Cassiel reeled back in disbelief. “Whatcoquetry?”
“I’m not a fool!” Zev shouted, his eyes flaring yellow again. “Do you think I have not noticed the way you look at each other? Are you courting her in secret?”
Cassiel’s head heated, and he balled his fists.“No.”
“Zev,” Dyna gasped, her face reddening. “You’ve gone too far.”
He heaved, his wolf surfacing. “I swear to the God of Urn, Dyna. If he—”
“There is nothing between us!” she shrieked.
A heavy silence fell in the room. Her words echoed in Cassiel’s head as they lacerated him to the bone.
Nothing.
Well, at least he knew where they stood.
Dyna inhaled sharply, turning to him. “Cassiel—”
“There, you see,” he said. “You heard the truth from her lips.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I—”
“No, it is best we clear this now. The only thing between us is a stain on my integrity.”
Dyna reached for him. “Wait—”
“Stay away from me,” he seethed, pushing all of his anger through the bond, flooding it with his contempt. “I find myself encompassed on a journey with a reckless human who fears everything and stands for nothing. Who needs Guardians to protect her from her naivety, to solve every hindrance.” The bond flinched with every insult, but he continued, the spiteful words spilling from his tongue. “There is always a plight when it concerns you, Dyna. I have had enough of it, and I have had enough of you.”
Hurt welled in her eyes. Cassiel held his glower, even as something tore into his lungs, drowning him.
A tear escaped, and it sliced through him as it slid to her chin. She turned away for the door. “I—I will wait outside. I need some air.”
“I’ll come with you.” Zev took her arm, but she tugged it free.
“No,” her voice broke. “I need a moment, please.”
Rawn shook his head. “Wait, Lady Dyna—”
She rushed out the door, and the sound of her hurried footsteps faded down the stairs.
Zev growled at Cassiel. “You have now earned that blow.”
He earned that and more. Her dejection came to him in droves, and he let himself feel it all. It was worse than anything Zev could do to him.
“I comprehend your ire, Your Highness,” Rawn said coolly. “Yet at the moment, your conduct has fallen woefully short.”
“She wasn’t to blame for this,” Lucenna added.
No, that only fell on him.
Slamming the patio door open, Cassiel stepped out onto the balcony. His breath shot out in white puffs as he released a string of curses. He was an idiot for letting himself get close to her. But guilt choked him as he thought of the tears in her eyes. He’d been the one to put them there with his instant retaliation to cut as deep as her words had. The rational part of him knew that wasn’t her intention, but being told they were nothing, sat bitterly in his stomach all the same. He gripped the iron railing, fighting the urge to go after her. She wouldn’t want him near her right now.
Zev’s heavy steps receded for the door. “I’ll go find Dyna. Gods forbid anything else happen today.”
Cassiel retorted to the sky. “Yes, nearly killing me first thing in the morning was more than enough.”
“Can you blame me?”
