As we crossed the courtyard and ducked into another alley, several shouts rang out. Theron shot a concerned look over his shoulder.
“Will your animal friends be all right?” he asked.
I bit back a smile at the note of worry in his voice. “They’ll be fine. They know where Stella’s home is.”
Theron nodded, but a wrinkle remained between his brows. My chest warmed as I realized how fond he’d grown of Mauro, Kendra, and Frisk.
The cold assassin had a soft heart after all.
The alley we squeezed ourselves into was so narrow that we couldn’t walk side by side. In some places, I had to turn myself to the side and inch forward, the brick buildings brushing my chest and backside.
“We’ll have to slow our pace from here,” Theron said,grunting as he sucked in his stomach and wriggled past a particularly small gap.
“No shit,” I said with a snort, but I was grateful for the reprieve from all the running. I still had a cramp in my side.
For a moment, our trek was silent save for the occasional grunting and scuffling as we shifted around. After a while, I cleared my throat, my heart hammering madly in my chest.
“You didn’t say anything,” I said hesitantly, “about Calista being Demon Fae.”
Theron’s shoulders went rigid, but he did not reply.
I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to.”
He cut me an exasperated glance. “What do you want me to say, Eira? I can’t lie. I’ve worked with Calista for years. I think I would know if she were Demon Fae.”
“I saw her demon form,” I insisted. “The mirror only reveals truth. She has a powerful glamour; it’s how she hides her true nature. But with the mirror, I can expose her for what she is.”
Theron was shaking his head, and anger bubbled up inside me.
“How can you dismiss this so easily?” I argued. “Think about it. She controls people with their blood. What kind of fae magic does that?”
“Stop.” Theron shifted, only able to angle his body halfway to face me. His expression was dark with fury. “Do you even hear yourself? You don’t have to convince me she’s evil. I get it. You hate her. I do, too. That doesn’t mean she’s a Demon Fae. I’ve fought them, Eira. I know what they looklike. What they smell like. What their magic is like. I’m not a fool.”
“It’s not justyoushe’s been fooling,” I insisted. “It’s everyone! Even my own father. Her disguise is flawless. It’s why she has to be stopped.”
Theron ran a hand down his face as if I were some wearisome child he was forced to deal with. “This is ridiculous. Just stop, Eira. We have enough problems on our hands without these delusions.”
My blood chilled to ice in my veins. Despair crashed through me, followed swiftly by rage.
Damn this hunter. Damn his stubbornness and his stupidity. If he didn’t want to see the truth, then fine.
He wasn’t on my side. He never would be. And it would be best if I accepted that now.
I huffed a dry laugh and forced a cold smile on my face. “All right, Theron. I trusted you with this secret, and you treat me like shit for it. You want to be an asshole for the rest of your life? Go right ahead. I’m done. You said it before: Let’s just get this over with so we can be rid of each other once and for all.”
Regret crossed his features, and he grimaced. “Eira?—”
“Don’t talk to me,” I snapped, my tone icy. “Just keep moving.”
A muscle feathered in his jaw, and he nodded once before turning and continuing down the alley. All the while, I tried to ignore the aching pit in my stomach.
Despite my doubts, a part of me had thought he would believe me. That he would be my ally in this.
But in the end, he only belonged to her—Calista.
