“Ms. Morgan,” Trent said, his suit rustling as he followed me off the stage. “I do believe you’re betraying yourself.”

Swell. He totally knew it. “Don’t forget to pick up a charm to change your scent,” I said as I went to get my shoulder bag. “You won’t be able to match Cormel’s individual smell, but a generic scent charm ought to fool everyone.” I plucked my bag up, then turned, taking one last look at him. Damn. “Everyone except those who know his scent, of course.”

Trent glanced at Quen, who was still staring in disbelief. “I’ll keep that in mind,” Trent muttered.

I headed for the door, my pace faltering when Quen said, “Rachel, please reconsider?”

My good mood crashed, and I stopped two feet from the door with my head bowed. Quen was asking, but I knew he was asking for Trent. I thought of Ceri and the happiness a healthy child would bring her, the healing that could come of it. “Trent, I can’t. The risk—”

“What would you risk for your child to be healthy?” Trent interrupted, and I turned around, surprised at the question. “What would any parents do?”

Tension pulled me stiff, and hearing the accusation of cowardice in his voice, I hated him more than I ever had before. I’d never thought about children much until I met Kisten, and then it had always been with a melancholy sadness that they wouldn’t have his beautiful eyes. But if I had a child? And that child was suffering as I had in my past? Yeah. I’d risk it all.

Trent seemed to see it in my eyes and a hint of victory quirked his lips. But then I thought of Al. I’d been his familiar once. Sort of. And it was hell on earth. That was assuming he wouldn’t outright kill me. I wouldn’t chance it. I was going to think with my head this time and not be goaded into a stupid decision by Trent pushing my buttons—and I wasn’t going to feel guilty about it either.

A shiver lifted through me and was gone. Lifting my chin, I stared until the disgust I directed at him made his eye twitch. “No,” I said, my voice shaking. “I won’t. I go in the ever-after, and Al will pick me up three seconds after I tap a line. After that, I’m dead. It’s that simple. You can save your own damn species.”

“We don’t need Morgan’s help,” Trent said, his voice tight. But I noticed he’d waited until I refused before he said it. Ceri wasn’t the only stubborn elf, and I wondered if Trent’s new desire to prove his worth came from his trying to impress her.

“This isn’t my problem,” I muttered, hiking my shoulder bag up. “I have to go.”