Page 39 of The Midnight Death Match

“You think the curse will use that against you.”

“Iknowit will.”

His jaw tightens. “You think keeping me at a distance will save me?”

“That’s the idea.”

He exhales slowly, pain etched in the line of his mouth. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”

“Actually, I think I do.”

The words hang between us. This time, I don’t soften them. I let them stay.

Harek’s hands tighten into fists. “You trust Lysandros now.”

He uses the fae’s full name.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t need to. Youwantto trust him.”

I open my mouth, but he holds up a hand, cutting me off before I speak.

“He flatters you, Eira. Don’t you see that? He plays the game better than anyone in that room. You don’t see how dangerous that is?”

“He knows things we don’t. That’s different.”

“That’s what hesays.”

“It sounds like he knows what he’s talking about, and I can’t ignore what he said about the curse. Not to mention Courtsview and the history no one else will admit to.”

“You honestly think he’s sharing that out of goodwill?”

I don’t answer. Obviously, I can’t speak to Lys’s motives after only a couple encounters with him.

“You keep saying you’re afraid of the curse taking everything from you, but you’re giving it power every time you pull away from the people who would fight with you.”

Harek’s words are like a punch.

“That’s not fair.”

“It’s the truth.”

Anger swells, courses through me. “You think I don’t want to believe in you? In us? Ido. But I can’t risk making decisions with my heart right now.”

He exhales through gritted teeth, looking away for a long moment. “Is it only about the curse?”

I freeze. He doesn’t press. He lets the question hang there, heavy and sharp. I can’t answer, not honestly. Because it isn’t only about the curse. Lys sees a potential in me that nobody has ever expressed before. Yes, Harek and my father both believe in me, but it’s different. I need to at least explore the truth behind what Lys has to say.

And that terrifies me more than either of them.

Harek’s expression softens. “You’re not the only one who’s afraid, Eira. But I’m still here, and that has to count for something.”

My chest tightens. “It does.”

“Then why keep pushing me away?”

I glance down at my hands, curl my fingers against my palms. “Because I can’t promise you safety. I can’t even promise myself control. It isn’t something I can rely on, and it keeps getting harder.” The words scrape like broken glass in my throat. “If Ilose control, if the curse pushes me far enough, I don’t know who I might hurt first.”