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“Not playing a part?”
“Aren’t we always?”They both carried huge secrets.Her goblin side.His past.“But no, I wasn’t.”
“Mykata and the guards.They believe we’re a real couple.”He drew out the last word as if it testing the possibility.
“We could be.”They should be.Now that she’d said it, she wanted nothing more.
“You live in the spotlight.”
Odd that he went to the supermodel part of her life, not the goblin.Or had he?She attracted attention in both worlds—there for her fame, here for her royal blood.“We could find a way to make this work between us.”
“I can’t be your consort.Not really.”
She fought not to reveal the disappointment that speared through her.It hurt.For a moment, she’d hoped.
How foolish she’d been.
This was why she kept distance between herself and the rest of the world.She pushed at him, but he held tight.
“No, hear me out.”He relaxed his hold, enough she could pull away if she wanted.Not that he could stop goblin strength.“You deserve someone who can stand beside you, who can be a part of your life in both your worlds.Not someone who has to hide from enemies, who should be right back in that prison where you found me.You know what I did.”
“I read your file.You used your powers to knock a helicopter carrying witch Senate heirs out of the sky.Then you attacked those sisters in public, exposing magic in direct violation of witch laws that carried a death sentence.”
“I did.The Senate should’ve killed me.”
“But everything you did, it was because of the compulsion wards.You didn’t have a choice.You were condemned to death no matter which side you chose.”
“I chose wrong the night I walked away from you.”
There it was again—stupid hope.Making her wish for things.“If you’d have stayed, if you could do it over, what would you choose?”
“You.I should’ve chosen you.”Sadness and conviction threaded his words.A finality she didn’t want to hear.“But the demon organization?I joined it within hours of leaving you.I didn’t know what it would mean, but I should’ve.I shouldn’t have let them trick me.Or I should’ve fought harder once I knew.”
“That demon killed those who refused her invitation.Killed their families.That’s not a choice.”
“It was at some level.I followed directions like a good little soldier and almost killed unarmed women.”
“Not exactly.Those sisters were witches with Legacy-level powers.Elementals.Those women would’ve had loads of magic at their fingertips.”
“True.”He tipped his head.“The Donovan sisters might be the future of the witch world with their powers, but I didn’t know that at the time.I was sent after one of the sisters, Delia, to force her to join or end her when she wouldn’t.”
“Join or die.The same ultimatum you faced.My cousin said you did it to protect your family.”
“Partly.But let’s be honest, survival would’ve been reason enough for me.I walked out on you for a chance at reconnecting with my sister.I joined their group so I could live, for the power it brought, for the magic they gave me.”
“But this Legacy witch, the one you went after.She wouldn’t join?”
“No.Delia’s tougher than me, smarter.I deserved what I got and more for putting her through what I did.”
“She bested you.”
“Delia destroyed me.In the moment where I thought I had no choice but to kill her, she pushed the memories of my worst sins, worst memories, worst transgressions through me.She was justified in doing it.For what I did to her and her sisters, I should’ve died.”
Vori touched his cheek.“Don’t say that.You were willing to fight goblin guards for me.There’s good in you.”The self-blame in his eyes suggested it would take more than words to convince him.
Loud voices from outside interrupted.
“The guards,” he said.“They’re changing again.”
