“How am I supposed to stop you all from drugging Calderans and fix the imbalance of magic and find my father and… and…” I gasp.How do I go back there and face the life I lost?
Eli’s stern eyes capture mine. “You can’t do any of that if you’re dead.”
“I don’t want to go to Caldera.” I look up from lacing my boots to watch Eli load marbles into the ammo pockets on his suspenders. The practiced motion of his fingers over the diagonal strap across his chest is distracting. I know what those fingers are capable of. “And I’m sure your friends don’t want to go either. They probably blame you for all of this.”
We’re back in Milo’s colorful bedroom, the gray light of late morning pouring through the sheer curtains. I stare at Eli long enoughto notice his bandage is gone, no more than a faint scar left across his neck. He picks up a sheathed knife from a pile he dumped onto the dresser and slips it through a loop in the suspenders strap. Then another. And six more. Perfectly aligned. The final three end up in his boots and tucked behind his back. His chest is covered in steel but none of them arehisknife. The one he always carries. That sliced off my clothes. That he held to my neck. That slit his throat. That knife stays in his pocket.
“They do blame me,” he says. “But they only see my light side, so they may complain, but they’ll agree and do whatever I say.”
“Convenient.”
“Put these on.” Eli dangles metal cuffs in front of me.
A dry laugh forms in my throat.“Right.”I rise and step aside, aiming for the hallway behind him.
He follows my movement, blocking me. “Now.”
My jaw trembles with how hard I clench my teeth. “You’re serious. Does it turn you on to piss me off?”
“It does.”
I scrunch my face at him, refraining from glancing down at his crotch—to confirm. “Why would I put those on?”
“Besides for my entertainment? You’re still a flight risk, especially with Kelter around to help you run. As much as I’d enjoy it, now is not the time to be chasing you.”
“Why would I run? You have my mother, and she has the answers about my father.” My useless heart expands. I’m holding on too tightly to the idea that he might not be as dreadful as her—but not to hope. That’d be foolish.
“Everyone in Sonnet knows to look for your eyes by now. They give you away in an instant. If we’re seen by anyone and outnumbered, our best chance is convincing them it was all an act and that we were working for the Centress. We need a good explanation, and it’d better be really fucking clear that you’re my prisoner, or we’ll have no chance of lying our way out. So put the damn cuffs on.”
“Fine.” I snatch the cuffs from him, fighting to ignore the rush of images from the last time he had them tight around my wrists. I clamp one side then struggle to capture my other wrist. “Happy now?” I thrust my wrists forward, pulling taut the few metal links between them.
“Not yet.” He shoves a hand in his pocket and pulls out a chain.
I step back. “What’s that for?”
“So I don’t have to touch you.” He loops it around the links between my wrists and takes both loose ends in his hand.
“That’s how you think of me now? I’m untouchable?” But it’s hard to hold onto my anger with his light aura so strong. A gentle wind curls around my ankles and travels up the back of my legs, subduing me instantly.
“Yes.”
His response hurts more than it should. “And what about Kelter?”
“I don’t want to touch him either.”
Difficult man.“I mean, what if he’s recognized?”
He slings a pack over his shoulder. “I doubt we need to worry about him. He’s forgettable.”
“He is not. Don’t be an ass.”
“Either way, he’ll be cuffed too.”
“I bet he’s thrilled about that,” I mutter.
“Come on, little prisoner.” He yanks the chain and heads toward the door, sending me stumbling after him.
I pull back on it. “Don’t call me that.”
