Chapters (52)
“Nobody asked you to start having feelings for the Prince of Victory.”
“I don’t have feelings for him.” My voice falters despite my hardened stare. “But he isn’t what you think he is.”
“Annika thinks you have him under your spell. Maybe he has you under his.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“You’re naive.”
“What is your problem?” I close the gap between us. “Is it not enough that you got your wish?”
Gil pulls his chin back, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“You’ve wanted everyone to hate me since the beginning, and I’ve pretty much handed that to you on a silver platter.”
“That’s not what I wanted.”
“Isn’t it? You’ve been telling everyone they can’t trust me for months,” I argue. “You made it impossible for us to train together. And every time I think we might actually be connecting on a basic human level, you pull a one-eighty and go right back to despising me. So what else could you possibly want?”
“I want you to not get hurt!” he shouts suddenly, and his words tumble through my brain.
My eyes dart back and forth, thoughts lost somewhere I can’t reach. I can barely hear anything beyond my own heartbeat.
He looks away. “You don’t see how dangerous this world is. Not really. Everything is at risk, all the damn time. And you—you’re a risk I never wanted to have to take.”
I feel a thousand miles away from my own body.
“You’ve complicated the plan. You’ve complicated everything.” He shakes his head, casting his eyes to the side. “What do you think a Resident prince will do to you if he finds out who you really are? That you’re a human spy looking for a way to destroy the Orb?” His eyes return to mine. “Do you think he’ll become a monster then?”
“I—” My voice falters, eyes falling to the floor. “I don’t know.”
Gil stiffens. “You may not want to play the game, but at least make sure you know the rules.”
He walks away, leaving me on the platform with half-dried tears and feelings I don’t know how to process.
37
FINN LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN I remember him. His eyes are more gray than green, and he’s taller. Was he always so tall?
“I made a new playlist. The Ocarina of Timon and Pumbaa,” he says, grinning.
“Hey, Ophelia,” I say, standing in front of him. “Can you copy Finn’s playlist to my phone?”
But Ophelia doesn’t answer.
“You should’ve kissed me when you had the chance.” My voice comes out of Finn’s mouth.
I frown. Something’s wrong. He doesn’t look like Finn. He looks like…
The gray in his eyes shines silver.
“Listen,” Prince Caelan says, head tilting.
“Listen to what?” I ask, wondering why he’s growing taller by the second.
Am I shrinking?