Page 399 of Commanding Blood And Bonds

“But those other women…”

“Wrong place, wrong time. And I take pleasure in killing psychos.”

“Rich sentiment, coming from you.” My voice was mercifully steady, though my heart thundered. The betrayal burrowed into my marrow.

“Isn’t it?” he bit back. “I was supposed to bring you in. Bring you into the bloody fold. Win you over. I was never supposed to love you. Never supposed to give a shit about you. Or your fucking life, or your cat, or your fucking pain-in-my-ass best friend.”

“Good to know.”

“But I did, Magnolia. I do. Don’t you see that?” His voice cracked with desperation. “This is fucking killing me.”

One could only hope.

When my silence stretched, he forged on. “You and Blythe are the most resilient, most brazen women I’ve encountered. And I fucking love you both. More than you know.”

I was going to evaporate—dissolve into the wind and gladly welcome it. Because he couldn’t mean it. Couldn’t be telling the truth. Or maybe he was so starved for love that this web of convoluted tales was as close as he’d gotten. The lie was his reality.

“I’m not,” Adrastos snapped. “Lying. I’m not lying. I broke the rules, Magnolia, and I fell in love with my mark. How’s that for picking your poison?” He barked a laugh. “You have my word—I’ll do everything in my power to protect her. But Moros will expect me to bring back a prize.”

“You’re lying.” My voice finally betrayed me, the tremor creeping in as the world tilted around me.

“I’m not. Gods, I wish I were. But I’m not. You can come willingly—or they’ll come for you. And ask Alvara—my siblings do not extend the same civility that you know of me. Moros will take your power. Just like he’ll take Alvara’s, August’s, and your precious Aren’s. He will. He’ll see it through.”

“Grayshell beat him back.”

“For now.” The certainty in his voice—the glint in his eye—sent spiders walking along my spine.

“What did you do?”

Adrastos snorted. “Sweetheart, this has been in play longer than you’ve been alive. You can’t even fathom it. Moros has every piece exactly where he wants them. You’ll stand with us…or he’ll pocket you like the pawn you are.”

“Bellamy…What did you do?” Panic tore through me as the distant shriek of screams pierced the air.

“What was asked of me,” he said, so calmly a chill radiated down my spine.

Not good.

I threw up every mental guard Ally had jammed into my mind, praying they’d hold.

I began pacing, fear and confusion crashing inside my skull. I didn’t look away from those dark brown eyes as he watched me circle.

“It was real?” It came out half-statement, half-question. He nodded, features twisted with something close to pain.

“Why? Why help us?”

His lips quirked—and for a heartbeat, he looked like my Bell. Like my friend. “Some things, darling, are best left a mystery, are they not?” Those eyes I’d memorized turned pleading. “I’m not a man prone to begging, but I’m begging you now: forgive me, witchling, for what comes next.”

My lower lip trembled. The dimple in my chin deepened as I fought back tears.

“Why?” I asked again. “Why do all of this, if…if…”

“If I love you?”

I nodded.

“I have to think about the greater good.”

“But you did?”