“What... What are you saying, Kier?”
“We’re not friends. We’re not anything. We never were. And you? You need to stay the fuck away from me from now on. Don’t ever come back here. Is that clear enough?”
For a moment, all I could do was stare at him. Hopelessly confused, lost in the animosity that was simmering behind his eyes.
“I don’t understand,” I breathed, the sharp bite of tears prickling behind my eyelids as I swallowed the words that I actually wanted to say.
Please stop. Please don’t do this. I don’t want to lose you.
“Gods, you’re really going to make me spell it out for you? Only clever when it’s convenient? Fucking fine, Arken. If that’s how you want to play, then how about this? You need to stay away from me, becauseI know what you are.”
I sucked in a sharp breath.
No. There was no way. He couldn’t.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
My voice cracked as I lied straight to his face.
“I don’t have time for this shit,” he snarled. “Keep playing dumb with me, and I’ll drag you to the Nineteen right here and now.”
“Why would you—”
“Because I think the Elders would beveryinterested in you, now wouldn’t they, Arken?” Kieran interrupted. “Because you’re notjusta Light Conduit… Are you?”
No.
“You...”
“Yeah,” he replied bitterly. “I know.”
“You wouldn’t,” I whispered.
He had to know that it was dangerous. He had to know that taking me to the Nineteen was the equivalent of a death sentence, if they knew what I was capable of. Hedidknow... I could see it in his eyes. He knew.He knew.
My heart began to splinter and crack.
“Please,” I begged. “Please, Kieran, you can’t—”
“You have nogodsdamnedidea what I can and cannot do, Little Conduit.”
This time, the nickname fell from his lips like venom. Like an insult. Like a fucking dagger, held against my throat. Kieran almost seemed pleased with himself as the poisoned, pointed words finally met their mark.
“Never speak of this again. Never speak tomeagain. Are we clear?”
I was going to be sick. I broke into a cold sweat, taking shallow breaths, nausea churning in my gut as I stood there, dumbfounded, like an idiot. Like a godsdamnedfool.
The man who stood before me was a stranger. Kieran had finally taken off the mask for me, and what remained was darker, colder, and more cruel than I ever could have guessed.
“Are. We. Clear. Arken?” Kieran snapped, demanding an answer.
“Crystal,” I whispered, eyes dropping to the floor.
I couldn’t look at him. I knew I would regret it later, but if I glanced back up at that glacial gaze, if I looked into his eyes, I would have kept fighting. I wanted so badly to keep fighting…
But this was a battle that I could never win.
A fight I couldn’t afford to lose.