Page 84 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

Her eyes widened, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. “You really think I have magical abilities?” she repeated, as if the words didn’t compute. “I think I’d know if I did.”

I nodded. “Think about it. The magistrates claimed you were magical. If that’s true, maybe what you’re feeling isn’t just instinct. Maybe it’s something more. Something tied to your magic.”

“I’d always heard about recessive genes, how some people with both human and magical parents didn’t always end up with magical abilities.

It’s not like I can shoot fire out of my fingertips or do anything special other than win challenging court cases.

” She blinked rapidly, her gaze darting away as she processed what I had said.

“I’ve always had good intuition. It’s something I’ve always trusted, especially with my work.

I’ve banked on it more times than I can count, and it’s never let me down.

But this…” She met my gaze again, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

“This feels different. It’s like that intuition is on overdrive.

Like it’s screaming at me not to let you go alone.

And it’s making me feel like I’m coming apart at the seams.”

I let out a long breath, my hands settling on her shoulders.

“If this is tied to your magic, you need to trust it,” I said, my voice low.

“But you also need to understand the risks, Eva. This isn’t some court case or negotiation.

This is blood and violence and danger at every turn.

If you come with me, I can’t promise you’ll be safe. ”

She nodded, her bottom lip trembling. “I know. But I can’t ignore this feeling, Jareth. I have to be there. For you. For whatever’s coming.”

I stared at her, weighing my options. Every rational part of me screamed to leave her behind, to keep her far away from the chaos and the bloodshed.

But I couldn’t ignore the sincerity in her voice or how her entire body seemed to be reacting to whatever this was.

If it was magic or intuition, or something else entirely, then maybe there was a reason she felt this way.

“I trust you.” Her eyes widened slightly, and I could see the relief flood her expression. “If you really feel like this is something you need to do, I’ll trust you. But,” I added, my tone hardening, “you stay by my side at all times. No exceptions. Do you understand me?”

She nodded quickly, her tears spilling over again as a shaky smile broke through her fear. “I promise.”

I pulled her into my arms and pressed my lips to her forehead. “You’re going to drive me insane,” I muttered, but the words came out with more affection than frustration.

She laughed softly against my chest, her hands clutching my shirt. “Good,” she said teasingly. “You deserve it.”

I pulled her into another kiss, this one slow and desperate, like I was trying to pour every unspoken word into her.

She kissed me back just as fiercely, her hands fisting in the fabric of my shirt, her touch grounding me in a way nothing else could.

For a moment, it felt like the rest of the world disappeared—like it was just us.

“Jareth,” she said softly when we finally broke apart. Her eyes searched mine, her expression serious again. “Thank you. For trusting me.”

I brushed a tear from her cheek with my thumb. “Always,” I said. And I meant it. No matter what came next, no matter how dangerous it got, I would always trust her. And I would always protect her.

The Shadow cleared his throat, and I whirled around to see the unamused look on his face. “If you’re done,” he said dryly, “I’d like to say something to Eva.”

The Shadow reached for Eva’s hand, his movements slow, deliberate, like he knew what was coming but still had to try.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

Eva tensed beside me, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her head. She looked up at him, searching his face for an explanation. “Sorry for what?” she asked, suspicion lacing every syllable.

The Shadow exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening around her fingers like he expected her to pull away. “I’m sorry you had to find out about your magic the way you did. In front of the magistrates. In such a public way.”

I saw the shift in Eva the second the words left his mouth. Her body went rigid, and then, just as quickly, she yanked her hand free from his grip. Anger flashed across her face, and for a split second, I swore the air around her crackled, as if her emotions were beginning to manifest physically.

Who the fuck do you think you are? You knew? You knew this whole time and didn’t think to tell me?”

The Shadow held his ground, but a myriad of emotions played over his face.

Eva took a step forward, closing the gap between them. “How the hell do you even know I have magical abilities? What if the magistrates were just using this as a way to punish me? To control me?”

The thought had clearly been festering in her mind since the revelation, and I didn’t blame her for questioning it. The magistrates were manipulative as hell, and I wouldn’t put it past them to twist the truth to their advantage.

The Shadow shook his head. “I never told you because I didn’t want to worry you,” he admitted. “I know how much you love your human world, how you never wanted anything to do with The Below. And you weren’t showing any signs of having magic, so I assumed it was a recessive gene.”

Eva’s eyes were still burning with fury, but there was a flicker of doubt now, a hesitation in her stance.

“Although…” He glanced in my direction, nodding slightly. “I always wondered if something might come to the surface if you were around a magical being for an extended period of time.”

I raised an eyebrow, throwing my hands up defensively. “Hey, don’t blame this on me.”

Eva shot me a glare that could have turned me to stone. “Oh, so now I’m some experiment? You thought my magic might just pop up like a goddamn weed if I hung around Jareth long enough?”

The Shadow sighed. “It wasn’t like that, Eva. I didn’t know anything for certain. But the magistrates wouldn’t have said it if they weren’t sure. And now that it’s out in the open, we have to deal with it.”

She crossed her arms, looking away, her jaw set. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but there was uncertainty there too, and maybe some fear.

The Shadow softened slightly. “The magistrates have never taken kindly to strays, but the fact that you’re my sister should be enough to keep you on their good side.

And as far as your magic goes… maybe you’ll get a better grasp on it as time goes on.

” He hesitated, then added, “Either way, I love you, and I’m here for you. ”

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

Eva didn’t move at first. I saw the way her shoulders stiffened, the way she fought the gesture, but eventually, her body relaxed, and she let out a shaky breath as she embraced him.

“This is a very touching display of sibling love,” I said, breaking the moment. “But we have work to do.”

Eva laughed lightly, but when she turned back to me, her face was serious. “Why didn’t you want me to take the magistrates’ deal? This is my situation. My fault. I should be the one to fix it.”

“Because you didn’t have the whole story.

Izo told us the magistrates are trying to undermine your brother.

There’s something bigger at play here, and we don’t know all the details yet.

They’ve been behind everything—from the Genevieve situation to the rebellions in the Crimson Dominion.

They’re dangerous, Eva. I don’t want you tangled up in their games. ”

What little color was left in her face drained completely. “I didn’t know,” she whispered. “Now I’m even more worried about agreeing to be their ambassador.”

I cupped her face, forcing her to look at me. “You’re not alone in this,” I said firmly. “Whatever happens, I’ll be with you through it all. We’ll figure it out. Together.”

She nodded, her tears finally spilling over as she buried her face in my chest. I held her close, ignoring the nagging sense of dread in the back of my mind. Whatever came next, I wouldn’t let her face it alone.