That really pissed Marcus off. “Forgive me if I know what it’s like to lose someone! No matter how much I love you, I’m not a safe choice. So let’s just keep what we have going, withoutputting any labels or obligations on it, and enjoy ourselves for whatever time we have left.”
Marcus wanted to remain in the comfort of his despair more than he wished for Kallie to have peace. He didn’t care if she was suffering, as long as she didn’t leave him.
If that’s how he was going to treat her, I didn’t think they should be in a relationship at all. My job was to provide whatever Ava needed, even if there was a price I had to pay for it. And Marcus’ complete refusal to make himself even the slightest bit uncomfortable so Kallie felt secure angered me. Greatly.
Kallie sighed in defeat. “You don’t get it. Our time is up. I know you went through something hard, but you’ve deliberately made this harder for us. And you know what I think? I think you know exactly what it’s like to lose someone, and you’re okay with that. What you’rereallyafraid of is that someone might actually want to stay, because you can’t handle things going right. So maybe I should give you what you really want, and we’ll both get our way. I’m sick of having this argument. This is the last time I’m having it. If this is how things are going to be, I can’t be happywithyou. We could have been happy together, but not anymore.”
Ava’s heartbreak filled our bond. We both knew where this was going, but Kallie had made her decision. We couldn’t stop her now even if we tried.
“You’re really going to walk away?” Marcus demanded. “Go ahead, but it’s not going to mean anything. I’m your mate. You can try, but you can’t be happy without me. You’re not going anywhere.”
I didn’t need to have a connection with Kallie to feel how winded she was at Marcus’ words. What he’d said had completely crippled her, and she was my friend. I wasn’t going to allow him to keep hurting her like this.
Something broke within me— within us all. The spirit rope tethering the two of them together shattered like glass. A gust of wind blasted across the balcony, blowing my hair back. Fatigue washed over me, hitting me so suddenly that I fell to my knees.
“Charlie!” Ava gasped. She reached out to try and yank me to my feet.
“What— what just happened?” Marcus panicked. His voice was full of terror. “What did youdo?”
He didn’t need to ask me. He’d felt what had happened. But he had to hear me say it.
“I… broke your bond,” I rasped.
I hadn’t meant to do it… or maybe Ihad. Kallie had made her decision, and I was going to help her one way or another. I just hadn’t meant for it to happen that soon. My grandpa had warned me this could happen if I lost my temper, and I didn’t realize what I’d been doing until it was already done.
“Youbroke our bond?!” Marcus screamed.
He crossed the balcony in less than three paces and grabbed me by the collar. He yanked me to my feet and shoved me against the side of the palace. I should’ve been able to fight him off, but the spell had left me exhausted.
“Put it back!” Marcus shouted in a pained voice that echoed across the city. “Put it back, Charlie!”
“Marcus, stop!” Ava yelled, but he didn’t listen.
Feathery wings flapped from overhead, and talons scratched against the banister. Oberi panted, like she’d flown as fast as she could get here.
Oh, no,Oberi whispered.I’m too late to stop it.
“You shouldn’t have done that!” Marcus raged. “You had no right!”
Air swirled around his fist as he drew his arm back to punch me, but Kallie caught him and yanked him back.
“It’s not his fault!” Kallie yelled. “Iaskedhim to do it.”
“No… no!” Marcus insisted, as if he could deny the truth.
I righted my shirt and stood up straighter. “I’m sorry. I really am. But I wouldn’t have done this if Kallie hadn’t asked. Whatever the situation is between you two, Kallie doesn’t consent to being a part of it. She was born into this, and she didn’t have a choice. All I did was give her that choice back.”
Ava reached out for me.Do you think this might’ve been a mistake?
No,I told her.This is what Kallie wanted.
Marcus shuddered so violently beside me that I felt his tremors against my arm. All the rage melted from his tone. “I— I can’t believe you did this.”
Kallie breathed a sigh of relief. It sounded like it was the first unlabored breath she’d taken in ages. “This was the right thing to do.”
“But you broke our bond,” Marcus whimpered, as if it needed repeating… like he wasn’t quite convinced of it.
“I told you I was going to! You didn’t take me seriously,” Kallie replied.
