I’m the keeper of her heart.
Why ask when you already know?Kelter drawls. I don’t have a choice.
My glare hardens.Because I still don’t want to see it.
Then you should have stayed hidden.
I couldn’t any longer. Though she has the kind of strength that can’t be rivaled, she’s half-starved and only has until morning before the imbalance of magic kills her, maybe less time. And I don’t want him anywhere near her in the coming hours. She needsme.
“Him.” I point at Kelter. “I choose him as my opponent.”
Never grabs his knee, turning her head to whisper in his ear. He leaves his thoughts open, letting me hear every panicked word. “What is he doing? He’s not a Half Link.”
Kelter whispers back to her. “He’s here for us, playing the part.”
I huff.I’m here forher.
“Don’t go, Kelt. Please. He’ll break you,” Never says, her quiet plea reaching me through Kelter’s mind—our mind.
And I’m looking forward to it,I add. His stupidity will cost him his balls.
I can hear you,Kelter says.
Let’s see how well you fight with both hands on your junk.
“Go on,” Zandrite urges Kelter. “He’s one of the shortest Half Links I’ve seen. Should be easy. Let’s make it interesting since I’m getting impatient. If you lose, I keep this one—starting tonight.” He rolls his eyes over Never’s body, then takes her by the upper arm, easily lifting her from Kelter’s lap and onto his own in one motion.
No.It takes many lifetimes of experience to gain the restraint that keeps me from screaming out at my mistake. At my foolish need to rip her out of Kelter’s arms. I’ve only managed to send her into worse arms, into danger. And how is he touching her?
He’s a god,Kelter says.
Shit.
Kelter’s impression is visible now, his chest marked with the link tomywoman, which means she has the same impression, circle after circle looped together. A permanent reminder of his connection to her, one I’ll never have.
But she’s still mine. And trying to make her hate me is pointless when I constantly fail. I don’t know how to push her away anymore. I don’t want to fight it. Everything about her is infectious. The way she plays with her hands when she’s nervous. The way she thinks her glare is anything but fucking adorable. Gods—even the way she runs from me. She chooses her path and confronts anything that gets in the way, including me. I can’t let her hate me when she’s all I think about. But my hold on her heart will never fail. I will never let go.
I will never let her love me.
“Don’t touch me!” she yells, struggling to get away.
She’ll get herself killed. But shit is she perfect.
Zandrite yanks her hair, wrenching her head backward and exposing that suckable neck. She growls and elbows him in the stomach.
That’s my vicious girl.
I take a running step, set on attacking, but Kelter’s voice cuts through my determination.He’ll kill us both, idiot. Every single Half Link will attack at his command. Don’t move.
Dammit. I freeze.How could you give her to him, you sick bastard?
You’re well aware I have no intention of handing her off to anyone, including you. And I think he’ll separate us so I won’t have to listen to you anymore. I saw in your memories that you’ve known him forever, and he was loyal to you. I know you were here in past lives, linkless and lonely, screwing your way through the years until you could return to the village where no one would remember you or ask how you’re still young,Kelter says, taking steady steps toward me. His thoughts come all at once, so much faster than speech.
He was loyal, but that doesn’t mean he’s got any good in him. And you blocked all of this from me until she was already here and in danger. You let me think you were locked up and couldn’t come to her. I wouldn’t have let her go if I knew about this. We had a plan to destroy the teva fields. Hollows are dropping dead.
You don’t care about that.
I respond despite the wave of realization coming from him. He already found the answer in my thoughts.I don’t, butshedoes.
