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“I…” Her head cocks, her mouth opening and closing just to open again. “No? I’m sensing that would be…bad for you. Right?”

I narrow my eyes. “And why would you care about me?”

“I don’tcareabout you,” she splutters, averting her gaze. “But you did save my life. I owe you one…Right?”

I study her, trying to find traces of a lie but finding none in her guileless face. In fact, Keyanna seems to have the affliction of wearing every thought and emotion as a mask for people to read freely. She should work on that, I think.

“Aye,” I agree cautiously. “I did. But how do I know I can trust you?”

“I guess you don’t?” She reaches to rub at her neck, and a breeze passes between us, stirring her wild curls so that they whip around her face, framing her lovely features that I shouldn’t even be noticing. “But I…Look. My grandmother hates me. She basically said so last night. I was actually planning on leaving after I…finished here.”

“So? You still could.”

“But…” She bites her lip. “You’rereal. Don’t you get it? My dad told me stories about you—well, notyou, obviously—but creatures like you, and I—” She heaves a sigh. “If this is really a curse, I think he would want me to help you.”

I raise a brow, cocking my head. “You want to help me.”

Well, that is definitely not what I expected from her.

“I…” Her mouth twists again in that sour-lemon motion, her nose wrinkling. It makes her freckles more prominent. “Yes. I think I do.”

I don’t know what to make of that. The thought of a MacKaywanting to help me is laughable, given everything I know, but Key’s expression is earnest. Her emerald eyes practically shine with excitement, and I can see it written all over her face, how desperate she is to know more.

For the end only comes—

I shake my head to clear the thought, but it’s a good reminder that I can’t trust her, and it would be stupid of me to even consider doing so.

I’m already turning away from her when I say, “I don’t need your help.”

“But it can’t hurt!” she calls after me.

“Go home, Key,” I toss over my shoulder, reaching my Rover and wrenching the door open. “Forget all of it and go home.”

“Don’t be stubborn, Lachlan,” she shouts, still standing where I left her.

I give her one last long look while standing in the open door of my car, a strange, wriggling feeling in my gut as I regard the purewantin her eyes for me to give her something,anything.

But I just can’t.

“Go home.”

She does that thing that I’m starting to think she reserves just for me, stomping her foot in anger as she crosses her arms tightly over her chest.

“Pretty sure I savedyourlife too, you know!”

Her voice is muffled since I’m enclosed in the car, but still it makes me flinch.

She’s right. I know that. She really did save me—but how, I can’t quite figure out. I don’t even thinksheknows. I hesitate with my fingers clutching the steering wheel, squeezing it tightly as my teeth grind together.

Pretty sure I savedyourlife too, you know!

I shake my head, cranking the ignition and throwing the car into reverse.

Yeah, I think.But someone just like you ruined it once.

And I can’t let myself forget it.

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