Page 116

“Reyna,” he said. “Pleasedon’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

“This doesn’t have to be hard at all,” I shot back. “You’rethe one who’s trying to end this for no fucking reason!”

“Your safety is the reason!” Adrian crept around the foot of the bed, approaching me like a caged animal. He was right to.

I’d bite if he tried to restrain me. “You don’t get to make a decision about what’s safe, Adrian. I amperfectlywell and safe right where I am. Better even!”

Adrian stalked toward me. I stood my ground. That only seemed to kick his frustration up higher. “Do you know how many deaths are on my hands, Reyna?” he said, throwing his hands out in frustration. “Do you know how many marriages I’ve ended because they’ve disagreed on whether they should continue their line and risk having to watch their child die or turn into a murderer? How many gods whose lines I’ve killed off? I spent most of my adult life believing that one of my best friends was killed by his own sister and thinking that I’d likely lose another one, simply because I was born.”

I knew he carried an intense weight on his shoulders. Hell, he had the evidence of that tattooed on his body. But hearing his voice grow hoarse with the pain of it was agonizing. “Irefuseto add you to that list.”

“And you really think ending this is going to put mein any less danger?” I asked again. And based on the flash in his eyes, he was starting to doubt that. I couldn’t stand the idea that he had to deal with the rest of this conspiracy on his own, let alone risk it not going his way and losing the limited time I had with him.

Adrian’s eyes flashed with panic. “Yes.”

Well, that was simply wrong. “No.”

Adrian’s mouth fell open. “No?”

I nodded, crossing my arms over my chest. “No.”

A full, animalistic growl rumbled from Adrian’s chest. “Do you really think I won’t pick you up and physically carry you to safety if that’s what it takes?”

“Oh, I’m sure you think you would.” He was determined, that much was clear.

Adrian looked at me like he didn’t recognize me. “Think?”

I nodded, my spine feeling stronger with every minute I fought him and this insane decision to put distance between us. A good bit of my anger was also channeled towards myself.

I was the one to suggest it in the first place, and I was now confident that was a ridiculous, stupid decision. “You would try. But the second I struggled, you would let me go.”

Adrian would never lay a hand on me in harm. But his determination was still rock solid. “You’d resist?”

I took a step towards him. “I enjoy you touching me. Just not when you’re trying to take me away from you.” There was something close to a promise in those words and I enunciated every one perfectly, hoping they would cut through the storm he built.

When he didn’t seem to listen to me, his face still set in determination to end this, my anger took a turntowards the impulsive, willing to try anything to make sure he didn’t get to push me away in the name of duty and deal with this alone.

So I decided on something reckless.

“If you try to end this, I will tell—” No, the poison wouldn’t let me sayhim. “I will telleveryonewho will listen that we are still together.”

Adrian seethed, taking another step closer to me so that we were pressed chest to chest. I could feel his heart slamming against his ribs. “I was going to let you walk away. You aren’t going to extend me the same courtesy?”

I scoffed right in his perfect face. “Really? You would have been okay with that? Seeing me at galas and events from across the room, but not speaking. Knowing what has happened between us.” The imagery I was painting was just too clear, too awful to stop. “What about having to watch as someone tried their hand with me? You would have to stand there watching me decide whether or not I’d entertain it.”

Adrian tried to sound convincing when he grumbled, “That’d be fine.” He really did. But there was no mistaking that the only thing that made his voice turn that low was sheer, unadulterated anger.

“Bullshit.” The storm in his eyes grew, but I was just too wound up to stop. Anger and fury and relief that he knew was pushing me towards recklessness. “Because I would fucking hate it. I was jealous enough when I thought that you and Corinna had some sort of history. And that wasbefore. If I had to see you with someone else now,” my voice was growing more frantic, feeling the sudden urge to wringhisneck for even being a character in that vision. “I…”

“Reyna.” It was a warning, but I didn’t listen.

“I wouldhate it.” Every time I tried to heave a breath, my chest brushed against his. Which only served to make me angrier, more panicked. “If you eventhoughtabout getting married, I swear to the Fates, Adrian, I’d—”

Adrian’s hand slid up my neck, grabbing my jaw and tilting my head back. I hadn’t even felt him touch me. My words were cut off by the rough, and yet entirely too comforting grip.

“What did I tell you about getting jealous, Reyna?” Adrian’s hand tightened in a quick pulse to punctuate the question.

I blinked at him, having to pull myself out of my singular focus on him to remember what he’d told me. “Not to do it in public?”