“I thought I did.” I don’t miss the slight falter inhis steps as he comes to an abrupt stop a few yards away. Knowing I have his attention, I take a deep breath as I try and fail to get my muscles to relax. I’m stiff with stress and there’s no undoing the knots that bind me together. “I deservesomething.”
Even with the headlights aimed my way, I still spot the tick to his jaw as he tilts his face slightly in my direction. The moment his stare draws to the corner of his eye, catching mine, I know he’s relenting.
“Two minutes. Alone,” he orders, turning to face me head on.
“Fuck that!” The protest comes from Rion, but neither of us turn to acknowledge his outburst as I nod in agreement.
I’m ready to get back in the truck and tell him all the reasons why this is fucked up before I convince him to take me home, but before I can take a single step toward him, he snaps his fingers and an iridescent dome falls over the two of us.
Gaping in disbelief, my protest dies on my tongue as I finally put two and two together to get four instead of sixteen thousand like I have been doing. “You have magic.”
My subconscious screams at me. Of course he does. Why else would he know this place exists? Why else would he know to bring me back here?
“You wasted ten seconds on that?” he retorts, tilting his head at me, and my eyes narrow in frustration as my nostrils flare with anger again.
Shaking my head, I try to think calmly so I can utilize the little time he’s offering. I need to understand, and this may be my last chance.
“Did you know?” He cocks a brow at me, and I sigh, refolding my arms over my chest defensively. “About me,” I add, my pulse thrumming in my ears as he exhales slowly.
“Yes.”
My heart aches at his admission. “How?”
He shrugs. “I was sent to protect you.”
“I don’t feel protected right now,” I retort, eyes wide in disbelief as he shrugs again.
“It was my job to make sure you didn’t wind up dead. I’d say I succeeded,” he clarifies, raking his gaze over me to cement the fact that I am, indeed, not dead.
Yet.
Trying to squeeze another question out of my self-combusting brain is torture, but I manage to part my lips again. “Was anything real?” It’s nothing more than a whisper, but it cuts deep enough when he shrugs for the third time.
Anger sparks through me and I hurry to eliminate the distance between us. It’s not lost on me thata little while ago I fell into his arms with relief, basking in his warmth like the lifeline he was, but now, only rage fuels me. I shove against his chest and he stumbles back a step. Not from my magic. No. That fails me again.
“I hate you. I fucking hate you,” I scream, my lungs burning as the harsh words lick across my tongue.
I mean it with every breath that I am.
Pushing at him again, he doesn’t move an inch this time as he grabs my wrists and holds me in place. He bares his teeth as he leans in close, his gaze burning into mine as he snarls back at me. “Good. You should let that fire burn you from the inside out. Then you might stand a chance at surviving.” He punctuates each word as he slips my hands from his chest, releasing his hold on me as he does.
“What does that even mean?” I breathe, hating the pleading tone that clings to the stilted air.
He ignores me, glancing down at his watch with a sigh before he returns his attention to me. “Time’s up.”
Just like that, the pearlescent bubble around us pops, letting the outside world in again. I can hear Rion snarling from behind me but I can’t focus onanything he’s saying as I gape at who I once thought was my only friend.
I thought he was my world. I thought I meant at least something. I thought wrong.
“We’re not done until I say we’re done,” I hiss, watching as he purses his lips for a second before he shakes his head.
“Power is forged in ruin, Elodie. Let this be your demise.”
I shove at him again, refusing to let him go, despite how much pain his presence and actions are causing me. “I hurt someone to save you. I ran from here to find you. I kept breathing and forced my head above water for you, and you betrayed me.” A salty drop spreads from the corner of my mouth and I realize I’m crying.
I hate it.
More than I hate him.
