his throat tighten. “No. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“So tell me.”
It took him a minute to make sure his voice would remain steady. “When we came after them, the car was crushed in a rock slide. My father and uncle were killed.”
He felt her eyes, and he met them, holding her there, daring her to say . . . anything. He wasn’t sure what would push him over the edge.
Her voice dropped. “Michael Merrick is an Earth Elemental.”
Hunter glared at her, hard. “I know. That was my first thought, too. I came here to finish the job.”
“And you couldn’t follow through.”
It was so close to the truth that he flinched. He put a thumb against the edge of the blade, just a bit, letting the pain steady him. “They aren’t the only Elementals in town,” he said. “Their parents made a deal with the others, that they wouldn’t turn them in to the Guides if the Merricks kept out of trouble and didn’t use their abilities. Then the others spent years harassing the Merricks in an effort to make them reveal themselves.”
She snorted. “Some deal. They used their abilities last night.”
“The deal is over. When my dad couldn’t . . . when he couldn’t finish the job . . .” He had to swallow. “Another Guide came. He almost killed them. He caught Chris and Nick, but . . .”
Hunter stopped. She was going to misunderstand this, too.
“But what?”
He slid his thumb along the edge of her blade, harder now, feeling the sharpness, knowing it could draw blood with a little more pressure. “I helped them escape.”
“Did you help them kill him, too?”
“He’s not dead!” he snapped. “I still don’t understand why you want my help if you think I’m nothing but a traitor.”
She ignored that. “And Calla? You really did beat her up, didn’t you?”
“No. I wish I had, but no. She said that so I’d have to stay away from her.” He frowned. “Now that won’t be a problem.”
“Where does she fit in? Was she after the Merricks, too?”
“No. She wanted to bring the Guides here.” He pointed at her with the knife. “Mission accomplished, huh?”
“Why?”
He punched the ground with his fist. “I don’t know why! She kept threatening to keep starting fires if I couldn’t bring more Guides here. I never expected her to blow up the whole carnival.” His voice almost broke. “You think I wanted all those kids to die? I should have stopped her, Kate. I should have stopped her two weeks ago. I should have—”
He dropped her knife and pressed his fists into his eyes.
She could stab him right now and he wouldn’t move a muscle to stop her.
Her hands fell on his shoulders, light and gentle and completely unexpected.
He dropped his fists to look at her, and her face was close. She knelt in the leaves in front of him, her green eyes soft and close.
“You’re a mess,” she said.
He snorted. “No kidding.”
She leaned even closer, sliding her hands up his shoulders.
Her nearness affected him, making him want to pull her closer.
Idiot.
He caught her wrists. “Don’t play with me, Kate.”
“You’re still bleeding.”
“I’ll live.”
She rolled her eyes skyward, then leaned forward, her hands still trapped by his. Her breath eased against his throat, full of power, cool and hot at the same time.
He shivered before he could help it. Her full weight was on his hands. If he let go, she’d be against his chest, practically in his lap.
He pushed her back. “Stop.”
She drew back, but only enough to stare into his eyes. “You have a lot of enemies.”
He didn’t have anything to say to that. She was right.
“Sounds exhausting,” she said softly.
“You have no idea.”
“I don’t think I’m an enemy,” she whispered.
God, he was so tired of fighting with people. He let go of her wrists. “Do what you want.”
Her hands found his shoulders again, and she leaned forward. When her breath touched his skin, he closed his eyes. Power flared in the air to find the blood on his neck. He shivered.
Her voice was low, husky. “My mother used to say that the hardest part of being a Fifth was fighting the urge to help your enemies.”
“My father used to say the same thing.” Then he opened his eyes. “Is that why you’re helping me now?”
“No.” Her thumb stroked along his neck, and it didn’t even sting. “I think that’s why you’re helping the Merricks.”
“They’re really helping me.”
“Really? Did they follow you through the fire to stop Calla?”