Page 167 of His Ruthless Match

Before I could finish, an invisible force slammed into me, pinning me against the wall. Pain shot through my body as the air was ripped from my lungs. I gasped, struggling against the force, but it was no use. My vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges.

“You have no authority here,” one of the bastards said. “Speak only when spoken to.”

“Jareth!” Eva’s voice broke through the haze. She was at my side, her arms around me, her voice trembling with fear. “Stay with me. Please.”

Through the pain, I forced myself to focus on her. Her touch grounded me, her presence soothing the chaos inside me.Always, I thought, though I wasn’t sure if I could say it aloud.

Just as I thought I couldn’t hold on any longer, the force lifted. I dropped to the ground, gasping for air, my chest heaving.

Eva’s concern and relief went deeper than anything I’d ever experienced. I allowed myself to imagine that Eva’s loyalty to me, this outburst of emotion, might be rooted in genuine care, not convenience. Perhaps Eva really cared about me as more than just a physical attraction.

Just having her near calmed me. I felt whole when she was near, and I wouldn’t let the magistrate destroy us.

47

EVA

Icouldn’t breathe. The magistrates’ words still echoed in my mind like a haunting refrain. Magical. No. No, it wasn’t possible. Itcouldn’tbe. I was human.Human. My entire life, I had been nothing but human—normal, grounded, boring Eva. The notion that I was anything else felt absurd. But the fear clawing at the edges of my mind told me a different story.

I stood frozen in the throne room, my heart pounding in my chest. It felt like everything was spiraling out of control, and the more I tried to piece it together, the harder it was to breathe. What did they mean? How could they claim I was magical? I wasn’t. At least… I didn’t think so. My thoughts twisted in every direction, looping back to the same, terrifying question:What if they’re right?

Raffaele caught my attention and mouthed,I’ll explain later.It did nothing to settle the sensation of my world being flipped completely upside down.

And then there was Jareth. He’d nearly died trying to protect me, standing against the magistrates with that stubborn defiance I had come to love. Seeing him pinned against the wall, gasping for breath, had nearly broken me. If he’d died… Thethought alone was unbearable. My knees wobbled as I struggled to stay upright.

This was all my fault. I was the one who followed the damn rat. And I was the one who’d ran my mouth and told Genevieve magic was responsible for all the shit she’d been through.

I glanced over at my brother. Raffaele stood as still as a statue, his dark eyes locked on the magistrates, his expression cold and calculating. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he worked through the puzzle. His entire demeanor had shifted, and even in the face of the magistrates’ overwhelming power, he radiated control. Shadows curled and twisted around his legs, flickering like living things as they responded to his growing tension.

How could he be so calm? How could he stand there and strategize when everything was falling apart?

I looked at Jareth. His breathing had evened out, but his body was still tense, like a predator ready to pounce. I could feel his anger, and for a moment, I thought he might lunge at the magistrates again. Instead, he did something I hadn’t expected.

“This is my fault,” Jareth said.

My gaze snapped to his.What?

“I was tasked with managing Eva and her situation with Genevieve in the human world,” he continued, ignoring my gaping stare. “I failed. If there’s punishment to be had, take me instead.”

“No,” I said immediately, my voice cracking as I stepped forward. “Absolutely not.”

He didn’t even look at me. “This is on me,” he said firmly, his gaze locked on the magistrates. “I should have done more to prevent this from happening.”

My anger rose. “Jareth, stop. This isn’t your fault—it’s mine.I’mthe reason we’re in this mess. I lied. I made stupid decisions. Don’t you dare try to take the fall for me.”

He still didn’t look at me. “If your goal is to fix the fallout from a high-profile human having knowledge of magic, I know someone who specializes in this sort of thing. He can clean up the mess and ensure that no trace of magic remains.”

The lead magistrate raised an eyebrow, their expression cold and amused. “Oh? And who, pray tell, is this miracle worker?”

“Cain Corvell,” Jareth said simply. “He has experience handling situations like this. He can eliminate any evidence of magic from Genevieve’s case.”

The magistrates looked at one another, smirking as if they were in on a joke that we weren’t privy to.

“Let me guess.” Jareth said. “You already know who that is?”

One of the magistrates leaned forward, his pale eyes glinting in the dim light. “We are not at liberty to disclose who we do or do not interact with. We will ensure the fallout is taken care of. It’s important to note that even if the falloutcanbe contained, there are still larger issues at play. Namely, the instigator behind this entire ordeal.”

They gestured to the side, and my breath caught as a pair of guards dragged someone into the room. The man was tall and thin, his white hair disheveled, his pale skin marred by bruises. His eyes darted around the room in desperation, and when they landed on Raffaele and Jareth, he looked at them pleadingly.