“Sebastian!” she called.
He kept walking.
“Sebastian, wait!”
He turned reluctantly to face her as she caught up.
“Are you leaving?” she asked.
“Not that it’s any of your business what I’m doing,” he said bluntly, “but I’ll be gone by morning.”
Her heart dropped. “Where are you going?”
“Does it matter? Away from here. Away from...” He gestured vaguely back towards the hall.
Me?
“I wanted to say–” she began, but he cut her off.
“I suppose I should say congratulations,LadyHale.” His voice was acid. “Looks like your father does approve of something. Even if it is books over bravery.”
Kara balked at the bite in his tone. “Sebastian, I–I wanted to say I’m sorry. About last night – I never meant–” The words tumbled out, messy and raw. “I never meant to hurt you.”
He stared at her, his face giving nothing away.
“Hurt me?” And to her horror, he laughed. The sound was hollow, almost cruel. She stepped back, unsure. “Don’t flatter yourself, Kara,” he scoffed. “I was just curious about the magic. You didn’t think there was anything else to it, did you?”
She tried again with emotion magic, to see behind the damn mask he wore. To prove he was lying. This time, alone in the empty hallway, his emotions slammed into her.
Fury. Unyielding, searing fury.
She flinched in spite of herself. He noticed. And in that instant, she swore she would never reach for him with that magic again. Not if it meant feeling this.
“Whatever you thought you saw in me,” he said, “you were wrong.”
“I–”
“If I gave you a reason to think otherwise, I regret it.”
“N–no,” she lied, her voice thin. “Of course I didn’t. I just... I needed to know there hadn’t been a... misunderstanding.”
His eyes narrowed. “No, I understand you now – loud and clear.”
Heat prickled in her face. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Henry Caldris? Really?” He scoffed. “Soft hands. Softer spine. But at least the perfect Hale girl has her future secured.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” she shot back.
“Don’t I?”
“You think this is what I wanted?” she snapped, but her voice broke – more plea than accusation.
“Maybe not. But a safe, steady Caldris? Very predictable, Kara.”
How dare he?
“Better steady than someone who hides behind his blade – too afraid to feel anything real.”
