He hisses and rolls off of me, standing beside the bed. “You should eat something,” he says in a tight voice.
There’s no way I can stomach a glass of water, let alone a plate of eggs and pancakes. With a snarl, I kick the tray off the table, sending it to the floor in a pile of food and shattered glass. My temples throb with an impending headache. “Why are you doing this?” He didn’t answer me the last time I asked.
He exhales through his nose. “Because, sweet Aurora, you’re the way to Tristan’s heart. And to destroy him, I’m going to destroy you.”
My eyes widen. “I thought you were my friend,” I snap. “What’s your plan? You think you can just keep me here?” I clench my hands into fists so I’m not tempted to scratch my nails down his face again—though I’d like nothing better. Right now I need information.
“Help me destroy Tristan Westbrook so I can become the only leader of the fae, and you can go back to your mundane life and do whatever you want. You can live the life you’ve planned. All you have to do is say yes.”
I stare at his shoulder because I can’t force myself to look at his face. That’s his angle. Tristan was right. He wants to rule the fae—all of them. Maybe if I play along, I can figure a way out of this. Jules is crazy if he thinks I’ll help him. He couldn’t offer me anything significant enough to have me agree.
“Take some time and think about it. Consider what this could mean for you, Aurora. You could have your old life back, just like that.”
“Fine,” I say, and that one word feels like I’ve already lost.
Jules narrows his eyes as if he might not believe me, but then he says, “You’re making the right choice, Aurora.”
I wait until he’s far enough away before I press my face into the pillow and sob.
It’s dark outside the window when I open my eyes. I use the bathroom, and while I’m washing my hands, I catch my reflection in the mirror. What am I doing? I need to find a way out of here before Jules has the chance to force me into doing something that will hurt Tristan.
When I leave the bathroom, I find Evan standing in the other room. The bedroom door is open.
My eyes narrow on him. “Are you involved with this?”
He hesitates. “In a way, yes.”
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demand.
“Jules asked me to see if you’d like dinner now.”
I stare at him. “You knew,” I say, tasting the venom in my words. “You knew he was going to do this to me.”
“Listen, Aurora—”
“Shut up,” I growl. “You don’t get to speak.” I squeeze my hands into fists at my sides, inching toward him. “Does Allison know what’s going on right now?”
Evan shakes his head. “I do care about her. While things may not have started that way, I came to care for her. You have to believe—”
“You knew that I knew Jules, but that I didn’t know what he was,” I accuse.
He nods.
That’s when I snap. I launch forward and slam my fist into his face. He stumbles back, and I follow, swinging at his face again and again, almost surprised that I’m getting some decent hits in. Either he’s letting me, or he isn’t as coordinated and fast as most fae. Blood sprays from his nose and drips from a cut on his lip, but watching them heal as fae magic works through him makes my rage burn hotter. I hit him harder, faster, over and over until someone grabs me around the waist and pulls me away.
“Aurora.” Jules’s voice doesn’t help the part of me that wants to murder Evan with my bare hands.
“I’ll kill you,” I hiss at Evan, trying to break free of Jules’s hold. “I swear to god, I will end you.”
Jules pulls me back and turns me to face him, grasping my chin with his free hand.
I try to break his grip. “Get the fuck away from me.”
“Stop fighting me,” he orders.
I swallow hard and stop struggling. It’s not doing any good, anyway. “You sick son of a bitch,” I growl. “He deserved that.” My heart pounds from the adrenaline rush, making my hands shake as they grip the front of Jules’s shirt. My knuckles are bloody and already bruising—I didn’t notice until now.
Jules holds his hand over them until the cuts seal and the bruises fade. He sighs heavily. “Come on. Let’s have some dinner. I did cook after all.”
Evan grumbles, getting up from the floor, and walks out of the room without a word.
Jules and I sit across from each other in a small, modern dining room. He brings out two plates with chicken breast, broccoli, and roasted potatoes. He pours me a glass of white wine and one for himself before he looks at me. “Eat,” he instructs.
I narrow my eyes at him but pick up my fork and knife. I slice into the chicken, watching the serrated metal cut into the meat. I wonder how fast I could—
“I wouldn’t,” Jules says in a casual tone, lifting a piece of chicken to his mouth. My eyes snap to his, and he smirks. “Your rigid posture and permanent scowl are fairly telling, Aurora.”
Glaring at him, I drop the utensils and cross my arms. “You can’t blame me for thinking about it.”
He tilts his head, chewing and swallowing before he says, “I don’t. However, I know how it would end if you attempted it, and I’d rather not see that come to fruition.”
“How kind of you.”
“There’s no reason for you to get hurt, Aurora. It wasn’t your fault you became a part of this world. The way I see it, once we deal with Tristan, you can go back to your life, and you’ll be happy. I’m giving you an out that benefits me as well.”
“You’re forcing me to take it,” I correct in a sharp tone.
He sets his fork down and takes a sip of his wine. “It’s for your own good. You’ll see that eventually.”
“You know, I’m not sure that I will,” I say. “You don’t need me for what you’re planning. You overestimate Tristan’s feelings for me.” I know how Tristan feels about me, enough to know Jules’s plan to use me against him could work. The thought makes my chest ache. For all those weeks I dreaded seeing Tristan, he’s the only person I want to see right now.
Get it together, blondie. Why Max’s snippy voice is what booms in my head, I’m not sure, but I latch onto it. Regardless of what the voice sounds like, it’s right. I need to get through this myself.
He laughs. “I don’t think so. I’ve seen the way he is with you. That’s never happened before in all the years I’ve known him. Humans don’t do it for him, but you do.”
I push away from the table and stand. “I’m done talking about this. You started this war when you let your people kill the dark fae. You want to destroy Tristan and rule the entire fae race? You’re on your own. Good fucking luck.” I storm toward the door with no idea where I plan on going, but I have to get out of this room, away from him.
I’m about a foot away from the door when he grabs my wrist and spins me around. “Stop,” he says.
“Go to hell,” I snap.
His lips curl into a twisted grin. “Your fear and anger are intoxicating,” he murmurs. “Such strong, genuine emotions.”