Page 183 of The Wishing Game

She shares a hidden look with Cer.

"I'm not sure. He didn't tell me, and with him, you never know. I'm sorry I lied." She sighs. "I didn't want him getting so close to you, but I didn't know how to tell you without risking his wrath."

"I understand." I smile as I reach to pat her on the back.

"What a touching scene," a familiar voice says from the back.

We all turn and watch Ze lean against the wall, his shrewd eyes taking in everything.

"How long have you been there?" I ask.

He doesn't reply. The corners of his mouth lift up in an eerie smile. Thea's face drains of color, and Cer reaches for her hand, squeezing it in comfort. She's already trembling, on the verge of a breakdown, and Cer is doing his best to calm her down.

Ze's eyes zero in on their interaction, his displeasure clear. Before he can say or do anything that might hurt Thea, I take a step toward him.

"Don't, Ze. Please don't do anything to hurt her. I'm begging you."

He slowly turns his gaze to me.

"You would beg?" He raises an eyebrow. "For a stranger."

"She's not a stranger. She's my friend."

He scoffs.

"LikeIwas your friend?" he asks, staring at me intently.

I don't answer, biting my lip to stop myself from blurting a caustic reply.

"Beg, then."

"W-what?" I blink.

"Beg me not to reveal her secret.Begme."

"Ze. We should take this privately," Cer mentions. "We should leave them out of it."

"Why should we when they are at the core of this issue?" He laughs. "Although if you knew what Erithea is hiding from you..."

"Please don't," Thea whispers as she drops to her knees. "Please don't tell him. Don't tell anyone," she pleads, tears rushing down her cheeks. "I'll do anything. Just please..."

"If you truly meant that, you would have done what I asked from the beginning. But no, you had to let your flawed emotions get the best of you."

"If you tell them... You know what will happen to me," she sobs. "You know I'll be dead."

"Of course." He smiles, although it never reaches his eyes. "And I will be the one to deliver you to your death."

My mouth hangs open in shock as I stare at the casual way in which he just told Thea he would kill her—regardless of the fact that she is his friend's sister, or that he's known her for years. To get what he wants, he'd kill her.

I have grossly misjudged him, haven't I?

Who is this Ze and where is the slightly awkward but well-intended protector? Where is the man who made me feel safe and made sure no danger touched me?

But the truth is staring me right in the face.

That man never existed. And considering what Thea told me, I'm sure he's had a secondary purpose for joining the game and our team from the beginning.

He was using us for something, wasn't he?

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