“Calm down.”
“Calm down?” I hold my hands out in front of me, heart beating a million miles an hour. “How can I calm down? He’s not going to let me go! Obviously, Jacques! I’m tied up just like you! He’s going to control you and make you get the others! That’s his plan. He’s fucking nuts and wants to rule the world by forcing magical creatures to do his evil bidding.”
“Ace,” he says again, and sits up as much as he can, chains digging into his skin. “It’s going to be okay. Even if he does figure out a way to gain control, he can’t control me for long. The others will come for you. Your police friend said something about a SWAT team.”
“They’ll die. Trent has powerful charms.”
“So do we. Gemma and Lyra are working on something, and Lyra called some of her friends. And you have Hasan, Thomas, and Gilbert. They’re more than ready for a fight.”
“Then why? Why did you risk yourself and come here?”
“To set you free, Ace,” he says gently. “I…I offered myself as a trade. I brought the rune and gave it to Trent.”
“Jac!” My heart beats faster and faster. I want to go over to him and slap his handsome face. Tears run down my cheeks. “Why? Why would you do that to me?”
“Because, Ace…I lied to you.”
“What?”
“I told you there were a few weeks left until the curse hit its thousandth year. Which is true…for the others. I was cursed first. My time is almost up.”
My racing heart comes to a dead stop and plummets out of my chest. It breaks into a million pieces on the cold, hard floor. “I could have broken the curse.”
“You will break it, Ace. But you need to get out of here in order to do so. This way, Trent gets me and will let you and the girl go.”
“But I want you, Jac. I love you. Please! Don’t do this!”
“It’s already done. Come sunrise, you and Rachel will be free to go. Trent will control me for a day or two before…”
“No!” I yank against my chains, pulling in as much magic as I can. If Jacques can’t get back to the rune by sunrise…well…I don’t know what will happen. The closest he came to resisting the transformation seemed painful. Really painful. “I’m not going to let him do that to you! I won’t lose you!” A sob escapes my lips and I slip back, falling hard against the floor.
My head, still injured from the car crash, aches something fierce. The pain radiates through me, making me feel like I’m going to throw up. But the heartbreak is worse. So much worse.
“Jacques, please,” I cry, chest rising and falling rapidly as I sob. “You can’t leave me.”
“I’m not leaving you,” he says, and even he knows it’s a lie. “This is how it’s meant to be. You showed me life, Ace. You showed me love, real love. And for that, I will always remember you.”
“Stop it!” I yell. “Stop talking like you’re saying goodbye! This isn’t how it ends. That’s not us. We…we’ll find a way. Break out at the last minute and fly home. I’ll break the curse and we’ll be together. I need you!”
“You don’t need me. You’re strong, Ace, and I don’t just mean with magic. You’re the strongest person I know. You’ll get through this. And you won’t be alone. You have many people who love—”
“Shut up!” I scream. “Just stop! Stop saying goodbye!”
“We have the chance to say goodbye. We should take it.”
“No! No, we shouldn’t! Because this isn’t goodbye. This isn’t how things end. It can’t be.” I pull myself up, crying so hard my vision is blurred with tears. I need to take a breath, calm myself down, and concentrate on pulling in every single bit of energy I can so I can burn this place to the ground.
I’m not losing Jacques.
“Ace,” he soothes again. “This is the way our story was meant to end.”
“No!” I yank against the chains, pulling over and over, until I’m exhausted and can hardly move. The sedative is still coursing through me, making me weak. I fall back, vaguely aware of how cold I am, and suck in air. My throat burns, my lungs hurt with every breath, and I’ve never had a worse headache in my life.
But I won’t let it stop me.
I ball my fist and turn my hand up, and then whack the metal cuff against the floor. Over and over. Something sizzles inside the metal, glowing red for a split second. I’m breaking it.
“Ace!” Jacques calls. “You’re hurting yourself!”
