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Gage stood there menacingly in the shadow of the trees. The presence of the demon was nothing compared to the Sentinel before me. My back sank against the tree. I didn’t trust my legs to work yet, and I definitely didn’t need the glowering mage knowing that.

“I knew something was going on with Zane when I caught you in the chapel the other day.”

My eyes narrowed at the accusation in his voice. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“You know.” He stepped forward. That one step forward had more violence in it than the whole of what the demon said to me mid-oral. “I knew you were a manipulative bitch from everything Zane had learned about your history, but I didn’t think you would go so far as to fuck him without his permission.”

Before I was irritated. Now, I’m pissed.

“How dare you!” I shoved myself off the tree and stalked toward him, ignoring the twinge between my legs, a reminder I would have of my time with the demon for days to come. “I love Zane. I would never take advantage of him like that.”

“Then what did I see in the chapel? You were just fucking him because you loved him?” Gage stopped in front of me. “Or did you not use him to get to the demon, so you could have him do your dirty work?”

“I will have you know I could have gotten the demon to do my bidding without sleeping with Zane.” I wagged my finger at him. “And way to be judgmental. Don’t you basically kill people for the council? How is that any better?”

“That’s different.”

I snorted. “How exactly?”

“It’s my job.” He grabbed the finger in his large grasp. “Stop with the finger.”

I tugged on my finger, lifting the fireball I formed in my other hand. “That doesn’t make it any better.”

His grip tightened until I winced. “Drop the fireball or I’ll break it.”

I seethed. “Make me.”

Without warning, Gage had my arm twisted behind my back, pulling it until I yelped. He grabbed a handful of my hair, jerking my head to the side. “Drop it.”

Teeth grinding, I extinguished the fireball. “Fine. Let me go.”

“Not yet,” Gage growled into my ear, his hot breath brushing my face. “I want to make something clear. We are not your toys to use for your little vengeance plan.”

I struggled against his hold, my head bumping back against his chest. “I’m trying to do what’s right. You’re the ones getting in the way with your stupid rules.”

“Those rules are there to keep people, like you, from taking over and becoming a tyrant.” Gage yanked on my hair to emphasize his point. “I won’t let you ruin us because you don’t have any patience.”

“Ruin you?” I squawked. “Ruin you? You trusted me enough to show me your face, and now I’m going to ruin you?”

“I showed Eva my face. Not you.” His mask pressed against the side of my face. “I don’t know this rage-filled woman who threatened Healer Beatriz and somehow convinced that demon to help you take down the other councilors. She, I don’t know.”

Gage put pressure on my arm, and I winced. “Gage, I’m still Eva. I’m still that same woman you saved from the tower. I’m just the queen, too. We are the same person.”

I felt his head shake against me. “No, you’re not.”

“Gage,” I lowered my voice, pleading with him. “Please let me go. I’m not what you think I am.”

His hand loosened on my arm for a moment before he stiffened, putting the pressure back on until I cried out. “No, this is exactly what you did to Zane. To the twins.”

“The twins?” I frowned, trying to angle my head to look at him. Pain shot through my scalp. “I didn’t do anything to Luke or Blake.”

“You fucked them, didn’t you?”

I sagged against him, no longer fighting against his hold. “I wasn’t using them if that’s what you think. They caught me practicing with —” I caught myself before I told him about Rebecca.

“With who?”

My lips pinched together.

Gage spun me around, finally releasing my arm and hair, they tingled where the blood came rushing back in. He cupped my face with both hands. “Who is helping you, Eva?”

My eyes locked on his piercing gaze, stubbornly holding my tongue.

He leaned down until he was an inch from my face. “I will find out, Eva. You need to stay away from them... us.”

“You’re banishing me?” I gaped at him. “Are you so afraid of what I’ll do, you don’t want me around?”

Gage released me suddenly, my legs wobbled beneath me. “Until you can control yourself, yes. You need help and, since you refuse to let us help you, just stay away.”

“You can’t keep me away.” I snapped at his retreating back. “Even if I didn’t show up, you all would find me. You can’t help yourself. You love me.”

Suddenly, he was there in front of my face again, a hand on my throat. “Let’s get something straight, princess. Those weaklings might believe your ruse, but I don’t. I do not and will not ever love you.”

He shoved me away so hard that my knees buckled. My butt hit the ground so hard that my teeth chattered. My fingers curled into the ground, ripping up the grass beneath my fingertips.

When Gage was safely gone from sight, I let out a rage-filled scream. Power shot out of me, burning the surrounding grass around me.

If that ass thought he could control me, then he has another thing coming. I wouldn’t be controlled. What I was doing was the right thing. Why couldn’t he see that? This world had become too reliant on their rules. How dare he judge me? I was a queen, and I would not be collared.

Gage would be back. He could say what he wanted, but he couldn’t stay away from me.

I’d make sure of it.