Sara walked us to the door, and I didn’t say anything the entire way. She said very little, but at the door she told us both to be careful. She hugged Loki, and it looked like she wanted to hug me, but I wouldn’t have let her.

Loki and I went out to the car, and I refused to even look at him. When we got in the car, I stared out the window, and he started in.

“Wendy, when I agreed to it, it was before I knew you,” Loki said.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Wendy.”

“Just drive,” I snapped.

He sighed but said nothing more, and the car puled away from the Vittra palace.

I should’ve felt more relief. I’d gone to talk to Oren, and I’d gotten what I wanted. Oren hadn’t kiled either of us, which had actualy been a very real possibility, and I’d bought more time for my people.

I didn’t even realize how much I’d cared about Loki until I found out it had al been a lie. Loki had just been folowing orders, and in a weird way I didn’t blame him for that. But I stil felt like a foolish idiot, and I don’t know why he’d continued to play games with me even after he’d left the Vittra.

What hurt the most is that I had been tempted. The night that Loki had come for me in the garden, I had been tempted to run off with him. I even felt bad for turning him down. I’d been afraid that I’d hurt his feelings.

But it had al been a lie.

I kept twisting my wedding ring and refusing to cry. I suppose this is what I deserved for cheating on my fiancé, for wanting to cheat on my husband. Regardless of what kind of marriage Tove and I had, that didn’t justify whatever I had been feeling for Loki.

This could serve as a wakeup cal. I should be concentrating on saving my marriage and my kingdom. Not some stupid boy.

“I am sorry,” Loki said after we’d been driving for an hour or more. I didn’t respond, so he went on, “I never meant to hurt you. I know I shouldn’t have agreed to it in the first place.” I stared out the window. I hadn’t even looked at him since we left.

“Wendy,” he sighed. “Wendy. You have to talk to me. At some point, you’l have to talk to me again.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” I said. “I got you out of there alive. I did my part.”

“I am sorry, Wendy!” Loki yeled. “But I did what I had to do.

Alright? And it was before I knew you, and you didn’t even get hurt.”