I stood in the middle of the large, dimly lit hall, clutching Calix tighter to my chest as Daemon's words echoed in my mind.
“You and Calix will have to stay for good. And I won’t accept any objections. Calix is also my son and I can’t let him grow without a mother, so you shall stay to take care of him.”
Stay for good. The words hung heavy in the air, and I swallowed the rising bitterness. I couldn’t help but feel like being in a cage, like the walls were closing in, pressing me to the edges of my sanity. This was Daemon’s twisted game, and I was stuck in it, bound by the fragile hope of keeping my son safe.
I looked down at Calix, his small body warm against mine, his innocent face peaceful in sleep. He didn’t understand any of this. He didn’t know that the man standing a few feet aw
