Page 78 of Creatures that Breathe

The rest. I feel the rest.

Chest stinging, I turn away from her to rifle through the nightstand, checking for excessively sharp pens. “Have you ever lied to me?” I ask.

“No.”

As I guessed. “And why not?”

“Because I don’t want to manage lies along with everything else.”

Exactly what I’d say. I smile to myself, snapping up my razor and chucking it out the window too. Hopefully, the mortals on the street are using umbrellas. I wish I actually cared. “Yes. Lies beget lies.”

Spy 101. When you can. Be honest.

So she’s given me the truth, good. Doesn’t mean she’s delivered all of it.

At least she’s not a princess. Not yet.

Not ever, if I have something to say but, all thoughts of destroying the fiancé have disintegrated. Royalty.

Fuck. As if I already weren’t hunted by the crown.

Focus.

Copper coats my tongue, my lip stings. I block it. “I’m only asking this once, Leni, and if your answer isn’t ‘no’, then you need to run. You need to get out of here and never, ever let me find you.”

Slowly, she shakes her head, blue bangs floating into her eyes. “I’m so tired of running.”

“I’ll kill you, Leni. That’s the curse, understand? I’ll hate myself, but I’ll do it.”

She freezes, eyes blinking rapidly, chest rising and falling.

I need to do this right. Calmly, I redouble the efforts to contain my power, and the curse heaves in response, snapping bloody teeth.

“Go to the door,” I tell her. “Grab on the handle. Good. When you run, make sure to slam it behind you. Listen to me. You dye your hair, you don’t go to the beach, you don’t go anywhere I might have a reason to search for you.”

“Cross—” she pleads.

“Did you kill the king?” She had access to the palace. She hated him, is smart enough to pull it off.

Her hand tenses on the doorknob.

I cling onto the windowsill, ready to throw myself through the glass if need be. Anything to slow me down, to give her time.

Her hand falls.

Answer enough for the curse.

“Run,” I whisper, a rib cracking so intensely, wetness charges into my lungs. “Fuck,” I collapse down to a knee, clutching my side. “You need to run. I won’t live with it.” My arm snaps. I’m shouting at her. At the princess. “Please.” I direct my gaze towards the skies. “Zeus the Thunderer, King of Gods. Strip me of immortality, release me of this cursed duty, free—”

She’s crossing the room. And I go faster, stumble through the devotion, the pleading and supplicating. I flinch when I smell honeysuckle. Throw myself backward. “Gods strike me—”

My vision turns black.

I’m going to tear her apart.

18

Leni

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