“I remember everything, Drew. I know you killed me.”
He raised his hand and I closed my eyes fully expecting him to punch me senseless, or stab me, or something.
But instead, I found myself enveloped in his arms. He held me close. So close it almost hurt. As if he loved me. As if I hadn’t just admitted to killing him twice.
Sett
He looked devastated.
Devastated and heartbroken.
And all I wanted to do was hold him there until the end of the world whispering sweet comforts in his ear.
“You know? What do you mean you know?”
As hard as it was, I let him go. Just enough to look him in the eyes but even that was torture after what he’d just admitted and how broken he seemed because of it.
“My sand magic. It helps me see through deception, whether human or magical.”
He grimaced. “De—deception? You mean, you knew? All this time you knew what I was doing?”
I immediately wished I could take it back. His eyes bulged, fresh tears wetting his cheeks, his lips quivering.
“I did.” I tried to smile, to offer some reassurance but I couldn’t move.
“Oh my god. You must hate me so much.”
“I don’t.” It was hard to breathe. So hard when Drew was falling apart right in front of me.
“How? I hate myself. How could you not? I deceived you. I tricked you. I killed you!”
I grabbed his hands and pulled them to my bare lap but even though we were both naked and his fingers mere inches from my dormant manhood the last thing on my mind was sex.
“You did none of those things. No, Drew. It wasn’t you. You didn’t trick or deceive me and you certainly didn’t kill me.”
Drew rolled his eyes as if fighting the tears, looking away. “Of course I did.”
“It was him. He did those things. He only used your body to do them.”
He shook his head. “I’m responsible. It might have been his commands but I performed them. I didn’t stop them. I didn’t do anything to stop them.”
I let go of his hands and grabbed him by the face. It was forceful, but necessary. “Listen to me, Drew. You’ve been under that demon’s spell for so long you don’t know what you’re saying. Believe me when I tell you none of this is your fault. He’s strong and irresistible and there’s nothing, nothing you could do to escape him. Even when you don’t think you’re under his control, he’s still there, in the back of your mind, pulling strings. Even when you think you’re safe he’s planted things in your head to mess with your perception of the world. You hear me? Even if you thought you weren’t being controlled, trust me when I tell you you were.”
His tears dropped from his skin to mine like bullets, burning holes to my insides and firing my hatred for the man who’d caused so much pain. There was only one way to heal them and to heal Drew.
I had to kill him.
And this time I had to make sure he was as dead as it got.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he said as if he hadn’t heard me, but I knew he had. These things took time to process. And I’d be here to ensure he did.
I eased my hold on his face and brought my lips to his. A promise, a balm that shouldn’t be enough and yet I knew was the only answer to these kinds of scars.
His tears covered his mouth in their sweet bitterness. It made my determination flare. I needed to protect this man with my life, my whole damn being.
He kissed me back, gently, softly, as if he were scared of breaking me. As if he were scared of himself and it brought back memories.
I’d been in his place. I’d been him. I’d felt what he felt. We were one and the same.
