Page 62 of Ruled By Magic

She regarded me through flat, shuttered eyes. “Let’s talk.”

I followed her into her tent. It was chaotic, cushions and clothes strewn about. That would be Hex’s doing. She could make a mess in an empty room. We perched on the cushions.

Hex remained silent for a long time, staring at the floor. When she met my gaze, her eyes were wide, voice soft. “What are you doing? Just tell me. What’s he got over you? We can fix it. Whatever it is. You don’t have to stay with him.”

I took a breath. Honesty, no matter the cost. “It’s not like that.” Hex opened her mouth. I held up my hand. “Let me speak.”

She fell silent.

“He’s not what you think. We’re happy. He told me he loves me. I’m not his prisoner anymore, Hex. I’ve decided to stay with him.”

“When did this happen?”

I braced for the inevitable skepticism. “This morning.”

Hex stared, jaw slack. She went to talk—shook her head, bit her lip. She took my hand. “And you don’t find that suspicious? He made this grand gesture when he’s vulnerable and needs help. When you can escape him. Have you told him about my offer? Does he know the NPU want you, that you’ve got somewhere to go if you leave him?”

I forced myself to meet Hex’s gaze. “Yes.”

Hex threw up her hands. “Are you fucking serious? Do you not hear how this sounds? Why didn’t he make this announcement last week? Any time in the past three fucking months? Why now?”

“He only just admitted it to himself.”

Hex put her head down. The silence stretched to the point of awkwardness, and beyond.

I touched her shoulder. “Hex?”

She looked up. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she wiped them away with an angry swipe. “I don’t know how to talk to you about this. It’s like there’s a piece of your brain missing, that you can’t see how obviously he’s manipulating you.” Her face softened. “I can’t imagine how bad it was. You were in his power. Isolated, no way out. Maybe you had to convince yourself you liked what he did to you to survive it.”

“No, Hex—”

“Let me speak this time, okay?”

I fell silent, nausea churning in my empty stomach. This was worse than the yelling match I’d expected.

“Just think, Liv, really think. The way he makes you dress.” She gestured to my short skirt. “The bruises. You don’t have to live like that. You’re worth so much more. He doesn’t have any power over you here. He can’t control you. You don’t have to do what he says or let him touch you. You can be free again.”

My mouth was dry. It all made perfect sense. If the situations were reversed, I’d be saying the same things. What I was doing was foolish. But, against all logic, I trusted Leo. I had to.

“He saved the palace staff. How do you explain that? If he’s as bad as you say, why would he do that? He could have died!”

Hex rubbed her hand over her face. “I don’t know. Maybe he wanted to be seen as a hero, to mend his public image? It doesn’t matter. You can’t trust him. We’ve got a very small window here. Once he gets his magic back, you’re his again. No one can help you. You might never be free of him. Think about it, please. Do you want to be his forever? He can slap a fancy label on you, but you have no power. He as good as owns you.”

His. I loved the word. I wanted to be his. Craved it. She made it sound like a curse.

“Hex!” Peter’s voice. “Time to go. I want to get to the city by tomorrow morning.”

Hex grabbed my hand, gave it one last desperate squeeze. “There might still be time when I get back, if he hasn’t recovered.”

She opened the tent and we filed out. Peter stood at the edge of the clearing.

Hex turned to me. Pain shadowed her features. She held out her hand. “I need my jacket back. You can wear the outfit he picked out for you. Remember what sort of man he is when you look at it.”

I unzipped the coat and handed it to her. She frowned at the glowing necklace but didn’t ask. The cold hit me, raising gooseflesh on my arms and turning my nipples to hard points. Leo took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders.

Hex snorted and spoke with raw disgust. “What a gentleman.”

She strode to Peter, and they left the clearing without a backwards glance.

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