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“You think it’s a joke?” she snarls. "You need to go. You don’t know what I’m capable of. I could burn the world down.”
She’s serious, I can tell. She just doesn’t understand how little I care.
I stand up, taking one step then another. She walks back until she hits the wall, but I keep going. "Then you and I will dance on the ashes."
She blinks up at me, mouth falling open. “I don’t care about the danger you pose. I don’t care if you kill a thousand souls.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“We could have murdered everyone at the gate of Five and I would have slept just fine, Alis. I’m not a good person.” I reach for her cheek. She tends to be more reasonable when I touch her. “What matters to me is my own welfare, and yours. Truly, you’ll do Xhera a favor by sticking with me, to ensure I don’t raze it to the ground.”
“I could hurt your sister. Your father. I killed my own cousin—one of my best friends.”
Now I laugh. “Please do, on the latter. And well, if you could attempt to be careful with poor Fifi, I’d be grateful. But kill her if you must.”
She gasps, and I kiss her mouth to distract her a little more. “Reiks…”
“Call me by my name, feather. I like it on your lips.”
“I—You don’t know—”
“That you’re a goddess? I’m not slow, Alis. I chose you when I thought you didn’t have powers beyond the protection of your family, which is rather uncharacteristic of me. Now, I see all of you. I like it, feather.”
“Chose me?”
“You really think our meeting was a coincidence? That I so happened to be on your path just as you rushed out without looking?" I chuckle. “I wanted you then. I need you now.”
“You let a priceless artifact be destroyed just to trap me?” I shoot her a look, and her mouth flops open again. “You didn’t. I didn’t break the regalia.”
“Just a replica. A very good replica,” I amend. “If you have to do something, do it right.”
“What’s wrong with you!” she yells.
“Well, I wanted a girl’s attention, and she was hard to talk to.” I tuck a hair behind her ear. “That was when I just saw you from afar, and knew I wanted you. What do you think I’ll do now that I’ve tasted you, feather? How many walls I’ll break. How many kingdoms I might destroy, just to keep you at my side.”
“You’re insane.”
“Positively. You’d better come back with me. It’s for the greater good, really. You don’t know what I’m capable of.” I echo her words, amused that they’re probably truer for me than her.
If she hurts anyone, it’ll probably be by mistake. If I do, it’ll be meticulously planned.
“I could hurtyou,” she breathes, her voice breaking.
“Could you?” I tilt my head, eyes focused on her. “I didn’t choose you because you were pretty—though you are. I chose you because as far back as I could remember, I felt something missing inside me. Until I met you.” My hand flattens on her chest. “Something moved right here when I saw you the first time, and I knew it was you all along. You belong with me.”
She cries. I didn’t see it coming, but she downright loses it right then and starts to sob and sniffle right in front of me. Confused, wondering who I should kill to make things better, I do the only thing I can: I take her in my arms and rock her, kissing the top of her head.
I don’t know what I said that was so wrong that my Alis, strong as she is, loses all her composure, but I will make it right. No matter the cost.
CHAPTERTHIRTY
THE WARRIOR
Ithink he rocks me until I stop crying, then he keeps me in his arms, caressing my hair and kissing my forehead. He doesn't get it, but he's here to support me as all the pieces I've held together for years fall around us.
He knows what I am. He's fully aware that I'm a danger to him, and his people, and his family, and yet he wants me. He says I belong with him. I belongsomewhere.
I've always known my place wasn't the Darklands. It already has its dark queen, and comfortable as it is for me, there's no way for me to grow up there. So I made myself smaller to still fit in the one place people seem to accept me. They judged me for that, too, but I know what would have happened if I'd kept murdering more Frejr every year. I would have been hunted down eventually. For the greater good.
