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“Can I see him now?”

He gave a face of concern. “You are still quite pale and weak, Amalia.”

“Please?”

With a sigh, he nodded and helped her to her feet. She didn’t change from the blood-covered tunic she was in, and she was still shaky on her legs and slow. Yet, she was able to make the walk down his tunnels on her own.

He rolled the boulder out of the way, but he had to put far more effort into it than usual because he wasn’t in his Dragon form.

When he was standing beside her in the entryway with his arms folded, he expected her to run into her father’s arms with joy when he rose to his feet.

“Amalia.” Her father smiled while taking a step forward.

“Stay there, please.” Rurik’s brows furrowed at her request before his eyes moved the short distance between them. Her father immediately halted, his smile faltering when she put her hand forward. “I wanted to thank you for helping me.”

“Of course, you are my daughter. I would do anything for you.”

Rurik could tell he wanted to come forward to embrace her, but he remained where he stood.

“You use dark magic.” When he confirmed, she continued. “When I got my memories back, I saw that you took me to your coven in hopes I would want to learn.”

“Yes, I wanted for you to grow strong. Even though your mother argued with me about it, I wanted you to be able to protect yourself since white wielders cannot do so very well.”

“I watched you pull apart creatures in front of me even though I was little.” Her father winced while Amalia’s expression began to grow into a distressed frown. “You harmed others that did not deserve to be harmed.”

“I know but I changed when we took you to the cottage.”

“No, you did not,” she answered sternly. “You used my blood so that we could see. You did not hesitate to cast dark magic upon me, and you made the decision to do so easily. I do not trust you.”

“Amalia, I-” He came to take a step forward again.

“No.Hewill not trust you.”

Rurik’s head shot to her when she placed her arm across his stomach.What do I have to do with this?His brows furrowed.

“As much as I thank you for your help and what you tried to do for me, I do not wish to see you again.”

Both his and her father’s eyes widened. Rurik had thought this would be some conversation about bridging their lives back together.

Instead, it was her way of saying goodbye.

“I do not wish to be around someone who has allowed darkness to enter them. It is like a contagion, and I do not want to become a Dark Witch like you.”

After long moments, his eyes looking at her beseechingly, he eventually sighed with a nod.

“I understand, and I do not blame you for making this decision. Your mother felt the same way. I am glad that my daughter is still alive, even if I will, regrettably, not see her again.”

“Thank you,” she said softly before she turned from the alcove and walked up the tunnel a little to wait for Rurik.

“Did you convince her of this, Dragon?” The man gave him a glare, and Rurik returned it.

“I am as surprised about this as you, but she has made the right decision.”

Then he went to the other side of the boulder and pushed it back in front of the entryway before he walked over to Amalia.

“If you do not wish to see him, then what do you want me to do with him?”

She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I do not know. He helped me, so I do not wish for him to die, but I also do not want him here. I do not want to know he is so close.”