“No, it’s not! I don’t—I don’t even like you!”
He flinched. “You don’t have to like someone to want them.”
“That’s not—that doesn’t happen to me. I don’t throw myself at males I can’t stand!”
His chest rose and fell quickly. He pressed a hand against it, grimacing. “Aelie, I feel it too.”
“I hate this!” I shouted. “I hate what you do to me!”
His expression shattered.
I sprinted away from him. If I stayed, I’d get suckered into believing him. I’d let myself think he was different.
The pool. Right there.
It wasn't the same one. The portal was a day’s journeyat least—this was just a stupid pond in the middle of a cursed forest.
I threw myself in anyway. I waded deeper, gasping, the water barely reaching my knees. My hands plunged beneath the surface, searching for any hint of magic.
Nothing.
When I’d fallen into the portal, it had beenendless. Deep enough to pull me under. Now my feet hit solid stone. I rotated, tapping the surface.Please, get me out of here.
A sloshing sound cut through the silence.
I spun. Kairos strode in the shallows, heading for me. There was nowhere left to run.
I lunged for the shore anyway.
He caught me before I’d gone three steps, hauling me over his shoulder. I slammed against hard muscle. The air punched from my lungs.
“Let go!” I thrashed, kicking at his ribs. “Put me down!”
“Keep fighting. Give me a reason to lose the last of my control.”
He carried me back through the trees, each step jolting through me.
I didn’t fight anymore. I was too busy pretending the ache in my chest was only rage and not something far more dangerous.
Too busy pretending I still hated him.
28
SPILLED TEA
Kairos flung me inside my room.
I stumbled, catching myself against the bed. Water dripped from my ruined dress onto the floor.
“I hate you!”
I grabbed the nearest object, a silver hairbrush, and hurled it at his head.
He caught it, tossing it on the bed.
“I’m leaving this place! I mean it!”
He laughed and threw the satchel at my feet. “You made it all the way to a pond. Impressive.”
