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I looked down at the floor and saw the ice waiting under the edges of my shoes to take merciless possession of me and my surroundings.

Miles was right.

All of this was my fault.

Quentin looked at me again. His eyes were full of disbelief.

“And that you're working with her on some project...” he gritted out.

He didn't look at Miles, kept his gaze on me, ready to break me further.

“It's a secret society. And to give you the short version... Our feuding families are insane. We're sick of this bullshit and want to use some dark witchcraft to change the political situation in this town,” Miles explained.

Quentin still stared at me, and I had the feeling he didn't believe Miles, so I nodded slowly.

I didn't know if I was still in my body. A body that was no longer under my control.

“Give me one damn reason why I should join,” Quentin murmured.

His chest rose and fell heavily, just like mine.

“I know you're looking for the archives,” Miles replied.

Quentin's head snapped around. “How did you...”

Miles grinned. “Sorry, but... I’m bound by professional confidentiality.”

“You're a student,” Quentin gritted out.

“Then call it a family secret,” Miles said simply, pouring himself another glass of whiskey, half full. “Anyway...” He took a sip before making a sweeping gesture across the room. “The Dragonfly Society has access to certain books that might help you.”

“I can't believe you're just blabbing everything,” Emely managed to get out, sounding just as shocked as I was.

Quentin didn't seem to be listening, because his gaze was fixed on me.

What was he thinking? What was he feeling? Did he despise me from the bottom of his heart? Or was he also processing the fact that a bubble had just burst? That our glass castle had just collapsed over our Garden of Eden?

The only thing I knew for sure was that everything I had had with Erik was over now. And the realization tore me apart so brutally that I couldn't stop the tears in my eyes from rolling down my cold cheeks.

Quentin's gaze weighed heavily.

Let him watch me break down. It was the least I deserved.

“Get out of my house,” came the toneless command from his lips.

Nervousness, more chaos, more tears. It all came over me unexpectedly.

Emely was the first to move, heading for the door, followed by Bayla.

“Julie…” Larissa began, but Quentin was quicker.

“…stays here.”

Thump. Thump. Thump.

So, he wanted to destroy me completely.

I tried to feel my hands, but they were so cold that I couldn't tell where my fingers were. At the same time, my cheeks burned as the next tear rolled down the right one.