Page 86 of Silent Secrets

“Addy, please—”

“Do not call me that. You know what? Don’t call me anything. I don’t want to hear another word from any of you. Your words are all lies and I don’t have time for them or for you.”

Caiden opens his mouth to attempt to speak again, but my hand jerks up and magic flies from my hand. If I wasn’t so hurt, I’d stare in shock at the air magic hovering over his mouth, not allowing him to speak. Every time he opens his mouth, the magic eats his words.

A smirk slides across my lips and I can only imagine the malice that they see as Kai flinches away from me and for a moment I feel something besides hurt—fear that I’ve made him afraid of me. His betrayal is the one that hurts the most and that small part of me wonders if he’d had a choice in the matter. Could his dad have coerced him into helping with this plan? I know how his dad is, and how he treats Kai.

No, it doesn’t matter. It can’t. I can’t let myself be weak, not even for Kai.

Caiden’s eyes are wide as he shakes his head. Marcos clasps his hands in front of him as he stares at me with pleading eyes. Hunter’s face is blank, showing me once again the real him.

I hate them. No, that’s a lie. I hate that I allowed myself to feel something for them, that I’d trusted them. The hate will probably come, but right now I’m just hurt and maybe a little angry.

I bare my teeth at the four of them, feeling like I want to growl at them. Instead, I turn to Adaline and allow her to take my hand. She squeezes it lightly, sympathy all over her face, and it makes me want to snap at her. I don’t want her to feel sorry for me—I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me.

“Get me the hell out of here before I do something I’ll regret,” I tell her through gritted teeth and she just nods before turning to lead me from the room. The tears are already streaming down my cheeks now that my back is to them, the heartbreak threatening to overwhelm me.

I don’t know how I’ll make it through this, but I know I will. I have to because there’s an entire realm of people who are depending on me. They won’t care that my heart feels as if it has been torn from my chest. At least I’d discovered their betrayal before letting them any further in. And now I know better.

This time when I select consorts, I will choose people I feel nothing for. No one will ever have the chance to hurt me like the four of them have.

Never again, I promise myself. Never again will I let anyone close enough to hurt me.

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