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“I wouldn’t put it past her to try.”

I slid back some more, getting to my feet. “I’m over this.”

He sighed. “All I’m saying is we are a dangerous breed. The ancient wars, the disregard of mortal life as we tore into each other. Every one of us was guilty of it, including her.”

“You’ve made your point. Now shove it up your arse.” I pinched my arm, willing myself to wake up.

He laughed. “She’s hiding something from you.”

“Fuck you.”

Wake up. Now.

“I can tell,” he added. “She’s sneaky and growing in power now that she has access to the real glade. What she’s hiding isn’t that she knows The Wheel does exist, but something else. Give me a chance to sift through her lies and I’ll find it.”

Sift…

Games…

Oh, hell to the no. “Like you could tell how killing that mermaid would break the curse? You’re full of shit.”

His lips curled angrily. “Fool.”

“Dickhead.”

I shot awake in the bath. No final word from him, just switching from sleep to consciousness in a blink.

There’d be plenty of other opportunities for him to get the last word.

Prick. Trying to mess with my head.

Done with the bath, the water tepid and my fingers wrinkly, I dried off and slipped the robe on.

Hiding something? Why would she need to? This was all part of his game because he’d failed to implement his plans. Weak, pathetic, scared. He wanted to drive a wedge between us.

Right?

Dammit. I hated the seed of doubt he’d planted. I tried digging it out, but it wouldn’t leave, along with the uneasy ball in my stomach.

I threw myself on the bed, stretching out on my back, head sinking into the pillow. Thinking over Aidan’s limp attempts to break me made me chuckle.

The man was running on fumes now.

Oh, yeah. Tell the king of the vamps I loved him, give in, let it all flow. Die for the golden-haired scumbag and hand him everything he wanted.

Never.

I’d rather die a billion more times than let him have a single inch of what he wanted.

“When two hearts sing, so the melody of blood begins with undying. The curse will awaken the song of true love, yet also undo it. The walls will crumble, love exposed, and the blessed blade will make the cut of hope. Darkness will be purged from the world, the lovers expelled into doom. And the world will be free of the shadows.”

A jolt of pain in my chest forced me to sit up.

Love.

True love.

Keep it behind a barrier.