“I think I’ve done my share of dragging you into crazy situations,” she replied. “We’ll call it even.”
“Yes,” he mused. “Why am I back to normal now?”
“I—” Mikayla hesitated, a blush staining her cheeks.
“You know what I think?” Ciar asked. “My ability to stay in my true form was tried to my attraction. The more I felt, the longer I stayed this way. And then when Rouke attacked, I changed completely. I think your spell hinged on a far more intimate resolution than you let on.”
Mikayla swallowed hard. “Do you love Alina?” she whispered. “You changed back when Rouke attacked her.”
“And you,” he murmured.
She nodded, hardly daring to hope. “And me.”
Ciar reached out to tug a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. His gaze dropped to her arm once more. “What can I say, Mikayla?” he asked her softly. “How can I tell you I’ve never been as enraged as I was when Rouke threatened you? How can I say the words I know you want to hear when it would be too cruel to speak them?”
“Why?”
He shook his head, regret in his eyes. “Because we can’t be together. Tonight proved that.”
A chill settled over her. “That’s not true,” she tried to argue. “We defeated Rouke. I think that proves we can handle anything that comes our way.”
“Open your eyes,” he demanded. “I nearly got you killed tonight. Do you think Rouke will leave me alone? I come with powerful enemies, ones who won’t hesitate to use the people I care about to hurt me.”
“I can fight with you.”
“But I never want you to have to,” he growled to her. “You deserve a bright, happy life with a man who won’t draw you into bloody battles. I’m a demon, Mikayla. That will never change. My family, my heritage, hell, even my powers are dangerous to you. Look how you reacted to my magic. You should be running from me as fast as you can.”
“That will never happen,” she said.
“I could hurt you.”
“Never.”
“You don’t know the future.”
“I’ll take the risk.”
Ciar smiled at her determination but the expression on his face broke her heart. Looking at him, she knew without a doubt this was not a fight she would win. Despite whatever he felt for her, she wasn’t going to convince him to stay.
“I won’t,” he told her. “Your life is the one thing I will never gamble on.” He leaned down and kissed her. It was gentle but scared her more than anything he had said. The tender touch told her goodbye.
He drew back and, with a last lingering look at her, turned and walked away.
“Ciar,” Mikayla called, unable to believe it could end like this.
But he never paused.
Before her eyes, he walked out of her life.
Chapter Ten
“Bastard.”
Wyn looked up from the teacup in her hands. “She’s muttering to herself again.”
“Leave her alone,” Tamsyn sighed, easing into a chair while careful not to jostle her bandaged hand.
Mikayla glanced at her sisters, remembering what she’d seen when she’d come home three days ago. Wyn had been crumpled, unconscious, by the stairs in a pool of blood and Tamsyn had fractured her wrist and broken two ribs. Neither sister was happy with the fact Alina’s magic had overpowered them.
“Damn demon magic. Why did no one ever warn us?” Wyn complained.
“I’d imagine it’s a closely guarded secret, considering the damage no forewarning can do,” Tamsyn, ever the voice of reason, pointed out.
Mikayla tapped her fingers on the chair’s arm, staring at her sisters. The first night she’d come home she’d been desolate. But as the hours had passed, her anger had grown steadily hotter.
“Well, I for one am glad our house is demon free,” Wyn said.
Tamsyn tossed a pillow at her. “She didn’t mean it, Mikayla.”
“Did too,” Wyn muttered.
“He’s wrong,” Mikayla said, shifting to accommodate her wounded arm, bound in its sling.
Wyn glanced at Tamsyn with an arched brow. “See? She won’t stop the muttering.”
“Ciar thinks he’s too dangerous for me? I’ll fry him.”
“I think we need to reset her brain,” Wyn said with a sigh.
Tamsyn leaned forward. “Mikayla, you need a plan.”
“He doesn’t want me.”
“I seriously doubt it,” Tamsyn said.
“Stop helping her,” Wyn snapped.
“Be more supportive,” her sister retorted. “Kay, show him you can handle him. Danger and all.”