CHARLOTTE I sat in the library, my notes spread out in front of me, but my mind was somewhere else. I had been trying to study for midterms, but something felt off. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it was everything that was going on with Vance, or maybe I just missed my sister even mor
CHARLOTTE After my conversation with Vance, I gave up on studying. I’m becoming one of those girls who let their men problems rule their lives. It’s pathetic. My mind was too busy running through itself multiple times to actually focus on my textbooks. So, I returned whatever books I had to, an
CHARLOTTEMadeline wasn’t home… again.My fingers flew over the screen of my phone idly. The sun was barely out, the scent of coffee brewing hung in the air, and the house was silent. These were moments of the day I usually enjoyed, but lately, with Madeline’s new schedule of sneaking out in the ear
He took a seat across from me, and we ate in silence.“Thank you,” I whispered when I finished. The sound of pounding coming from outside probably drowned out my words, but Reigh tilted his head in response and continued eating.I took a sip of my coffee, feeling Reigh’s eyes on me. His gaze turned
CHARLOTTEI laid on my back and stared at the ceiling.My thoughts and emotions were a mess, a jumbled-up mix of feelings I didn’t want to get into. I let one of my hands fall to my neck until my fingers brushed over my mark, over the smooth plane of healed skin, only disturbed slightly by its prese
CHARLOTTE“What if we crash?” I whispered to Madeline, my fingers clutching the wheel of the very expensive car almost fearfully.Madeline laughed and whipped out her phone to take a picture of my nervous but excited face. I frowned at her, but at least she wasn’t grumbling about how inane it was to
Disgusting.I hid any reaction I might have at that, but even when he left I couldn’t stop the creeping feeling that slid down my spine at his stare.Men were weird.I busied myself with sorting through tomorrow’s reservation until I was interrupted by a woman’s voice calling out to me. My manager g
CHARLOTTE I stepped closer and eyed the books. They were all textbooks, textbooks and materials that fit into the course I was taking. What the…? My hands trailed over the spines. A few of them were books I couldn’t even find in the library. But here they were, sitting pretty on the shelf, brand
I let my head rest on his chest, just like I did with Taide, but this time, I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of his heartbeat.It grounded me, the steady thump thump thump of his heart.When the song ended, we pulled away from each other. It honestly felt like it all ended too soon. But wh
I was about to whisper something to him when Reigh reached us. He was dressed the same way Taide was, his long hair pulled back in a neat, low ponytail. His hands were in his pockets, and he seemed almost awkward with the two of us. Everything about this atmosphere was weird.After a few seconds of
CHARLOTTEI spent the next day with a feeling of semi-constant doom hanging over me. I had my meals in my room and remained holed up there until the evening when the ball was about to start.I could hear bustling and shuffling about as I got ready, and that combined with the amount of chattering I
In my periphery, I could see Caeson looking down at me with an expression I couldn’t decipher. But I could see it tear at him. He didn’t want Taide to know. “Let’s go,” Taide said, clasping my hand and leading me out. “Wait,” Caeson said, reaching for me. But Taide slapped his hand away, and I
As I hurriedly explained what had just happened, I watched his face. Concern melted into understanding, and while I was glad he understood what I was saying, I felt a twinge of horror when I realized that he did not look the slightest bit… surprised. I pulled away from him, my hands balling into fi
Caeson met his father’s eyes, blood dripping down the gash across his cheek, his neck and shirt soaked in blood, but he didn’t say a word. “This is hardly what I can do. Don’t forget it,” he shoved away from Caeson, leaving his body to go slack against the wall. Caeson’s breathing was heavy, keep
CHARLOTTE I watched with horrified eyes as Caeson dropped to the ground with a groan, his face twisted into an expression of raw agony. I could feel my heart threatening to burst out of my chest as the gruesome sight played out before me. Caeson hunched over on one knee, while his father stood a l
CHARLOTTE I trailed behind Taide and Reigh, keeping my distance as they moved through the halls. Their steps were steady and purposeful, and I made sure to stay just far enough behind so they wouldn’t notice me. They stopped at a door in the middle of the hall, one I hadn’t paid much attenti
CHARLOTTE I sat on the bed, trying to calm my breathing. My chest felt tight, and my hands trembled in my lap. I couldn’t stop replaying what had just happened. King Aurichad been here, in this room, and now he was gone. But the memory of his cold, cutting gaze lingered, wrapping around me lik