Page 124 of Ruling Destiny

“But you did try to help,” I remind him. “I saw that, too. Only, by the time you reached him, it was too late.”

Braxton lets go of my hand, rejecting my assurances as though he’s undeserving of such kindness. “Killing him was never the plan,” he says. “We were supposed to keep him alive so he could bring back the Sun. After that, I have no idea what Arthur had planned, but he wasn’t supposed to die. And though I’m certain Killian had no idea I was a Timekeeper, Arthur must’ve known all along, or at least he suspected as much.”

“But Arthur needs us,” I say. “Which means we’re both safe so long as we remain useful to him.”

“And then what?” Braxton asks, a fresh trail of blood dripping from his neck and splashing onto his shirt. “What happens once the Antikythera is finally restored?”

“It’s not going to be restored,” I say.

“But what about the Moon? You brought it back, didn’t you?”

I nod. “And I have every intention of giving it to him.”

Braxton watches me with a troubled gaze, and I’m not sure if it’s a reaction to what I just said, or if it’s the result of his trying to suppress the pain he must be in.

“Why do I feel like you’re planning something?” he says.

“Because I am. And while I haven’t yet worked out the details, the good news is Arthur still has a way to go before he’s anywhere close to fulfilling his dream. And that alone will buy us some time to stay under the radar until we figure it out.”

“And Killian?” Braxton studies me. “He’ll return as soon as the next portal appears.”

“But I have the clicker.” I hold up my hand, showing him the silver ring that Killian insisted on giving to me.

“And without the clicker, when the time on the portal runs out, so does the energy that created the passage.” Braxton looks from the ring to me. “How did you know that?”

“I didn’t.” I shrug. “But I figured there had to be some kind of catch. Otherwise, anyone could wander into it and be flung forward in time. And though I do feel awful about leaving someone stranded in another century, when I think of what Killian did to my dad…” I shake my head, preferring not to dwell in that space. “Anyway, Killian’s resourceful. Eventually, he’ll find his way back. And yet, when he does, I don’t think he’ll pose a problem.”

“How can you be so sure?” Braxton asks.

“Because he’s loyal to Arthur,” I say. “He’s determined to help him restore the Antikythera. But he can’t do it without us. Which is why I don’t think he’ll admit to what happened in Florence. It’ll make him look bad, and he’s smart enough not to risk that.”

“But you know you can’t trust him, right?” Braxton says.

“He killed my dad.” I frown. “What more proof could I possibly need?”

“Tasha—” Braxton’s expression is grim, his voice gone suddenly tight. “I hate asking you this, but since we’re being honest, I need to know. Did something happen between you and Killian? I know you thought of him as a friend. I know you guys even hung out now and then.”

I bite down on my lip, but Braxton just shrugs.

“And fine, I get it. You wanted to make up your own mind. But… What I need to know is, just how far did it go?”

76

Braxton sits before me, wounded, bleeding, and it’s all because of me.

Because he risked his life—his very existence—to try to save me from an enemy I mistook for a friend.

The least I can do is tell him the truth.

I inhale an uneasy breath, remembering when Braxton learned I’d kissed Killian when I was caught in a Fade. How he assured me it was nothing to worry about. That as long as I return safely to Gray Wolf, to him, that’s all that really matters. In the grand scheme of things, what happens in a Fade is a blip of no consequence.

But this time, when I made the choice to kiss Killian, my head was clear. I acted of my own free will—pursuing something that, at the time, I convinced myself I wanted to do.

And though I know it’s the last thing Braxton wants to hear, if I’m serious about unraveling the web of lies we’ve both spun, then I need to resolve this one, too. After all, I owe him that much.

“Braxton, I—” I pause, already regretting the hurt I’m about to deliver. “Yes.” I sigh. “Killian and I…we kissed. We…kinda made out. But only because my heart was broken. I thought you’d betrayed me, and I think I was just looking for comfort, or to reclaim some part of myself, or replace you with someone else, or… Honestly, I don’t even know what got into me. But yeah, I’m not gonna lie. And though I almost let it go too far, in the end, it never amounted to anything more than the two of us kissing.”

Braxton inhales a sharp breath. There’s a flash of pain in his eyes that has nothing to do with his injuries. And the sight of it breaks me to pieces.

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