She chewed on this, sliding up her sleeve to stare at the golden strands winding around her light skin. Holding up her arm, she said quietly, “Then we have a problem.”
Aidan’s voice became bland. “Maya, go to my office. Grab ledger seventy-eight, please.”
Maya looked at Aidan like he had grown another head. “Do I look like your maid?”
He leveled her with a cold stare. “I wasn’t asking.”
Glaring, Maya disappeared, traveling out of the room.
Aidan gestured for Elysia to continue.
Relief filled her that Maya was gone. She’d asked Aidan to divert her before coming in here, and he’d agreed easily enough, always happy to irritate the witch of the woods. But now she had to admit the truth. The fates had asked her to kill him, and in her grief and panic, she’d considered it. Her stomach tightened while the gold glinted reassuringly on her wrist.
“We have to find a way to trick the fates into believing I’ve accepted their offer to rule the Deathlands and kill Aidan. Maya has the scissors somewhere in the Deathlands. I can feel them, but I haven’t found them yet.”
Aidan and Grim’s gazes met only for Aidan to hold out his hand expectantly. Lifting off the chair, Grim dug in his black tactical pants. Sitting down, he slapped a pewter pocket watch into Aidan’s waiting palm.
Aidan clicked the top and the face sprung open. He smiled in satisfaction, clicking it shut and tucking it into his own pocket. “All these years, and you still think you can win a bet against me.” He shook his head, but his mouth was smiling.
“Are you serious right now?” She told them she’d been asked to assassinate one of them, and this was their response. She’d been expecting surprise, shock,anger even.
It was Grim’s turn to smirk, his tone low and easy. “That watch has gone back and forth between us since we were mortals. We made a bet on what the fates wanted from you. We were already well-aware of Maya’s…lack of trustworthiness.”
“You do understand how his magic works, right?” she asked.
Grim interlaced his fingers, relaxing a little. “I’m his reminder of the three percent.”
“The three percent.” She glanced over at Aidan in question.
Grim nodded. “Three percent error margin.”
Hope drained out of her, leaving her a husk. “I thought it was more variable than that!” Elysia fought to keep the hysterics out of her voice. She’d made the wrong decision. She should have agreed to off him. The scissors couldn’t be that hard to find.
“You made it here, didn’t you?” Aidan murmured.
“First time he’d been wrong in alongtime. That’s how I got the watch back.” Grim looked like he was two seconds away from clapping her on the back.
She threw Grim a weird look but kept talking. “The fates promised me they’d handle Garrison. That they’d restore Kava.” Despair drenched the tiny flame of courage she’d walked in here with as she realized how stupid and emotional her decision had been.
Aidan’s gaze remained steadfast on her, unfazed by the torrent of fear and doubt driving her response. “That’s quite the deal you’re turning down. Goddesshood. A whole realm. Your kingdom restored.”
Her hands fisted as she stared at the luxurious hand-woven rug beneath her feet and muttered. “Maybe I shouldn’t. The smarter choice would be to do what they asked.”
“To kill me,” he prompted helpfully.
“Yes, to kill you,” she spat back, her brown eyes flashing murderously.
“You’re welcome to try. Keep them guessing till the end.”
Elysia pinched the bridge of her nose, the heat of the fireplace suddenly suffocating. This meeting was not going how she wanted it to. She’d come in here ready to discuss her plan, and now, she doubted any length of planning would matter in the end.
Elysia glared at him again. She didn’twantto kill Aidan. Shewantedto be locked in a room with him for a few solid hours without any interruptions.
Steadying herself, she slowed. She needed to trust her decision. In the past she had pushed past her natural revulsion of ending someone’s life, her tips and leads bringing innocent people to their deaths. She didn’t want to do that anymore. Surviving wasn’t living, and unfortunately, she knew that now. She was grateful to still stand here, but she’d changed—half in love and tumbling closer, the thought of throwing Aidan at the feet of the fates made her ill.
His burning blue eyes didn’t flinch as she worked through her tumultuous confusion. She swallowed hard—what if she was wrong? What if protecting herself and ridding the world of Garrison in one fell swoop was the right choice?
No, love might have been a liability and affliction, but Beatriz, the most selfish person she’d ever met, the very woman who had imparted those words of wisdom, had said she’d choose Lily. Elysia’s chest loosened as she reaffirmed her choice.
