Page 85 of Scarlet Wars
He stared at me as if it were obvious, and I was dense for not seeing it. “To take on the Chiefs, you’d have to use all the power you have. But if you show them how powerful you really are, they’ll recognize it for what is:not yours.”
I blinked in confusion. Not mine. As if I’d…stolen it?
“Your power is over two thousand years old, maybe older. They’ll recognize it, and they’ll know it’s not natural.”
Unnatural.
The word landed in my chest with the weight of a stone. I heard the familiar voice in my head again, the one Caden had silenced back when I almost froze to death.
Born a human. Not real. Not natural.
“You want me to hide who I am?” I shook my head so hard my hair slapped my cheeks. “Never again, James.”
He dragged a hand over his face, exasperation radiating off him like heat. “Still stubborn as ever.”
“And you’re still trying to keep me small.” The words came quicker now. I stepped closer until the space between us felt like a fault line. “That’s what this has always been for you, a protective cage dressed up as love.”
“I’m trying to keep you safe! If the Chiefs see—if they seeyou?—”
“And we’re back to this.” I forced a laugh that had no humor. “Are you kidding me? This is exactly what you did when we weretogether. Always keeping secrets from me to keep me small. Always hiding my powers to keep me safe. You know what that amounts to?”
My nails bit crescents of pain into my palms. “To me being invisible. But I guess to you, that’s just a small price to pay.”
James’s jaw clenched so hard I could see the tendon there. “If it keeps you alive, then yes. Itisa small price to pay.”
I nodded once, slow. “Because if you let me stand, I might die.”
James snapped. “You did die! You jumped in front of a fucking Amplifier and died right in front of me. You think that nightmare isn’t carved into my brain?”
“You once saved my life by sacrificing your own. I owe you for that. So whatever you decide—whatever path you take, whoever you choose to love—you’re stillmine, Emma. Mine to protect, mine to save fromanyonewho dares to threaten you.”
My fists curled at my sides, nails biting crescents into my palms as I spoke each word like a strike. “I. Am. Not. Yours. I never needed your protection, and no matter how this turns out, whether we take a stand against the Chiefs or not, I will never need it again, nor will I ever be yours again.”
I shook my head. “Don’t you understand? I can let go of my anger toward you, but that doesn’t mean my love for you magically reappears. Your actions, your decisions, they have consequences, James.”
“Consequences?” He barked a laugh, the sound splintering the space between us like broken glass. “You want to talk about those? Fine. Here’s one: if you don’t fake the bond with me, the United Chiefs will wipe outeveryoneyou care about. And you can be damn sure that includes Caden Colt.”
The silence that followed was razor–thin, stretched taut as wire. My chest ached from the effort of keeping myself still, my throat burning with bitterness.
“You said not even ten minutes ago you’d defy the Chiefs for me, was that a lie?”
“Faking the bond is still defying them, but in a smart way.”
“This won’t be happening, James.”
“Only because you’re too much of a fuckingcowardto give this plan a chance, Emma!” he roared, loud enough to rattle through the walls.
Before I could even gather the strength to respond?—
The door swung open with a bang.
Caden stepped in, scanning the scene before locking onto James, his entire frame taut with purpose. His expression turned to stone, his dark eyes glinting with something ice-cold and lethal.
“What the hell is going on here?”
TWENTY-ONE
CADEN
