My breath falters at the look in Nick’s eyes. In them is the small beginning of some strong, sharp emotion, straining outward like a blade against cloth. “I need to go home.” I make as if to move around him, and he catches me around my good elbow before I take two steps.

“What—why?” He looks between me and Sel’s stoic expression, directs the blade of his anger at his Kingsmage. “What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do this,” Sel says wearily. “Not that you’ll believe me.”

“He didn’t—didn’t do anything,” I confirm, and slip out of Nick’s grip. I push between him and Russ and move down the stairs.

Nick follows me. “Then why are you crying?”

I whirl around. “I need to go home. I can’t be here right now.” I catch Felicity’s eye. “Can you please drive me home, Felicity?”

“I can drive you home,” Nick insists.

I can’t look at him. “Felicity? Please?”

She glances between Nick and me, back to Sel, then to Russ. “Russy, can you get my car?” Russ doesn’t hesitate. He jogs down the stone steps toward the Lodge garage.

“Bree!”

“Let her go, Nick,” Sel says from the doorway, and Nick and I both freeze. “Nick.” Not Nicholas. Sel’s eyes find mine. Our eyes meet—for half a heartbeat, so quick—but Nick catches it. In that split second, he sees something new between me and his Kingsmage. Something I can’t explain right now, not even to myself. When Nick turns back to me, the raw confusion and hurt in his eyes crushes my heart.

I stammer, try to start several sentences, but none of them take hold in my mouth. The words are caught in a jumble, and I don’t know where to start. I stare at him without an answer. Finally, I utter the only thing that could make him understand, my voice cracking on every word.

“It was just an accident.”

It’s the wrong thing to say.

Nick takes a step closer, his voice soft and pained. “What was just an accident, B?” He doesn’t know I mean my mother. He thinks I mean the something with Sel.

Oh God. No. That’s not—

There’s movement inside the Lodge. Behind Sel, I see Tor and Sar, both in pajamas. A crowd is gathering. They’ll all know. They’ll all see me like this.

I tear my eyes away and back to Nick, take a shaky breath, and try again, because he needs to understand. “The car,” I whisper, fresh tears burning at my eyes. “That night. The hospital. No one… just… an accident.”