“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t act dumb,” I spat. “I know you like me, but forget it. In what world would someone like me end up with someone like you?”
When I saw the look on his face, my heart shattered completely.
“From now on, leave me alone. We’re better off without each other."
From that day onward, I would not smile at him from across the courtyard. I would not laugh with him as the sun set in the distance. I would not splash him with warm water from the nearby river, and I sure as hells wouldn’t share an ale with him as we danced under the full moon.
Loving him meant hurting him.
The power in my body had finally simmered.
No emotion. No love. That’s how I would keep him safe.
Even if he hated me for it.
Chapter 32
Jessiah
Isnapped out of the memory—hermemory—and stumbled backward. Rummy did the same. Both of us were clearly analyzing what had just happened.
But it was clear to me. We completed the bond.And I saw the covert memory like it was my own.
“That was why…” I sucked in a breath as the realization slapped me in the face. All this time, I thought Rummy truly despised me. I thought she realized how truly worthless I really was and decided not to waste her time.
That day, everything changed for us.
There was no warning. No conversation.
One day, we were closer than I’d ever been to anyone.
The next day, she wouldn’t even meet my eye.
I found the courage to look at her and saw horror staining her features.
“I tried to hide it from you.” Her voice sounded defeated. Fruitless. “I tried to hide it from everyone.”
“You pushed me away because you were afraid of your power?”
“I could have killed you, Jessiah.” Her hand covered her agape mouth as if she was realizing this terror for the first time.“How could I live with myself if I hurt you? I killed my own mother. I know what it’s like to be a monster. I wasn’t going to let myself kill you, too, just because I was too selfish to stay away.”
Hells.
There were no words.
Rummy never hated me at all. At least, not at first.
“It’s not your fault, Rum.”
Tears welled in her eyes. Her legs shook. I stepped forward and steadied her with both hands before I could stop myself.
“It’s not your fault,” I repeated.
She shook her head as if she didn’t want to accept what I was saying.
“It’s not your fault,” I said again.
