betrayal. No one would stand in her way. Not anymore.
