Those words sucked all the oxygen from the room.
He didn’t speak, didn’t breathe, and if he perished at that moment, she wouldn’t have known the difference from his preternatural stillness.
She continued, “I know your plan. Once you were done with me, you were going to hand me over, weren’t you? Like Vesper did. Because even though you said you’re trying to be a better man, that’s a lie too.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s not what you think.”
“Then why did you keep it from me? If you weren’t planning on selling me off, why is it a big deal?”
As he slowly shook his head, the tip of his nose brushed hers. “The Council doesn't know you’re here. And frankly, I haven’t a clue what they need you for, nor do I want to know. They ordered your retrieval months ago, but I never planned to let them have you.” The words needled their way under her skin, and she wanted to believe him. She really did. But she didn’t.
“Is that supposed to make this better?” She leaned back and met his eyes to reveal the burning anger in hers. “How could you do this to me?”
“What exactly do you think I’m doing? I’ve done everything to ensure itdoesn’thappen.” His eyes became soulless, like gazing at a shark about to strike. “Do you know how many loopholes I had to find to fight the compulsion?”
Her stomach soured and the word sat on her tongue, gritty as ash. “What do you mean … compulsion?”
His chest filled with air, as if admitting this aloud stole all his strength. “The crown,” he breathed, the words bitter. “They control it. Them and my father. He went missing, but the Council is still here. I’m trying to fix this. To work around it, but—”
“I don’t believe a single word you say anymore. Because if you weren’t lying”—Emmery raised her hand between them and flashed that smattering of red marks—“then what do you call this?”
His eyes flared wide, and he opened his mouth, but no sound came.
“Should I offer some options?” The repulsive slime of his treachery slithered through her gut and Emmery’s top lip curled in a sneer. “Betrayal? Deceit? Because I would call this the deepest breach of trust.”
He cleared his throat. “That’s different. You didn’t want to talk about it, remember? In fact, youinsistedwe didn’t.”
“Don’tput this on me,” she snarled. Her hand heated as her anger boiled. She sparked a single flicker of flame to her fingertip and held it under his chin. “What the fuck did you do?”
His eyes widened, but he didn’t shrink away from her fire. The mask he always wore fell over his face, and he hid behind it like a coward.
Gods, that hurt. It hurt so much to have that barrier between them again when she thought she had cracked it. She’d been wrong about so many things.
“What didIdo?” he hissed. “You were the one who started it. You tasted my blood first. You would have gorgedyourself on it if I let you. I merely seized the opportunity. More like I tested it.”
The rage she’d harboured the last few days surfaced, her heart thundering and her flames pricking her skin, ready to burst through. “Youbondedus!”
Unveiled and condemning, the statement hung in the air.
Dez opened his mouth, likely to spew some more bullshit, but she put a finger to his lips.
“And the funny thing is, not a single person I’ve talked to knows whatthisis. Because apparently it’s some bond that doesn’t exist. It doesn’t exist, and yet, here we are.” She fisted his shirt and fed a trickle more magic into the flame beneath his chin. “I think you planned this all along and it’s all part of some sick agenda you have. And I’m just a pawn. I have been all along, haven’t I?”
Herkhaosflame singed his skin as he leaned into it, though he didn’t so much as wince. “I’m trying to protect you, Emmery. Can’t you see that?”
He raised his hand to her face, but she yanked away, stood from his lap, and stalked across the room. To get far away from him and his deceit.
“Protect me? You could have told me the damn truth! You lied to me. Took advantage of me while I was on some drug.”
“If you recall,” he drawled, “I was on it too. I’m sure you know I wouldn’t have done that in sound mind.”
The statement stung more than it had any right to. Beyond all reason.
Emmery gritted her teeth and continued, “When I woke, I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what you did when we shared blood and you mumbled that nonsense.” She growled and raked her hands through her hair. Every last nerve inside her snapped as she leaned against the wall for support. “I didn’t know what it was, but now I do. It’syou. I can …feelyou.” She wanted to claw the mark from her hand, to rip flesh from bone. “You’re under my skin. Deep inside me, my gut, my core, in my bloodstream. You’re all twisted up with my magic and I can’t tell what’s you and what’s me.”
And though it filled that empty chasm inside her, this was wrong. It was supposed to be Shade she bonded to,nothim. Destonne had no right.
“Would you let me explain—”