Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 331: Poisoned Victory

Third-person POV

Iris was lying flat on the bed with her breaths shallow and her face twisted with the effort of keeping still. The low light of the room that she was in only made the shadow on her body more obvious, which was her left hand that was now lifeless and ugly against the sheets.

The skin was no longer pale like the rest of her body was. Instead, it had darkened to a deep, bruised shade of purple that spread all the way up her arm. She tried not to look at it and tried her very best to keep her eyes fixed on the ceiling above her, but the throbbing pain made it impossible for her to ignore the ugliness of her own hands. That damned snake. Yuna, even in death, was tormenting her and had left her mark.

Iris closed her eyes, her mind dragging her back to the rooftop. She could still feel the slight pain that she had felt when Yuna's hand was clawing at her, those sharp nails scratching into her skin and leaving the venom behind. It had been almost laughable at the time. Yuna, desperate, clinging to life, and lashing out in the only way she knew how.

Iris had known that it was bad that she got scratched, but at that point, she hadn't realized just how bad it was. She had been too focused on pushing her off the edge and way too caught up in the satisfaction of watching her fall and the rush of power that came with it, but she had underestimated her.

She, Iris, a pure-blooded phoenix, had foolishly underestimated the power of a snake, and now here she was, paying for it.

The scratch had been deep. Deeper than she admitted to herself at first. She had ignored it in the chaos, wrapping it quickly and hiding it under her sleeve when she ran, but the poison worked its way in fast. By the time she'd made it to safety, the pain had already started. First a burn, then a numbness, and now… nothing. Her arm was useless, and her hand was dead weight.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips, but it turned into a hiss when the movement sent a jolt of fire racing up her veins. Even a phoenix was not immune. Yuna's venom had proven that. If Iris were human, she'd already be dead, and it was only a miracle that she had lasted this long.

Her gaze drifted back to the arm she hated and how it was now useless, ugly, and forever marked. She curled her other hand into a fist, nails biting into her palm. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to be untouchable.

The only cure had died with Yuna.

Unless…

Her lips twisted into a grimace. There was still Yura, Yuna's twin. The only other person who carried the same blood, the same venom, and therefore the same antidote. Iris had known that from the start, but she couldn't go back to Elysium so soon, especially not after what she'd done. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

She had left the school quickly, running before anyone had the chance to notice her hand. If they had seen the wound, they would have known. They would have connected the dots, starting from the scratch, to Yuna's fall all the way down to Seraphina's stabbing. There was just way too much blood on her hands and too many coincidences stacked together.

So she left, and she hid, and she waited for the pain to take her.

Now, with the poison settled deep, her arm was ruined. Completely useless. She could barely move her shoulder without the agony flaring, and the skin was even more tight and stretched too thin with the purple-black creeping higher every day. She wondered how long she had before it reached her chest and before it reached her heart.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath, squeezing her eyes shut. The curse came out sharp, but it did nothing to ease the sting in her veins.

Her only small comfort, if it could even be called that, was the thought that she had succeeded in one thing. She had achieved what she set out to do, which was hurt Electra.

The image of her flashed across Iris's mind. The girl standing in front of hundreds, her body blazing with markings, and her true nature spilling out for all to see. Her secret had been laid bare for all to see, and her shame was also undeniable. The crowd had gasped, the gossip had spread like fire, and in that moment, Electra had stopped being just the precious daughter of the king. She had become a scandal and an abomination.

Iris smiled faintly despite the pain. It wasn't victory the way she imagined, but it was victory nonetheless. Electra's life was ruined. She was exposed before her entire kingdom, and Iris had made sure of that.

It was enough to hold on to, even as her body betrayed her.

She shifted slightly on the bed, biting back another hiss. Her useless hand thudded against the mattress like it was made out of stone, limp and heavy. She stared at it with burning hatred, feeling like the pain and the whole look of it all was mocking her. Every throb reminded her that she wasn't untouchable and on the brink of death, just like Electra was.

She needed Yura, and that was the truth she couldn't run from. Without Yura's antidote, her time was running out, but the thought of facing Yura brought its own sting. Yura would know that she was responsible immediately. She would see the mark of her twin's venom and know exactly what Iris had done, and Iris was too weak to go up against a weak snake like Yura.

Her jaw tightened, and she mentally reminded herself that she had no choice. If she wanted to live, she would have to take the risk.

Her body ached as she shifted again, her head falling back against the pillow. Sweat dampened her skin, clinging to her hairline. The poison was burning her from the inside out, and she knew it. She could feel it creeping, slow but relentless.

Her eyes fluttered shut, but sleep wouldn't come, only memories. Yuna's face as she fell, Seraphina's gasp when the blade cut into her stomach, and Electra's body collapsing on the tournament floor. One after another, playing like a delightful show behind her eyes.

She told herself it was worth it. That the pain, the useless arm, and the risk of death were all worth it because she had gotten what she wanted.

Electra was ruined, but a voice in the back of her head also reminded her that her victory would end up meaning nothing if she didn't live to enjoy it, and right now, Iris wasn't sure how much longer she had.