Page 130 of Captive

Hurt and confusion swirl in his eyes as he turns away from me, his shoulders rising and falling as he takes deep breaths.

“Hector…”

He shakes his head and speaks in a hoarse whisper, as if it will crush him to speak any louder. “If you leave me and never return,Iwill shatter.”

The gods help me. I don’t want to be the reason he shatters.

This is too much. Too painful.

Sadness swarms around me like an unrelenting fog, the heaviness of my heart compounding with the realization he feels the same pain.

I won’t survive this.

He won’t either.

ChapterFifty-One

That night after our argument, I couldn’t sleep. No matter how hard I tried, it had eluded me. The bed was too empty without Hector. Too lonely. So, I laid awake, thinking about him and my defective Kyanite magic.

The next morning, the sun trickling through my window wakes me. I stretch and stare at my empty bedchamber.

Oh, Hector.

I press my hand against my chest, feeling his pain. It’s sharper than anything I have ever felt.

A light tapping sound against the door draws my attention. I grab a dressing gown and move to the door.

The moment I open it, Everly hurries into my bedchamber and speaks in a rush. “You need to know something.”

“What is it?” I scan her quickly, seeing no signs of her being injured.

She lets out a long exhale. “It’s going to change everything.” Her surcoat whips against her legs as she turns like she intends to leave. “I shouldn’t tell you.”

“Everly.” I grab her arm, preventing her from leaving. “Whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Another exhale escapes her before she finds her voice again. “You will not like it.”

Now, I really want to know what she’s keeping from me.

I rotate her to get a better look at her pale, taut features. “What has happened?”

“I have magic,” she bursts out. “It started recently.”

My mouth parts as her eyes fill with tears. It’s not possible. At least, not without going to the cave of reflection.

“How is that possible?”

“Mildred. She’s a powerful Muchrah.”

How can this be? Hector said I must go to the cave to give his people magic.

My chest tightens as I guide Everly to the table, where she collapses into a chair. “Does Hector know?” I ask when I can think straight again.

“Yes.”

My heart drops as her answer screeches through my ears. He knows!

I take a deep breath before finding the courage to continue. “How does he know?”

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