And then—
“I’m sorry.”
The words have the blood draining from my face.
They also have me stumbling, and that’s all he needs.
One tiny mistake on my part, and he catches me.
Turns me around.
To force me to face him, who is both my dream and nightmare come true.
“I’m sorry, Bailey.”
My mind registers the hoarseness of his voice, but my heart...is too battered and terrified of being hurt again to eventryto understand where the hoarseness is coming from.
“It’s fine,” I hear myself say in a numb voice. “So if you could let me go—”
“It’s not fine,” he grits out, “and I can’t let you go.”
How can he say that when he’s the same person who kicked me out of his mansion...after telling me I’munfitto be his queen?
“I’m sorry—”
“You’re forgiven.” I’m even willing to put that in writing. Or do anything he wants. Whatever it takes for him to let me go. “So if you could just release me—”
“I can’t. I can’t let you go.” His voice has gone rough. Like sandpaper. Like something being torn. “I don’t want you to.”
Why?
Why does he keep saying that when we both know that’snottrue?
“Y-you obviously can when you...” My voice falters at the last moment, and I realize that I can’t even bear to repeat his words out loud. It hurts that much. “Y-You s-said...you...”
“I lied.”
The words just hang there. In the dim air. Between us.
“I wanted to keep you safe.” His fingers seem to involuntarily tighten, biting into my arms. “I never told you, but the other kings and I...we knew Abigail’s killer wasn’t just an otherworlder. He was one of the others—”
I start shaking my head.
“I’ve told you about their kind. Remember?“
I don’t want to hear this.
“The others...are sent to other worlds to cause chaos. They steal. Kill. Destroy. Whatever would cause the greatest pain. And that’s why—”
“Please stop,” I choke out.
“I had to throw you away—”
“I said stop!”
I don’t mean to cry out. But a sob catches in my throat and the words tear out of me before I can stop them, ragged and raw and completely humiliating. The sound echoes off the stone walls, bouncing back at me like an accusation.
He freezes. His whole body goes taut.
