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He shakes his head. “Mikael doesn’t seem right anymore.”
I arch my brows. “Lincoln?”
He nods and smiles. “It’s for the best.”
Tears burn the back of my eyes, but I’m not sure why. Lincoln was better, easier. But part of me mourns for the boy who couldn’t handle his life. For the boy who lost his mother.
My throat bobs as emotion pours into it. “Is Mikael gone completely?”
He wraps his hand around my waist. “Not entirely. That’s not the way it works. I’m still him. He loved you so much, Summer, that in the final moments before we fused, he gave me all of it. He gave me his conscience, his love, anger, remorse. I feel everything, baby, and now, I have to take accountability for my trauma.”
I realize he can now see me without those damn glasses. “So you’re Lincoln, then?”
He bites his lip, and a flash of annoyance hits his eyes, as if he doesn’t understand why I can’t comprehend this. “Again, not entirely. I’m a better version of both of them.” His darkness shines down on me, and I recognize the split in his mannerisms, in the shadows in his eyes. At least they no longer look like they belong in hell.
“And the fragment?” I ask.
“That fragment is my trauma, Summer. And yes, it’s still here, too.”
It…
“What happens now?”
He snuggles me into the crook of his arm. “My life would be easier if I killed you. I’ll have access to a fortune and the power that comes from being one of them. I’ll get my tenure at work immediately and won’t have to worry about anything for the rest of my life.”
I’m so focused on Lincoln, on his shadowed eyes and on what he’s saying, that I barely notice the footsteps that pass us.
Misty stumbles into the clearing we are lying in, and Lincoln and I both shoot up. Her eyes widen when she sees the position we’re in.
We all stare at one another, and no one moves an inch. Until she moves her foot, and we both jolt up to our feet, pulling our clothes back on.
“You both are batshit crazy,” she stammers, darting her eyes around the darkness for an escape.
I turn to Lincoln, only now vaguely aware of the cut on my arm and how badly it hurts. “She’s still alive?”
He shrugs. “I thought you’d be mad if I killed her.”
“Unbelievable,” I mutter.
She bolts into the night, and I dart after her, managing to stop her by leaping forward, grabbing at her feet and tripping her. She falls flat on her face but wiggles and thrashes beneath me.
“Let go of me,” she screams. “He tried to kill me.” She kicks at me, which irritates the fuck out of me because I’m quite injured, too.
“He did not try to kill you,” I correct her, and pin her to the ground with every ounce of my energy. Even in my satiated state, I’m still stronger than she is. “Relax, Misty.”
She twists to her front. “You have no idea what he—”
Her eyes lose all color as she stares right past me and her words cut off. I turn my head to see Lincoln leaning against the tree I was hiding behind, his mask back on his face. Something flashes in his hand.
“I’m going to tell everyone what you are.” She turns her attention to me. “And you…you knew what he was this entire time, didn’t you?” I meet her with silence. “Didn’t you?” she screams.
I glance at Lincoln, then shift my gaze to his hands, where he’s toying with his blade. “Take off your mask,” I tell him.
He takes it off and hands it to me, and I direct my attention back to Misty, whose eyes widen. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.” I lean over her, and Lincoln hands me the blade he’s playing with. “Do you want to live or die tonight?” I ask, gripping it.
She tightens her jaw, pressing her lips together, staring at my hand. She barely manages a gulp as I press it against her throat.
“Don’t fight me on this. You have no idea what you’re dealing with, because right now, I don’t care whether you live or die. I have too much at stake to deal with your shit.” I point at Lincoln. “Do you see that guy right there?”
