‘I’ll call him,’ she whispered, wrapping her arms around herself.

Kellan stilled. Not wanting him to sense her fear, she avoided eye contact with him.

‘You don’t have to,’ he said sweetly.

‘He’d say yes if I ask. I don’t think he is your biggest fan right now,’ she explained, reaching for her mobile she had thrown on the desk earlier.

She flipped through her deleted contacts until she scrolled to Tharin’s name. She gagged to herself at the sight of the tiny red heart next to his name.

She would have to delete that later.

Her fingers reluctantly pressed on his number. She held the phone to her ear and listened to its ringing.

Her chest pounded to the rhythm of the rings. Kellan stared at her with a worried expression. It didn’t help that he clenched a fist, preparing for a fight.

She turned away from him and let out a small gasp when someone answered.

‘I have been waiting for you to call, Bethan,’ he said with a lover’s voice.

She shivered at the way he drawled her name and skipped the pleasantries.

‘I need you to ask Julius or Kai to grant us access to the Antiphonus,’ she said sharply.

He let out a disturbing laugh. She could imagine him slumped in a chair, smirking through the phone. She wished she could have Kellan’s flames to fuel her anger.

‘You’re closer than we thought,’ he said under his breath. ‘The Rennigans are holding a party soon; I can get you an invite, along with that fae prince too. I hear he follows you everywhere like a puppy; how adorable.’

She scoffed. ‘Thank you.’

She was about to hang up, but he spoke again.

‘You looked beautiful in our last meeting,’ he said.

The meeting where she was traumatised from watching a man be burnt alive. Yes, she is sure she looked her best. She rolled her eyes.

She gazed around; Kell leant forward as if he were listening to the call. He probably was with his fae senses.

‘How are you?’ he asked.

‘I’m fine.’ She could hear Tharin baring his teeth through the phone.

‘Don’t be like that, sweetheart.’

‘Goodbye, Tharin,’ she said with finality.

‘I don’t get this coldness. When this search is over, we are going to be together again anyway.’

Hells, he’s going insane.

Bethan laughed. ‘We are not getting back together.’

‘But we are meant to—’

‘No, we broke up. We’re done. I’m not even going to entertain this fuckery you’re pulling.’

She wanted to pat herself on the back for standing up to him, but that quickly came to a halt.

‘You can’t do anything to stop it.’ Tharin’s voice boomed through the phone, reminding her of a different place at a different time. She flinched.

‘You won’t last long in this world without someone from my status to protect you. You’re no better than those useless humans.’