Page 67 of Creatures of Chaos

“The last couple of trials are going to be even more dangerous, and I think it’s for the best if you safely withdraw from Chaos.” He still won’t look me in the eye.

Defensiveness swirls in my chest, and I cross my arms. I don’t know who Talon thinks he is, but he can’t make this decision for me any more than Becks, Ensley, or anyone else can.

“No.” My voice rings clear in the empty room.

Talon’s gaze finally settles on me. There’s a storm cloud of emotion swirling in his light eyes. “Locklyn, you don’t understand.”

Locklyn, not Freckles.

“No,youdon’t understand,” I say, cutting off whatever else he might have been about to say and taking an aggressive step forward. “You don’t get to tell me what to do in Chaos. Nobody does. I made the decision to enter the competition, and if I want to purposefully tank a trial or give it my all until the very end, that will also be my decision.”

Removing his hands from his pockets, he crosses his arms over his chest, mirroring my stance. His fists are clenched and a muscle jumps in his jaw.

“There are things going on here that you don’t know about. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Newsflash. Chaos has always been dangerous. There’s always been a chance I could get hurt. Yesterday I did, yet I’m still here. I’m not purposefully throwing the next trial, and nothing you can say will convince me to.”

His features pinch in annoyance. “Why not? It’s not like you’re going to win anyway, so what’s the point?”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, regret flashes across his face.

I feel like I’ve just been hit by friendly fire. “We’re done here.”

I go to leave the room but Talon steps in my path. “Freckles,” he starts, but I hold up a hand.

“I said we’re done here.”

Panic crosses his face. “Wait.” When I try to step around him, he grabs my arms and hauls me into him. I press my hands against his chest to keep distance between us, but when I look up at him, unwelcome memories of the night before bombard me.

The feel of his muscles beneath my fingers.

His warm breath ghosting over my lips.

The way I craved his touch with an intensity I’ve never experienced before.

He reads my face with ease, and he parts his lips, his gaze dropping to my mouth.

The breath in my lungs stalls, and as he looks down at me I finally notice the dark smudges under his eyes and the ashen color of his skin. Something is going on with him, but I don’t know what.

“During the last trial, they tried to compel me to kill you.”

Shock vibrates from my chest outward, chasing away any lingering desires from the night before, turning the blood in my veins to slush.

Kill me.

Who would want to kill me? And why?

I sway a little on my feet, becoming a little lightheaded. Talon’s grip on me tightens and he shifts closer. “Are you all right?”

My fingers start to tingle and go numb.

Kill me.

“But why?” I’m so confused.

Real concern shines in his eyes and his voice softens when he answers. “I think someone is poking for my weak spots. And they found one. You.”

That sobers me. I push against Talon, and he releases me. I take a step back to clear my head.

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