Page 172 of His Ruthless Match
Eva tensed beside me, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her head. She looked up at him, searching his face for an explanation. “Sorry for what?” she asked, suspicion lacing every syllable.
The Shadow exhaled through his nose, his grip tightening around her fingers like he expected her to pull away. “I’m sorry you had to find out about your magic the way you did. In front of the magistrates. In such a public way.”
I saw the shift in Eva the second the words left his mouth. Her body went rigid, and then, just as quickly, she yanked her hand free from his grip. Anger flashed across her face, and for a split second, I swore the air around her crackled, as if her emotions were beginning to manifest physically.
Who the fuck do you think you are? You knew? You knew this whole time and didn’t think to tell me?”
The Shadow held his ground, but a myriad of emotions played over his face.
Eva took a step forward, closing the gap between them. “How the hell do you even know I have magical abilities? What if the magistrates were just using this as a way to punish me? To control me?”
The thought had clearly been festering in her mind since the revelation, and I didn’t blame her for questioning it. The magistrates were manipulative as hell, and I wouldn’t put it past them to twist the truth to their advantage.
The Shadow shook his head. “I never told you because I didn’t want to worry you,” he admitted. “I know how much you love your human world, how you never wanted anything to do with The Below. And you weren’t showing any signs of having magic, so I assumed it was a recessive gene.”
Eva’s eyes were still burning with fury, but there was a flicker of doubt now, a hesitation in her stance.
“Although…” He glanced in my direction, nodding slightly. “I always wondered if something might come to the surface if you were around a magical being for an extended period of time.”
I raised an eyebrow, throwing my hands up defensively. “Hey, don’t blame this on me.”
Eva shot me a glare that could have turned me to stone. “Oh, so now I’m some experiment? You thought my magic might just pop up like a goddamn weed if I hung around Jareth long enough?”
The Shadow sighed. “It wasn’t like that, Eva. I didn’tknowanything for certain. But the magistrates wouldn’t have said it if they weren’t sure. And now that it’s out in the open, we have to deal with it.”
She crossed her arms, looking away, her jaw set. The anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but there was uncertainty there too, and maybe some fear.
The Shadow softened slightly. “The magistrates have never taken kindly to strays, but the fact that you’re my sister should be enough to keep you on their good side. And as far as your magic goes… maybe you’ll get a better grasp on it as time goes on.” He hesitated, then added, “Either way, I love you, and I’m here for you.”
He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
Eva didn’t move at first. I saw the way her shoulders stiffened, the way she fought the gesture, but eventually, her body relaxed, and she let out a shaky breath as she embraced him.
“This is a very touching display of sibling love,” I said, breaking the moment. “But we have work to do.”
Eva laughed lightly, but when she turned back to me, her face was serious. “Why didn’t you want me to take the magistrates’ deal? This is my situation. My fault. I should be the one to fix it.”
“Because you didn’t have the whole story. Izo told us the magistrates are trying to undermine your brother. There’s something bigger at play here, and we don’t know all the details yet. They’ve been behind everything—from the Genevieve situation to the rebellions in the Crimson Dominion. They’re dangerous, Eva. I don’t want you tangled up in their games.”
What little color was left in her face drained completely. “I didn’t know,” she whispered. “Now I’m even more worried about agreeing to be their ambassador.”
I cupped her face, forcing her to look at me. “You’re not alone in this,” I said firmly. “Whatever happens, I’ll be with you through it all. We’ll figure it out. Together.”
She nodded, her tears finally spilling over as she buried her face in my chest. I held her close, ignoring the nagging sense of dread in the back of my mind. Whatever came next, I wouldn’t let her face it alone.
49
EVA
Raffaele veilstepped us into the Crimson Dominion, and it was like stepping into the aftermath of a nightmare. The acrid stench of smoke and something metallic that I didn’t want to identify burned my nostril. Every footstep echoed as though the city itself was holding its breath. The silence wasn’t comforting in the least. It was the fucking scariest sound I’d ever heard, and I tried to brace myself for what was to come.
Raffaele took the lead, his figure commanding and utterly unshakable. His shadows swirled around his legs, restless and alive, mirroring his fury. Without turning, he spoke. “You wanted to come, Eva? Fine. But you stay with me or Jareth at all times. Is that clear?”
I bit back a retort, and instead said, “Understood.”
Before I could process the magnitude of my decision to come here, Jareth stepped closer. His hand brushed my arm in a protective gesture, his warmth cutting through the oppressive atmosphere.
“Stay sharp, Delgado,” he murmured, his golden-brown eyes scanning the darkened streets, every muscle in his body coiled and ready. “This isn’t the kind of place that forgives mistakes.”
