She said in her mind, I am a healer, Alexandru, and your pet may need my help.
Silence, vicious and taunting, as if Alexandru was weighing how much he wanted her alive—
Her name is Zari, hunter, and I will not forgive you again if you ever speak ill of her.
Katarina bowed her head. Yes, milord.
She knew then he was no longer the Alexandru she loved, no longer the Alexandru who had loved her. But even so, she would not give up.
Chapter Three
ZARI
It had only been minutes since I came back to the hotel room when I felt the door open behind me, followed by a cool blast of wind coming from the outside. Since I knew air-conditioning units couldn’t walk, I had a pretty good idea what caused it.
“Master.” I turned around, and it really was Alexandru.
He came to me wordlessly, cupping my face and looking into my eyes. His touch made me tremble, and I stayed still as he ran his hands over my body, searching for any sign of injuries.
“I’m fine.” I didn’t want him to worry.
His gaze returned to my face, and I realized that my reassurance hadn’t done any good. I could feel his hands shaking. “You were burning,” he bit out. “I could feel it, even though I didn’t see your vision—”
Good, I thought numbly. Because he was the last person I wanted to know about my vision.
Shaking my head at his words, I cut him off, saying, “I was just…hot.” It was supposed to be a quip, but it fell awkward between us and when his gaze narrowed, I immediately looked away.
“What did you see, pet?”
I didn’t answer.
He cupped my face again, forcing me to look at him. “Zari…”
“I can’t.” The words were torn out from me, and suddenly I could see it again.
The school was burning...
Katarina was dying…
Guilt flamed into life, a fire that didn’t just burn me but crushed me under its weight, nearly bringing me down to my knees.
Oh God, had it all happened because unrequited love had turned me into a selfish and vindictive bitch?
“Just tell me this, and don’t fucking lie,” Alexandru said in a hard voice. “Were you in danger in your vision?”
Biting my lip to stop it from trembling, I shook my head slowly and watched my Master’s powerful body relax at my answer.
A sob rose to my throat, but I forced it back down.
If only.
If only it could be me—
Someone knocked on the door, and Alexandru stiffened, making me look at him in surprise. “What is—”
“May I come in?”
I paled.
Katarina was here?
“She came with you?” The words came out of my mouth in a hiss. “You’ve been with her all the time?” In the back of my mind, I knew that I was acting out like a kid, knew that the anger was my defense against the guilt.
Alexandru’s handsome face had turned rigid. “You know I’ve been in a meeting. Read my mind if you will. I’m not lying—”
“Why is she here?” I was shouting now. Outside, Katarina had fallen silent but we both knew that she was still standing there, hearing everything that was going on. The whole school may be outside for all I knew, but I couldn’t seem to make myself care.
I just wanted to be mad.
I wanted him to be mad.
So damn mad that he would punish me the way I deserved.
It was better than having him find out the shameful truth.
“What’s gotten into you?” Alexandru demanded. “You are not being your usual self—”
“And that’s what? Someone who just stands aside every time she calls for you?”
“You know it’s not like that.” Alexandru gripped my shoulders almost as if he was prepared to shake some sense into me. “All this time, you know I’ve been avoiding—”
“Really?” I let out a hollow laugh. “You’ve been avoiding her? Oh, that’s rich,” I spat. “You may be trying to avoid her, but we both know you weren’t really trying too hard—”
“Stop this.” A muscle started ticking in his jaw.
“No!” I shook my head wildly. “I want to hear you say it—”
The door opened behind us, and Katarina appeared in the doorway, a troubled look on her oh-so-lovely face.
Emotions warred inside of me.
Jealousy, bitterness, even hatred, but most of all there was guilt, and it made me want to scratch her eyes out, just so she wouldn’t accidentally see the truth in mine.
The thought left me paralyzed with shock.
Oh God, when had I become this evil?
“I’m sorry for intruding.” Katarina closed the door behind her. “But I thought you two should calm down—”
She thought we should calm down? Who cared about what she thought? She wasn’t part of this—