His hand slid away from her. “You’re defending him.”
“No. I’m saying there are always two sides to a story, usually more. What your father did to you was wrong—”
“He’s not my father—”
“But you’re making the same mistake he did,” she pressed on. “Don’t you see that? The same mistake that Endreas is making—”
His voice was flint-edged. “I didn’t realize Endreas was capable of mistakes.”
Her forefinger flew up. Her wolf blade snapped out, skimming the air in front of his lips. “Don’t do that. That’s not fair. There’s nothing I can do to stop how I feel or to stop you from prying into my heart. But since you can, you know that I left him. And I have no intention of returning.”
“But you want to,” he said darkly.
“But I won’t.”
“So you say.”
She drew her blade back. “I told Ouda I would protect her forest and all the small folk in it. Endreas’s idea of peace is eliminating everyone who has defied his family or broken their laws.”
“He told you that?”
“He didn’t have to.”
His eyes fell between them. “And what if he changes his mind?”
She frowned. “Changes his mind?”
“What if he decides he would rather just be with you and that he doesn’t care about retribution? What if he agrees to do whatever you wanted? If he lets you rule as you see fit?”
“That would never happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
“Because he’s not going to change, not for...”
“Not for you?”
She snorted, shaking her head. “You really don’t understand what it means to be a Prince or a Rae. It’s not love, Kaelan. I guess I can see how you could get the two confused. We’re drawn to each other because we’re stronger that way. We have a better chance of survival. And because it’s necessary in order to maintain power over the families. Love has nothing to do with it.”
“And how would you know?” he asked.
“I just—”
“Have you ever been in love?”
“I—” She ground her teeth. “That’s not the point.”
“It’s exactly the point, Magda. Would you be able to tell the difference between love and your instincts as Rae?”
She shook her head and pushed up to her feet. “We should eat. We need to leave.”
He stood up too. “Magda, I’m just worried.”
“About what? That I’m in love with Endreas?”
