The barren interior suited me fine. Bones and I had nothing to focus on except each other though I stood as far away from him as the narrow space would allow. For his part, Bones locked his aura down until I felt nothing from him except a slight tinge in the air. His expression was equally inscrutable. Only smudges of blood marred his chiseled features, the color in vivid contrast to his creamy, crystal skin.

“Sabotaging the Dante machine, ripping off doors, disabling entire security systems, and throwing soldiers around like rag dolls . . . your telekinetic powers have grown tremendously,” I started with. “You hid that from me. Why?”

His mouth curled as though he’d swallowed something distasteful.

“Initially, I thought to surprise you with how they’d developed. Then I didn’t say anything because I feared one day, I’d need them to stop you from doing something rash.”

“You were planning to restrain me with them?” I couldn’t contain my angry snort. “What was your plan for when you let me go? Run like hell?”

“Didn’t much care what happened afterward, if I ever needed to employ such drastic measures,” he retorted. Then his tone hardened. “The most dangerous enemy you’ve ever faced is yourself, Kitten. I know that even if you still won’t admit it.”

This wasn’t at all how I had imagined this conversation would go. I expected Bones to ask forgiveness for his terrible deception. Instead, it seemed like he was putting my actions on trial.

“I’m a danger to myself? On the pier, you used an inherited power that’s only worked by accident once before,” I flung back.

His dark brown gaze didn’t waver. “No, luv. I made sure I’d mastered the gift I inherited from Tenoch before I used it at the pier.”

He’d. Been. Practicing. For a few seconds, I was so stunned I was speechless. Then I said the words that had been burning inside me ever since I figured out his degeneration into a corpse had been a trick.

“You let me watch you die.”

My voice was raw, while the memory of seeing him wither ripped through me like razors had replaced my emotions. I wished our supernatural bond went the other way so I could shove those feelings back into him and watch him buckle under their weight.

“You knew I’d think it was real, and you did it anyway!”

He gripped my shoulders, but I knocked his hands away with an incoherent hiss. Bones didn’t try to touch me again. Only his gaze held mine as he spoke.