“Yes.” I smile around the lie. I can’t afford to expose any weakness. Not to my Guards. And especially not to her.

She clenches a fist. “It’s been wrong before.”

“The walls in here are already weak,” I say, pacing the dais. “Unless you want to take down the entire Observatory, I wouldn’t recommend any more impulsive displays. I’ve seen that ending, too, and it’s not pretty.”

Her eyes dart toward the fissures in the ceiling. “Why did you bring me here, then?”

“To make Jack pay for what he’s done. He’s going to come looking for you, and when he does, he’s going to suffer.” I descend the dais toward her. A muscle clenches in her jaw. “I want him to sit in Lyon’s empty office and mourn him the way I mourned for Michael. I want him to see his best friend murdered and watch his magic float away. I want him to know what it feels like to die at his girlfriend’s hand.”

Her dark eyes pierce me. “That won’t ever happen.”

“Are you sure about that?”

The air goes earthy and pungent as she sets her power loose. I can’t see it, but I feel it. I tense as fingers of her magic reach down into the ground, creeping toward me. I back up as it speeds closer. The floor under my foot crumbles, throwing me off-balance, knocking me into the steps of the dais. Lixue strikes Fleur hard in the side of her head.

Fleur’s hand flies to her temple as her magic shrinks back from me. Her knees hit the stone hard enough to make her yelp.

“Enough!” I shout. Pain and humiliation flare in my chest. I’m not sure who I’m angrier with—Fleur for trying to kill me or Lixue for acting without my order. I stand up and dust off my slacks, loosening my tie with a hard wrench of a finger.

“That!” I pant, pointing to Fleur’s head. “That’s why you’re still alive. That’s what I want from you.”

“What?” she snaps. “You want me to strangle you with a root? I’m glad we agree on something. I can definitely arrange that. Ow!” She grabs the back of her head as Lixue cuffs her again.

“I said enough!” I shout at Lixue. I turn my glare on Fleur. Unlike Lixue, there isn’t an ounce of remorse on her face. “You’re going to teach me how to use the earth magic.” I press the heel of my hand against my sternum as the pain subsides to a dull ache.

“Why would I do that?”

“Because your very human boyfriend is on his way here.”

Her smile is cutting. “He’s not here yet.”

“No, but your Winter friend is. And I will make Chill’s last hours a living hell if you don’t cooperate.”