Chapter 539

Nina

When Enzo and I finally pulled our lips apart with a wet smack, both of us just stared at each other, too dumbfounded to speak. Then, much to my surprise, Enzo… chuckled.

“This uniform is huge on you,” he teased, tugging at the loose black armor and cloth.

I blushed. “When in Rome,” I muttered with a laugh of my own.

There was another long silence as we gazed at each other. Looking up at Enzo, seeing his tousled, curly brown hair and his soft brown eyes was like something out of a dream. It had only been days since I had last seen him, but it felt like an eternity.

“N-Nina,” he finally said, breaking the silence, “I... I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me… Of course you’d never cheat on me…”

“Hey, it’s alright,” I murmured, forcing a small smile as I reached up to cup his cheek in one hand. “We’re together now. That’s all that matters.”

But Enzo was already shaking his head vehemently, his expression twisting into one of utter self-loathing. Wrenching himself from my grasp, he dropped to his knees in front of me with an agonized groan, burying his face in the soft fabric of my stolen uniform.

“I’m so sorry, Nina,” he choked out, his voice muffled against my abdomen. “I can’t believe I ever doubted you, questioned your loyalty... After everything you’ve sacrificed for me… And our baby…”

His shoulders shook as he clung to me, pressing his forehead into my pregnant stomach, which was becoming more and more swollen by the day lately. I felt hot tears prick at the backs of my eyes as I clutched his hair, trying to steel myself.

“It’s not your fault," I managed in a quavering tone, blinking rapidly against the wetness stinging my eyes. “Mila, she... poisoned you, twisted your mind with her magic and the poisons under the mountain—”

“No.” The word was ground out through gritted teeth. “Don’t make excuses for my weakness, Nina. I allowed myself to be corrupted, turned against the one good, pure thing in my life because of my own cowardice and fragility.”

He lifted his head then to fix me with a look of such raw anguish that I felt the breath leave my lungs in a harsh exhale. “You should have left me to rot in here,” he said. “I deserve far worse than—”

“Stop it.” I grabbed his face in my hands, bending down so our gazes met. “Just stop, Enzo. Please…”

I felt the first hot tear slip down my cheek and splash against his skin as I pressed my forehead to his. “You are the strongest person I know,” I breathed. “And if the roles were reversed, if I had been captured and violated the way you were... I cannot even fathom how I would have coped.”

Swallowing hard, I slid my hands down to grasp his, linking our fingers together with a gentle squeeze. “Now, come on. Let’s get you out of here.”

Enzo nodded as he stood, gritting his teeth. But there was a look of fierce determination in his eyes that couldn’t have possibly died out, no matter what Mila had done to him.

“But we can’t just leave,” he said. “Mila, she… She’s torturing people, Nina. We have to stop her.”

I nodded, my pulse quickening. “I know. I met with the village leader again, Kai…”

Over the next minute, I quickly explained what had happened back in the village. We didn’t have much time, so I kept it as short as I possibly could. When I was finished, Enzo’s jaw was set even harder.

“We’ll get these people out of here,” he said. “And I have a plan.”

“A plan?”

Next, Enzo explained everything he had discovered—he told me about a panther, about their plan to cause chaos in the arena so they could overwhelm the guards. He told me about how the panther wasn’t the only creature trapped here who was against Mila’s rule, and how there were others on the inside who would quickly turn to our cause.

When he was finished, my heart was in my throat.

“So you’re going into the arena anyway,” I breathed.

Enzo nodded. “While the panther and I create a distraction, you, Luke, and Tyler can join the crowd. Start spreading the word: that Mila is planning to kill everyone after the ceremony. Those who are only here out of fear and not true admiration of Mila will begin to panic, and they’ll join our side.”

“And then what?” I asked.

“Then,” Enzo explained, “we’ll evacuate as many people as possible. And the panther and I… We’ll kill Mila.”

The plan felt rushed and erratic, but it was all we had. At least there was the comfort of knowing that my father’s forces would likely arrive soon to help, and Matt and the others were waiting outside as well to help herd the evacuees toward the village.

It wouldn’t be perfect. There would likely be casualties.

But it was all we had.

Just as I was opening my mouth to say something else, though, I was suddenly startled by voices—voices that didn’t belong to Luke or Tyler.

More guards.

With my breath in my throat, I quickly grabbed my helmet off of the floor and shoved it back on, just in time before the loud grind of the chamber door swinging open caused both of us to whirl around.

“What’s going on in here?” the guard barked in a harsh voice that was made even more grating by the metallic echo of his helmet. “You were supposed to be ready and waiting five minutes ago. Get a move on, before I have to report this incompetence.”

I felt Enzo stiffen beside me, no doubt readying himself for a confrontation that could rapidly turn violent. With my heart hammering, I quickly stepped forward.

“Apologies, sir,” I said gruffly, deepening my voice as much as I could. “The Queen’s mate was giving me some… trouble.” I looked over at Enzo, taking note of the firm set of his jaw and the readiness in his eyes. “But he’s all set now, aren’t you?”

Enzo straightened to his full imposing height with a curt nod. “Of course, sir. My deepest regrets for the delay,” he said. “I’m ready now.”

The guard turned his head back and forth between the two of us for a few long moments, and during those moments, I wondered if he had seen through our ruse—maybe he had seen the flash of my hair before I hid it beneath the helmet, or maybe he had noticed the way my stolen uniform seemed to hang loosely on my frame, or maybe he had noticed the way my voice shook.

But then, much to my relief, the guard nodded and held his hand out. “Come. The Queen is waiting.”

Enzo paused, but only for a moment before he allowed the guard to take him by the arm and begin to lead him away. I felt my heart hammering in my chest as a million different thoughts whirled through my mind. I felt panic bubble up inside of me, panic at this haphazard plan.

But what choice did we have? If we had waited for even an hour to come here, Enzo would have become another one of Mila’s thralls, making her even stronger.

No, this was the only way.

Just as the other guard led Enzo away, though, I knew I had to do one last thing. I quickly reached out, touching Enzo’s hand. And at that moment, I felt our connection deepen, even if only for a moment, allowing me to use our Mindlink to speak with him privately.

“Wait for the signal,” I said, my voice echoing in both of our minds. “And… kill her.”