Carefully, he hovered his hand over a section of the ring, but didn’t touch it. “Perhaps you’re right. But we need to leave now before reinforcements show up.”
I pushed up to sit. “Reinforcements, why didn’t we think of those for ourselves?”
“Because neither of us trust anyone else? And we barely trust each other.” He cupped my elbows and pulled me to stand. I couldn’t get my feet to stay under me, so he swung me up into his arms. “Let’s go.”
“What about the Black Mage? He didn’t even show up.”
He shook his head and clutched me tight to his chest. Pain shot through me with every step he made.
“No, you were right. We should have left when we had the chance earlier. I thought Olivia killed you and all I could think was your death would be my fault since we didn’t go when you asked me to.”
Darkness seeped into my vision and I lay my face against his torn shirt. He’d lost his tux jacket at some point. I didn’t remember when.
“I’m going to close my eyes for a second. Take a little nap.”
“No, Zoey...”
I opened my eyes in a dark room exactly like the rubber-floored interrogation rooms. I would be afraid, except some part of my brain knew it was just a dream.
Awesome, I could add nightmares to my PTSD symptoms now.
“This isn’t just a dream,” Olivia’s voice said from behind me.
I spun, and she stood in front of me, wearing Esteban’s tux, although it looked better on her than him, and that said something considering how determined I was to hate her.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
She cupped my cheek in her manicured hand. “It means you’ve broken something in yourself, Zoey. I don’t know if it was there as some kind of protection for you, or for everyone else.”
I jerked back. “Awesome. I killed you and now you’re going to haunt me.”
She smiled, ruby lips matching her nails, to display her white teeth. “Mi reina, you killed a puppet, nothing more. She wasn’t useful in life, but I’ll make her more useful in death. When she killed you, and you her, you forged a connection. A bridge between you. It is the way with every mage’s death.”
The little nickname reminded me of... “Esteban?”
“Now you are understanding. You danced with me as Esteban, and then you danced with me in Olivia’s form in a different way. I admit, I’ve underestimated you and your fae prince. I won’t make that mistake again.”
My voice wavered, and I hated it. But this was all likely in my head, so what the hell.
“If you really are the Black Mage, then you should know we aren’t done with each other. I plan to rip out your heart and set it on fire.”
He reached for my face again, and I swatted his hand. “Stop touching me.”
My reaction earned me a chuckle. “I’d expect nothing less from you, my dear.”
“Is that it? You just wanted to invade my mind to scare me? Threaten me?”
“No,” he said. I heard the timbre of his voice under Olivia’s sultry one. “I came here to ensure you hadn’t died yet. If I can speak to you, then you’ll live.”
“Goodie.”
“I have plans for you, mi reina. Take care until we meet again. I’d hate to lose you before I get my hands on that incredible power of yours.”
“Power?”
He disappeared, and I blinked awake to stare up at Fin shaking me, hard, yelling at me. “Wake up, Zoey. You can’t sleep if you have a concussion. Wake up.”
I slapped him. “Stop it.”