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She gestured for him to sit at the table, begging with her expression for him to obey. He did, and she sat beside him, looking him right in the eyes. Ire still pulsated through him, fueling her guilt, but she steadied herself and explained how she had visited Sera and gone to Prestowne.
“You were there?” Jaime asked, both befuddled and angry. “Elyse, what were you thinking? You could have been caught or killed.”
“I was thinking,” she began, her voice growing bolder as the images of Prestowne assaulted her. “I was thinking that I was going crazy here. I was thinking about Sera’s vision and that maybe I could stop it. I was thinking that someone had to do something.”
Jaime stared back at her, apparently at a loss for words. Elyse knew he wasn’t going to like the next part of her story, so she pried the words from her mouth.
“That is why I asked Sera to arrange a meeting with Killian and Manny, and I swore a blood oath that if they agreed to work with me to find whoever is responsible for Prestowne, I would turn myself in as King Cyril’s murderer.”
“You did what?” Jaime sprang from his chair and began pacing the library, his gait restless. He never took his eyes off Elyse as betrayal and confusion all cut into his expression. “Elyse, why? You’re just giving up? This is a death sentence!”
“I know,” she replied, an edge in her voice—an edge that hid her fear.
“You can’t do this,” he commanded, violently shaking his head.
“It’s already done.” Elyse could no longer hold his gaze. She looked away, but in a flash Jaime was kneeling before her, touching her chin and pulling her face to meet his stare.
“Then we’ll run away, right now. We’ll go to another kingdom and leave all this behind.”
Elyse searched those watery blue eyes and found nothing but sincerity. He meant it, every word. He would run away with her. He would forsake everyone who had died at Prestowne.
“I can’t,” she croaked, fighting back her trepidation. “Not just because of the blood oath.” Tears threatened to spill, but she stared at the ceiling, willing them to vanish. After a deep breath, she looked back at Jaime. “I can’t live with all these deaths hanging over my head, the lies I told Killian. I’m ready to face the consequences. And if I can do something good before then, by avenging those who died and making sure no one else gets hurt, then…” She paused, swallowing down the emotions that swelled in her chest. “Then I think that is worth dying for.”
She looked straight at him and let her brave facade slip away, revealing the fear beneath. She knew what lay ahead of her, but she would not be swayed.
Jaime said nothing, instead taking one of Elyse’s fidgeting hands in his. He let his gaze fall as he traced his thumb along her finger, and a sigh escaped his lips.
“Every day for the past two months, my greatest fear has been that you will find yourself in trouble, and I will be unable to save you,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “And now, it seems, that day has come, and by your own choosing.”
Elyse slowly freed her hand from his. She bit the inside of her cheek, unsure how to reply. Didn’t he understand? She didn’t want to be saved. She wanted to take control of her life.
“I don’t need you to save me,” she answered, trying her best to smother the discomfort that brewed inside her. She didn’t blame him for caring for her, especially after she’d nearly died in his foyer, but the way he spoke made her sound weak, defenseless. “If you want to help me, then work with us. Help us avenge the families that died in Prestowne.”
His eyes, narrowed and unblinking, bore into her. He bit his lower lip, as if fighting back an objection. Elyse’s expression didn’t change. She needed him to understand that her decision was made.
“Okay,” he agreed, and something within Elyse relaxed.
Jaime pulled her into a hug, just as he had many times before. She let him hold her, his arms wrapped protectively around her, one last time. She could give him that.
Chapter 17
- Killian -
The question tore at Killian, clawing its way up his throat, but he kept it at bay for as long as he could. He waited until after he and Sera magicked away from the estate and back into the city, right up until Sera lay an alabaster hand on the door to her building.
“How do we know we can trust Jaime?” he blurted out, breathless.
Sera turned back to Killian, a knowing look in her eyes. They hadn’t said one word to each other, and he realized that she had been waiting for this moment.
“You were content to be in his house reading his books until now,” she crooned. “What changed? Do his good looks concern you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Killian snapped. Jaime’s looks had nothing to do with this. There was something off about him. Clearly he cared for Elyse—he had stuck his neck out for her and made sure she was cared for. Yet something about his poorly concealed ire left Killian feeling unsettled.
Sera sighed and took a step toward Killian. “I trust that Elyse is safe with him.”
It wasn’t quite the answer Killian was looking for, but he supposed it would have to do. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said gruffly before turning and stalking down the street.
He decided he was going to visit Georgie. Sera’s apartment wasn’t far from his neighborhood, and the sky was cloudy enough that the temperature was mild, so he opted to walk. He barely noticed the other citizens on the crowded streets, too far entrenched in his own thoughts to pay them any attention. One of which was Jaime.
