But we’d gone way off topic, and I was officially wasting time. “Fine. What do you want?”

“For you to finally stop fighting what’s already been agreed. You should’ve come to New York last year.”

Even if I’d wanted to, which I didn’t, Luciana never would’ve let me go last year. “How was I supposed to know that you wanted me there? I haven’t heard from you in months.”

“I told Luciana,” he said it like it should mean something to me.

I nearly smiled. He was giving me a piece of information that could carve a wedge between Luciana and the New York coven. “You’ll have to take your complaints to her, because she didn’t say a thing to me.”

His mouth dropped open. “Really?”

I studied him for a minute. All this time truly I’d thought Matt was working with Luciana, but maybe he wasn’t. If Luciana had lied to him about one thing, it stood to reason that she’d lied to him about other things as well. “Honestly. Do I look like I’m lying?”

He narrowed his gaze at me. “I don’t know.”

I shrugged. “Here’s the thing. Luciana wants to keep me around. I know you know what I specialize in—”

“Enhancing others’ energies.”

I nodded. “Right. Well, I do that for Luciana. And—as far as I know—the only thing Luciana wants is more power. By losing me, she loses power. So, why would she ever follow through with whatever bargain you two concocted?”

He leaned back in his chair, not saying a word.

“Why do you want me? Really?”

He looked at the ceiling, before apparently coming to some decision. “The same reason Luciana wants you.”

My jaw clenched as I took in his words. This was infuriating. Did everyone just want me for what I could do for them? “Well, I’m not marrying you. Even if you decide to help me today, I can’t promise that. Luciana has been controlling me for long enough. I really don’t think I can go back to coven life. Anywhere.” While I had him opening it up, I figured now was a great time to find out what Luciana was getting out of pretending to marry me off. Knowing that could mean the difference between defeating her or dying.

I leaned in, trying to make it seem like I was conspiring with him. “So, what did she get out of the deal? Did she just want your coven as allies?” That was my best guess so far, but my instincts said there was more to it than that.