“I can’t breathe here,” I said, pacing beneath the silver glow of the full moon. The clearing should’ve felt safe—quiet, peaceful—but all I felt was watched.
“You’re safe, Lena,” Elias said softly behind me. “No one can touch you here.”
I turned to face him. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
He stepped closer, the shadows playing over his sharp features. “Then what is it?”
I held his gaze. “You.”
He stopped in his tracks, his jaw tightening. “Me?”
I nodded, the words clawing their way out of my throat. “You say you’d never hurt me. But Magnus said the same thing once. He looked me in the eye and promised to protect me too.”
“I’m not him,” Elias said, voice low.
“But how do I know that?” I snapped. “How do I know you’re not just playing the long game? That this isn’t just politic
