Page 37 of Ozma

He nodded. “It was the letter in your satchel that made me certain, but there were other things. It was the way you tugged your ear, knowing where things were, the look on your face when you found me with the prostitute. Did you really think I wouldn’t put it together? You could be in dragon form, unable to speak, and I would still recognize you soon enough. I know you better than anyone.”

“I know,” she said softly. And if Jack had been in her position, she would have detected who he really was, too.

“Then why didn’t you tell me? Why make up such an elaborate story?” His voice grew louder, angrier. “We never lied to each other!”

“Because you were fucking someone who wasn’t me!” She rushed forward and cupped a hand over his mouth. “And I’m glad you did because I realized how selfish it would be if you knew the whole truth anyway. You deserve to be free, Jack.Free. So I’m going to give that to you now. Jackseith Arel Diosyll, forget that I’m Tip. I release you, Jackseith Arel Diosyll.”

Ozma slowly dropped her hand, watching Jack’s gaze focus on her. Tears of her own pricked at her eyes at what she’d done.

A cold smirk crossed Jack’s face. “Sorry, Blossom. True names don’t work like that.”

Chapter Sixteen

Jack

Jack’s anger exploded through his chest. Ozma tried to use histrue nameto make him forget! As if he wouldn’t realize the truth all over again. As if he didn’t have a right to know. If she wanted him to be free, she never should’ve come back to the farm. She should’ve continued to let Jack think the Tip he knew was dead.

“Please forget it,” she practically begged.

“How dare you?” he seethed. “How dare you do this to me? Did you think you could just sweep back into my life, lie through your teeth, and leave? No harm done?”

“I had to come back to kill Mombi and the Wizard.”

Jack winced. She came back from the dark place and, instead of seeking him out, returned only for revenge. “You never loved me at all, did you?”

“Of course, I did,” she said with tears in her eyes. “Ido. But you deserve to be free.”

A growl slipped through Jack’s teeth and he stepped closer, grasping Ozma’s shoulder. “Don’t tell me what I deserve. My choices haveneverbeen my own—none except to love you. And now you want to take that decision from me too?”

Ozma’s hands closed around his forearm, tugging until his grip loosened. “That’s not what I’m doing.”

“It’s exactly what you’re doing.” His heart thumped painfully and he stumbled back a step. “But I can never be free of you, Blossom. No matter how much you push me away or lie, my heart is yours.”

When he thought Tip was dead, he’d wanted to live to honor him. Not with his actions, because sleeping his way through Loland was a desperate attempt to numb his own pain, but toremember. Everyone died twice—once when they passed away and again when no one remembered they’d ever existed. Jack had wanted to keep Tip alive in that way… But if there was nofirstdeath, then there was no reason to worry about the second.

Jack looked urgently into Ozma’s eyes, imploring her to see how much he loved her. It didn’t matter what she looked like—Tip was her and she was Tip. But she said nothing as she held his gaze.

“You’re killing me,” Jack whispered.

“I’m sorry,” Ozma said, her chin quivering. “Inever meant to hurt you.”

Jack laughed humorlessly. “You’re doing a hell of a job of it anyway.”

If they weren’t trapped in an underground cave, he would’ve left then. Hid himself away somewhere and allowed himself to have a good cry before he decided what to do. Though, if he were being honest with himself, he already knew that he would forgive Ozma. After his anger ebbed, he would forgive her lies if she only loved him.Reallyloved him. None of the self-sacrificing bullshit.

But there was nowhere to go to nurse his wounds, so instead, he swept up his wet clothes and pulled them back on—freezing be damned. His churning emotions would keep him warm until he could figure out how to save them both.

Jack paced, his gaze sweeping from one side of the cave to the other in search of a way out. Smooth walls. Sky-high ceiling.Think, Jack, think.His thoughts refused to drift away from Ozma though. He tried not to notice her near the wall where she had lay down and curled in a ball, shivering, with her dress pulled tight around her shoulders like a blanket. Goosebumps covered his own body and his toes were numb.Find a way out.

If he froze to death, an escape route wouldn’t matter.

“Shit,” he mumbled to himself and stalked back to Ozma. She peeked up at him and his heart thudded heavily.Those damn eyes.How many times had he begged the universe to bring his lover back? How many times had he promised to doanythingfor just one more day? Too many times to count. And what was he doing now that his prayers had been answered? His chest caved, taking all his walls with it.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted.

A crease formed between Ozma’s brows. “For what?”

“Losing my temper.”

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