Thorn Queen Page 0,130

wouldn't have gone to war against you alone."

Kiyo's eyes were wide. "Are you listening to yourself? This is insane! You're condemning me for not killing a man that was on his knees."

"That man did horrible, awful things. He didn't deserve to walk away unpunished."

Kiyo's shock had given away to anger. "I can't believe you're holding me responsible for this. And you know what? This is the magic talking. The more of it you use, the more it changes you. This is why you need to stay away from the Otherworld! For your own protection. Before you turn into someone you don't want to be."

"Oh, now you want to protect me! Look, you of all people should understand. I can't stay away from the Otherworld. I can't stay away from this world. I don't belong anywhere! And yet...I belong everywhere. There's no good fit for me. I'm split, Kiyo. I thought you'd get that. You told me before that you did. You're the same."

"It...it's different somehow."

"That's not good enough. You're being a hypocrite," I exclaimed. "You make decisions for both of us based on what's convenient at any given time. You think you can handle it one way but that I can't. That's not fair. You can't make different rules for each of us."

"I'm trying to protect you," he repeated.

"You don't think I'm strong enough to handle the things you can?"

He held up his hands. "I don't know. Maybe I'm the one who isn't strong enough to make the tough decisions."

"Dorian is." It was out before I could stop it.

Dead silence, round two, descended on us.

Kiyo finished his coffee. "I see. So that's what this is really about." He stared around, taking in the house and the cats sprawled everywhere. "Maybe...maybe it's time I pack up my things."

I crossed my arms. "I think that's a good idea."

"It might take me a day or two to collect these guys, though."

"That's fine." I kept perfect control in my voice, focusing all my energy on sounding flat. If I slipped up, I might start crying or begging him to stay. I might apologize for being so harsh and holding him responsible for not letting me kill Leith. It wasn't fair for me to blame Kiyo and laud Dorian...

...and yet I did.

Kiyo stood up, saying he'd come back to do a thorough packing when I wasn't around since that might be easier on both of us. I agreed. Tension engulfed us as he moved toward the door. I'd hurt him; I knew it. And truthfully, I didn't fully know if I was making the worst mistake of my life here in breaking up with Kiyo. True, we had been fighting a lot, with him not understanding the choices I'd been having to make. The heart of it was, though, that I felt he'd had the opportunity to protect me...and hadn't.

"Eugenie," he said, hovering near the back door. "I know you were hurt. I know you suffered-and still do. And I guess I can see why you think what Dorian did was noble. But it's not. There are big consequences to this, and someday-probably soon-you're going to regret what he did."

I shook my head, still obstinate. "I don't know. Maybe."

"No matter what you think of me, it's not too late. You can make amends with Katrice. You can stop this." There was a desperate, pleading look in his eyes, and I wondered if it was because of his desire for peace or the agony of leaving me. My own hurt over him leaving was steadily growing, but something in his words halted it.

"Make amends? What's that mean?"

"I don't know...apologize...blame it on Dorian. Maiwenn might negotiate...."

My anger spun back up. "I am not going to grovel to the woman whose son raped me. And I'm not going to let Dorian get punished for something I should have done myself." Maiwenn didn't even deserve mentioning. "I'll face the consequences, Kiyo. I'm the Thorn Queen."

He gave me a small, sad smile. "Are you sure? Or are you the Storm Queen?"

I frowned. "What?"

"That's what you told Leith. Back in the kitchen."

"No." So much of those memories were fragmented, but I was certain I'd recall that. "I told him I was the Thorn Queen a few times-but good God. Not Storm Queen."

"I heard you. Once you said Storm Queen."

I shook my head, anger returning. "You made a mistake. They sound alike. Easy to mishear."

His smile twitched; his sadness grew. "Not with my hearing."

Kiyo left after that-to where, I didn't know. It