She exhaled and glanced away. “I don’t know. It’s a big ask. And I don’t have your magical talent.”
“Say someone messed with Sebastian like this. Some she-wolf came and tricked him into thinking he was in love with her. Messed with him so he forgot who you were?”
Her eyes widened, sparking with fury. “I’d hunt down whoever was responsible and slowly but surely destroy them.”
“Didn’t mean to rile you up, tiger shark. Next thing you know you’ll be talking about shredding balls into confetti,” I teased.
“Diana doesn’t have balls, so there goes that option.” Gianna cracked a half-smile. “But she does have a weakness.” She pointed outside a window. “And it will fry her quicker than French fries in oil.”
“You know we can’tmurderher,” I said.
Gianna shrugged one shoulder. “With what she’s done, I see it as a form of self-defense.” She opened her palm. “Think about it. When your aunt died, the block on your magic was lifted. If she’s reduced to ashes and dust, it might free Diego.”
“But all magic isn’t the same. From what I understand, it’s more complex and advanced than someone can pull off by tinkering with magic. That means Diana must have had help. And if so, who?”
We stared at each other but neither had a guess.
“Pity we can’t take her for a little stroll in the park at midday,” Gianna said. “I’d love to see that stick figure of a corpse smolder.”
When I pictured that, I couldn’t lie and say it was unpleasant. I dropped my head back and groaned. “It wasn’t enough for this bitch to break his heart, but she had to come back and screw with his mind? Steal his free will?”
“She’s apreyingmantis.”
“Nice word play.” I smirked at Gianna.
She arched a brow and returned a conspiratorial glance. “I’m practicing for Scrabble.”
Scrabble. I sighed. The six of us—Gianna, Sebastian, Lucas, Zoe, Diego, and me—sometimes got together for board games, rarely following the rules and coming up with cockamamie ideas to make it more interesting. Without Diego, our strange crew of supes would be fractured. It wouldn’t just be me suffering his loss, but everyone who cared about him, especially Sebastian and Lucas. They were like brothers—a misfit version from different species—but still as close as kin.
Anger welled in me so quickly, my fists shook. “She had her chance with him. Why come back for him now?”
“Maybe she saw how happy he was with you and got jealous.”
That was a possibility. I thought Diana might have been watching us from outside the window when Diego had proposed but had convinced myself it must have been my imagination. No such luck.
My thoughts tumbled over each other as I contemplated this nightmare. “I’m really scared to do this, Gianna. I have two options—leave him be.”
Gianna fixed a steady gaze on me. “Where he lives a lie.”
“Right.” I gulped. “The other option is to try magic beyond my abilities, possibly making Diego’s situation even worse.”
“What’s worse than being tricked into being with someone you don’t love?” Gianna asked. “Losing the ability to control your own life or make your own decisions?” She shook her head with an abrupt motion. “I can’t think of anything worse.”
My lips twitched downward. “I could cause further damage to his mind.”
Gianna sucked in a breath with a hiss. “True. That isn’t exactly more desirable.”
“Exactly.” My clammy hands trembled. “I’m afraid.”
“Totally natural,” she agreed and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Anyone would be in your shoes.”
“It’s all on me to save him,” I added. “And it’s a lot. What if I do something wrong?”
Gianna arched a perfectly shaped dark eyebrow. “He’s trapped in a relationship with someone he despises. Anything you do will be better than leaving him in that hell.” When I glanced away, she put her hands on my shoulders. “Look at me, Nova. I know that look.”
“What look?” I faced her.
“The one where you’re falling down a wormhole looping through your thoughts.”
