It was a mistake.
He was only trying to protect Ruben.
But when he saw how hurt she was, how her face fell when he pulled the boy away from her, guilt huddled within him.
It was like going against everything he had told her.
"HOW COULD YOU, WEST?" Ruben cried, hitting his legs with his small hands. "You said you trust her! She was afraid! She was alone! You didn't have to…to…" he rubbed his eyes, breaths rapid.
West didn't stop him. He wanted to hate himself, too.
Giles was right. He couldn't even tell her that his spell was quick, unstable. Like a candle whisked away by just one blow. He shouldn't have been so confident with it. Instead of protecting her and the troupe, he ended up hurting both.
His mind traveled back to the same hurt Nelle mirrored in her eyes.
