Page 55 of Escape from the Green

"She's the heir. And she is powerful. A child of both Courts. If she could be persuaded to your father's side, the balance would tip entirely to his side. He would have all the power in the realms."

"Precisely. And how do you play in?"

My saliva went bitter in my mouth, hard to swallow. "I'm the bait." There was no question about it. It was the only thing that made sense. "He wants to use me to draw out Jasper. Who would then bring Cece with him. Then he could capture them. Brainwash Cece. Kill Jasper."

"And you," Jet piped in, making my stomach swirl. "You'd be useless. Wedded and bedded and disposable, easily replaceable."

"You'd let your father kill your wife?" I asked, whatever bit of kinship or even begrudging respect that had been building evaporating at the very thought.

"Wife," he spat, shaking his head. "Just a title, Amethyst. You're speaking as though you'd have captured my heart when I got between your thighs. Make no mistake, babe, I don't have a heart."

"Clearly," I grumbled, not even able to make eye-contact with him.

"No one is taking my throne from me. Especially not a sister who doesn't even want it. I have earned the title. The Dark Court will be mine. So this plan of my father's can not come to pass."

"He will be looking for you," I told him in case the idea hadn't occurred to him before.

"Which is why I am going to head back out there, find him, and steer him back toward the dinosaur you were standing beside for so long. While you sneak out some other way. Go home. Pack. Leave. And this time, don't leave a fucking trail of breadcrumbs leading right to you. What were you thinking?"

"I didn't leave..."

"A note?" he cut me off.

My stomach dropped at that.

"You should have known better," he added, tisking his tongue at me. "Innocents having to lose their lives because you needed to be loved so badly."

Oh, God.

No.

Had I freed him only to be the reason he was dead?

My heart shrank, dried, splintered at the thought.

"Mourn later," Jet demanded, pushing off the wall, moving toward me, hand moving out to snag my chin, dragging it up. "Survive now." His voice almost seemed to lose its edge, its coldness for a second. "Maybe I don't want to marry you and become your widower, but I like your spirit, Amethyst Winters. I'd kinda like to know you were still around in the world. Even if it is in this hellhole of a human realm. So go. Start over again. Never try to reach out to your family. Unless you want everything to fall apart."

With that, he released me, moved to the door, and threw himself outside without another word.

The tears stung at the backs of my eyes. What was left of my heart crushed to dust.

But I pushed myself off of the wall, moved on numb feet across the floor, reached for the handle.

Everything was falling apart.

I was losing everything that mattered.

I had already lost Drake.

Killed Drake.

There was simply nothing left to do.

But survive.

My never-to-be husband was right.

I had to go.