“Maybe you pushed yourself too much and exhausted your power,” muses Jace as he rubs my back. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

I nod. It makes sense. I had never used power like that before. Maybe it was the drawback of doing too much at once. Taking so much magic from the Library into myself and then pouring all of that, as well as my own power, out in one large blast. I guess I’m lucky to still be conscious.

“Anyway, don't scare me like that. Next time you want to disintegrate a guy, tell me, and I’ll do it for you…” Jace bites his lip in thought.

“Okay, maybe I can't do that…but I’d rip them to shreds for you. Sharp teeth, baby.” He proudly flashes his elongated fangs and winks at me.

“Yes…we’ve all seen their work.” Lucien sighs, his eyes narrowed toward my neck.

Jace looks at me and chuckles, his hand brushing loose strands behind my ear as he gazes warmly at me.

“The wolf is right…” Cole sighs, looking at Jace as he flashes his teeth again. “About us helping.” Cole's face is completely serious as he stares at me.

“Cole—” I start, before seeing a figure, bloody, and limping into the room.

Ilyric clutches his side, blood pouring from his wounds there, cuts and bruises covering his face, blood seeping from the leg he limps in with.

My legs move on their own as I rush over to him, working through the dizziness and black spots that threaten to take me again. I’m beside him in seconds, my body aching and dizzy as I place my hand on his shoulder to help when suddenly he slaps it away.

The glare he gives me is filled with more vitriol hate and disgust than I’ve ever seen before. And in my life, I’ve seen many, but none that struck me as deeply as this one now.

“Were you a part of this?!” he spits out, his eyes like daggers, each word cold and clipped. I flinch back, shock and confusion rolling through me with his question.

A part of what?

The others make it over to us just as he shouts, “Of course you were. How could you not know?!” I hear Jace’s growl behind me as Cole shifts to my side. Lucien shakes his head, muttering, "Fool," while looking toward Ilyric.

He snaps, a mocking tone to his cold voice, his eyes bleeding with anger.

“So, this was all an elaborate act…what a good show you put on.”

Accusation and insult lacing every word leaving his lips, piercing me as I gaze into his cold eyes. Wondering what had happened to make him act this way, to look at me this way? To treat me with such…disgust.

The warm look in his eyes and sincere words from earlier long gone and forgotten. Not even the arrogant and haughty Fae left. Just hateful words and disgusted glares directed entirely at me. Shoving all his anger and frustration over whatever happened to him on me. These confusing and stupid accusations that didn’t make any sense. Why did I have to put up with any of it?!