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Too perceptive “It doesn’t matter”

“Would she refuse you?”

“Can we change the subject?”

“Talking about your problerabbed the whiskey off the nearby table and took another sith a lopsided grin He’d had just enough alcohol to nuh mischief to exploit Caden’s pity Sod “Would she say no?”

“She’d accept”

“You haven’t mated with her becauseyou want a witch?”

Caden snorted Lucan must know better than that “Of course not”

“You don’t love her?”

“I do”

Lucan stroked his chin as if perplexed “She’s against ic?”

“Quite the opposite She persuaded Bram to allow her to transcast news of Mathias’s return”

“The Council agreed?” Lucan looked genuinely shocked

“No Bra the infor was best”

“There will be hell to pay Good for hi Sydney wants to help, then? That’s why she’s transcasting, despite the danger?”

“Yes” Caden sighed, knohere Lucan’s line of questioning was headed Might as well beat him to the destination “And that is precisely why I haven’t spoken the Call The her up Mathias moves her name on his hit list”

“You don’t want to lose her the way you lost Westin Or the way I lost Anka”

Either would devastate Caden “So like that”

Lucan slaed in Caden’s face, bracing his fists against the back of the sofa, effectively pinning Caden there “You stupid fuck! You have a wo call Yet you’re willing to flush it down the toilet to avoid possible pain” He scoffed and backed away “You have no idea—”

“I do!” Caden shoved Lucan aside and juh his body “You weren’t there when Westin died I was!”

Lucan sighed “An accident”

“That doesn’t make him any less dead And then you—I saw you chained to a bed for weeks I watched you with Sabelle” Lucan winced, but Caden pressed on “You nearly killed her for trying to save you For as long as Anka stays in Shock’s bed, there will be an infinitely deep hole in your heart Why the hell would I sign up for that?”

“Because I wouldn’t trade a ether For any reason It’sher, but I adore her Love her I’d never known true happiness until I ive up all that bliss because I’e, idiot I didn’t find Anka until I was nearly three hundred You’re only thirty You and Sydney could have hundreds of years to enjoy each other”

“Or she could goddamn die toer I do everything in my power to keep her safe, but she doesn’t want ickind How can I protect her against amy mate was in his clutches would killproof that it won’t You don’t want the pain or theto toss her away now? Bloody stupid” Suddenly, Lucan growled and lifted him by his shirt “Love rarely comes more than once in a lifetime If you piss her away, be prepared for centuries of erow old and turn to dust so quickly your head will spin Then you’ll stand alone, a young wizard on the outside, an old, witheringfor just ten one I’ll be standing there to say I told you so Because ten minutes with your beloved is better than a lifeti her skin, her soul, Sydney felt the pain of Caden’s departure Inside, she ached—even while she wanted to throw half of Braainst his pristine wall And yetafter the up-close viehat Lucan had beco death, Sydney couldn’t really blame Caden

She wanted to be furious Mostly, she was sad

Maybe if she found some way to end this war sooner, take Mathias doIf the evil wizard’s threat against her ended, she and Caden could deal with the rest of their issues one by one Likely, it would take tiether, she could learn patience

Evening lengthened into night, then into earlyover ideas, rejecting theh ideas, two reical book and discern once and for all if the feelings they shared had originated froic And let the chips fall

Second, she had to helpMathias’s return was a start Braive details about the attacks—yet But if ickind knehat Mathias had done, what he planned to do, and got angry at the horrific violence Mathias was inflicting, ether If so, Mathias didn’t stand a chance But they needed an advantage

One sat languishing behind bars downstairs

Sydney glanced at the clock Nearly three in theNo time like the present

Down the dark stairs she traveled, creeping into Bram’s office In a secret compartment behind the sofa, she located the book After they’d returned fro place to all the fe the little book, she lit a ses open with a pen Quickly, she leafed through the book, looking for her previous two entries She couldn’t find the first Or the second What the hell? Blasted book ic

With a sigh, Sydney stared at the blank pages What to write?

Within a few ical Diary,” wishing that she hated Caden and he loathed her as well They would give each other coal for Christmas, dead roses for Valentine’s Day, and snarl like pit bulls every day in between Then she stared at the page, waiting for the diary’s inevitable e

To wish for enmity, you are too late

This fantasy cannot be your fate

Because true love has claimed your

hearts, you two are sworn never to part

True love? A s that her fantasies hadn’t incited false feelings was a huge relief—and et on with task nuickind around Brah their differences Thatto talk inforh he was likely to be a hostile interview subject and it was theWho knehether Mathias could do extra daickind while she waited for a more polite hour? Zain was behind bars, had no wand, and Brauests could teleport in and out The dungeon dah to ask a few questions

But how? Snark wouldn’t serve her Zain’s T-shirts suggested he would snark back, which would be counterproductive She’d be better served using their previous work connection and playing the stupid hurabbed Brah the dark house, down to where Bram kept Zain locked away

She eased the door open It was pitch black inside No s, no lights The room smelled like damp stones and despair She shivered

“Why are you here, Sydney?” Zain rasped out He sounded weak

“How did you—”

“Your scent”