“It’s just some Mr. Sensitive crap so you don’t have to hurt my feelings. It hurts a lot worse to be lied to, though.” She glowered at him. “Just say you don’t want me.”

Dorian felt angrier at this than he could quite explain to himself. “Then how do I know about the whole turning-into-water thing? You’ve never told anyone about that, have you? And I’m telling you exactly how it felt for you. You didn’t give in to it. But I know what would have happened if you had . . .”

Zoe lowered her face; Dorian thought that she was trying to hide her fascination. “Oh, yeah?” The bratty tone was back. “Because whatever it was also happened to your girlfriend?”

“Yes.” Dorian still felt angry, volatile. If Luce couldn’t be bothered to keep her promises, then why shouldn’t he say whatever he felt like? Still, there was the question of how ridiculous it would sound.

“Awesome. What would have happened? This way the next time that bastard shoves a cigarette into my arm I’ll know what my choices are.” She sounded like she was joking, but her eyes contradicted the blithe tone; they were worried, eager, and guarded, as if she was afraid that Dorian actually knew the answer.

He looked up sharply. Her choices. He hadn’t thought about that, but that was obviously the most important issue. Just because Zoe had stayed human so far didn’t mean she would next time!

Zoe tried harder to cover her emotion. “Spill already! I’m waiting. You get so cold inside you feel like you’re melting. Then what?”

Dorian kept his face hard so there was no way she could think he was kidding. “You change. If you go with the feeling, then you change. And you can’t take it back, either.”

“You change?” Zoe didn’t exactly sound as if this came as a surprise to her; more as if it confirmed something she’d sensed all along.

“Into something else.” Now Dorian was afraid she might decide he was lying, playing games with her when she was already so hurt. The idea stopped him for a moment.

“Okay.” She actually smiled now, though there was something grim about it. “Like what?”

“You can’t tell anyone, Zoe.”

“Like what?”