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 returned to my room and continued my assessment of the shelf and the books on it. From the larger textbooks to the smaller ones, everything was carefully ordered and stacked. The intentionality behind this struck me hard. I looked away. My gaze shifted around my room, landing on the table where C
CHARLOTTEThe scent of coffee lured me into the kitchen.I smiled when I saw the pot of coffee being brewed as it always was. It was a little thing, but it was something that I’d started looking forward to every morning since the first time I had it. I walked off to the fridge first to get myself s
“What’s in the cup?” He asked, his tone wasn’t particularly friendly. Reigh bit down on his lower lip to keep from bursting out into a laugh and giving her away. “Water,” Sarah said in an extremely high-pitched note. I couldn’t tell if Taide believed her or not, but he looked away from her and mut
King Auric smiled, but it was was cold and filled with absolutely no warmth.When Sarah and I stepped away from behind Reigh, his attention immediately locked on me, scrutinizing, judging and scanning me from head to toe. It wasn’t in a lecherous way, more like he was picking apart every bit of me a
CHARLOTTE The moment I slipped into the kitchen, my gaze clashed with Taide’s. I saw him leaning against the counter with a troubled look on his face. His hands were folded across his chest and his fingers drummed against his bicep, his gaze was fixed on nothing in particular, but that didn’t make
CHARLOTTEI didn’t linger in school after my exams.I had one more paper that I had to read up for before tomorrow, and then the most stressful week of my life would finally be over.I had to say, it was much easier getting through my midterms with the piles of books and the expensive ass laptop in
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