Page 59 of Dead End

“Have you changed your mind about me? About us?” His voice was surprisingly gentle given the questions.

“No, of course not, but this is bigger than us, Kane.”

“What if The Corporation tracks you to the underworld? You’ll be alone and undefended.”

“It’s where they want me to be.” And even if I was mistaken, the underworld was still a safer place to defend against an attack, far from everyone I loved where the risk of collateral damage was minimal.

“Why not wait until they make their move?”

“Because then it will be too late. Come on, Kane. You know this.” I couldn’t keep the anguish at bay any longer. “Please don’t make this more difficult than it already is. I don’t want to leave you, but this is the best option for everyone involved.”

“Not everyone,” Kane said tersely. “You’re the liminal deity of the crossroads, remember? Fairhaven needs you.Ineed you.”

“It doesn’t mean I don’t love you.”

“Love isn’t a feeling. It’s a verb. An action word. Show, don’t tell.”

“Now you sound like West.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?”

I wrapped my arms around him. “You know he’s madly in love with Sage.” I kissed him. “And I’m madly in love with you.”

“Then prove it. Take me with you.”

I breathed in his scent. If only Phaedra could bottle it as a parting gift. “I can’t.”

“Can’t is different from won’t.” He removed my arms from his waist. “You and I had a conversation about our standards and nonnegotiables. Do you remember?”

Of course I remembered. It was one of the most open and vulnerable conversations I’d ever had, with the added bonus of taking place on the rooftop of the Devil’s Playground. It was both romantic and healthy, two things I wasn’t convinced could exist in the same space until I met Kane.

“You asked me, and I said I wouldn’t return to hell to rule,” he continued.

“I didn’t make the same promise.” It was a weak argument, and I knew it, but I didn’t know what else to say.

“You’re running away.”

“Can’t you see I’m saving you? I don’t want this outcome any more than you do. I don’t want to rule, and I certainly don’t want to leave Fairhaven.”

He gripped my shoulders. “Then stay and fight. You’ll have backup.”

I curled my fingers around his. “I’ve caused enough bloodshed. I won’t have anyone else die because I’m too stubborn to know when to quit.”

“This is not the same speech I received when I was up against Lucifer.”

“And look how well that turned out!” I hadn’t intended to shout. Emotional outbursts were uncommon for me, thanks to years of training by Pops. I’d suppressed my feelings for so long, there were bound to be times when I failed to regulate them. It would take commitment and practice, both of which I would have plenty of time for during my years of solitude in the underworld.

It was only the flicker of a bright side when I needed a solar flare.

I hooked my arms around his neck. “Let’s not argue with the little time we have left together when there are far better ways to spend it.”

He slid his hand through my hair at the back of my neck. “You’re going to be an incredible queen. The history books will run out of synonyms with which to praise you.”

I steeled myself against his gentle touch. “You can’t sweet-talk me into coming, Kane. It won’t work.”

“Can’t blame a demon for trying.” He placed a tender kiss on my forehead. “You and I were meant to be together, Lorelei. Itwillhappen, one way or another.”

“Since when do you believe in fate?”

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