WHO WANTS ME DEAD
1098 Words
“And it won’t be the last.”
Kael’s words just kept echoing in my head.
I stared at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He didn’t answer. No reaction.
So I moved closer. “Kael.”
He finally looked at me. “You heard me.”
“No. I heard you, but I don’t get it. What are you saying?”
His face stayed perfectly calm. Too calm, really.
“You said tonight wasn’t the first attack.”
“That’s right.”
“So how many times have people actually tried to kill me?”
He broke eye contact.
Anger started building in my chest. “How many, Kael?”
He sighed. “Three.”
My jaw dropped. “Three?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“When?”
“The first time was three years ago.”
Three years. That lined up exactly with how long he’d apparently known I existed. My stomach twisted up.
“And you knew?” My voice was barely a whisper.
“Yes.”
I just stared at him. “So you knew someone was after me, for three years?”
“I knew someone was looking.”
“And you did nothing?”
“I protected you.”
“You watched me.” It came out more like an accusation.
His jaw tightened. “I made sure nobody could reach you.”
“But you never told me. Not once.”
“You didn’t need to know.”
I let out a hard, bitter laugh. “Yeah, that’s your answer for everything.”
He took a step toward me. “Elara—”
I cut him off with a raised hand. “No. You don’t get to decide what I need to know anymore.”
His eyes narrowed. “You don’t understand the danger you’re in.”
“Then explain it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because the less you know, the safer you are.”
I stared him down. “That… does not make sense.”
“It does to me.”
“Well, it doesn’t to me.” I turned for the door.
He called after me. “Where are you going?”
“To get answers.”
“You’re not going anywhere.”
I spun on him. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
I couldn’t help the bitter smile spreading across my face. “Are you ordering me around now?”
“I’m trying to keep you alive.”
“And I’m trying to figure out why people want me dead!”
The words echoed between us.
Kael’s eyes narrowed, but there was something behind his anger. I moved closer.
“You think I don’t want answers?” He spit the words out.
“Then help me find them.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re not.” I wasn’t backing down. “You’re hiding things from me.”
“I am protecting you.”
“Stop calling it protection! That’s not what this is.”
A heavy silence settled over us both.
I was breathing hard, and I could see the anger in his eyes. But underneath it, there was something I couldn’t quite grasp. I shook my head.
“I’m not a child, Kael.”
He sounded tired. “I know.”
“Then stop treating me like one.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
He looked at me—really looked at me. “Because you’re my—” He stopped himself.
My heart skipped. “Your what?”
Silence.
“Say it.”
His jaw locked tight. “You know what you are to me.”
“Do I?” My voice cracked. “You rejected me.”
Something in his face changed.
I swallowed. “You can’t just decide I’m nothing to you, and then pretend you get to protect me.”
“I never said I wanted forgiveness.”
“Then what do you want from me, Kael?”
He just stared.
We stood like that for what felt like forever.
Then the door opened, and Adrian walked in. He stopped short, taking in the tension.
“What happened?”
“Nothing,” Kael shot back.
Adrian turned to me. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.
Kael bristled.
Adrian stepped forward, calm as ever. “She should know the truth.”
Kael’s tone turned sharp. “This doesn’t concern you.”
“It does if she’s being hunted.”
“I said stay out of it.”
“No.” Adrian didn’t budge. “You rejected her, fine. But if someone wants her dead, she deserves to know why.”
Kael moved toward him. “Careful.”
Adrian didn’t flinch. “I am being careful.”
I stepped between them. “Enough.”
They both looked at me.
“I don’t need you two fighting over me.”
Adrian nodded. Kael looked away.
I faced Kael. “I want the truth.”
He just stood there.
“What are you so afraid of?”
“Nothing.”
I almost laughed. “That’s a lie.”
He met my gaze. “I don’t fear anything.”
“Then look me in the eyes and say it.” I waited.
He did—and suddenly, the air between us shifted.
For a split second, everything else fell away.
I couldn’t breathe.
Something deep inside my chest sparked—warm, almost burning.
Then… fear.
Not mine. His. It slammed into me, so real I staggered back a step.
I gasped.
Kael’s eyes went wide.
He felt it too.
His fear was so raw, so overwhelming. Not fear of me—fear of losing me.
My heart pounded. “Kael…”
He instinctively stepped away. I followed.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“I felt it.”
He turned aside. “You’re imagining things.”
“No. I know what I felt.” I pressed my hand to my chest. “I felt you.”
He went pale.
The silence between us got thicker.
“You’re afraid,” I whispered.
He didn’t answer.
“You’re afraid something will happen to me.”
His jaw clenched.
I stepped closer. “Why?”
Nothing. Just silence.
Softly, I asked, “Why are you more scared of losing me than you were of just… rejecting me?”
He locked eyes with me. I could see the words on his lips.
But nothing came out. He just stood there, staring at me.
And kept his silence.
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