My face went beet red. He was still staring at me, so I looked away to avoid his probing gaze. It was obvious he was referring to me not being there when he woke up. And after a minute of searching for an explanation or justification for my actions, I just gave up. “Where’s Madeline?” I asked inste
CHARLOTTE The sound of water running roused me from sleep. I went still at first, taking in the unfamiliar ceiling and sheets, but it didn’t take long for me to remember where I was and why I was there. I instantly relaxed and let out a small yawn. I lifted my hand to rub the sleep from my eyes,
A small part of me dared to believe that it hadn’t been a dream—that the soft look I’d blearily seen and the hand that had tucked my hair aside had been real. But looking into his unempathetic eyes right then, those thoughts were stolen from my mind at once. His eyes trailed over my face as we stoo
CHARLOTTE I had a million things to say, but the words stayed stuck in my throat when someone else entered the kitchen. Both Taide and I looked away from each other as Madeline walked in. Her eyes were red and unfocused, and a heavy cloud of sadness hung over her. I could see the distress on he
I hesitated before continuing, deciding that maybe it was time to be honest. “To be truthful, I don’t even know what’s going on with me.” I pulled my hand from hers, feeling exposed. “Ever since everything happened, I’ve felt this weird attachment to Taide. It’s like he’s the only thing keeping me
CHARLOTTE The sound of car doors slamming shut made me pause in my descent downstairs. I leaned forward a little, trying to tell from the sounds alone who was approaching, but other than a few slow footsteps, there was nothing. I leaned forward a little further so I could peek through the windo
“The three of you!” King Auric continued to rage. The triplets were all in the living room now, watching his outburst in silence. “Do any of you care to explain why you thought you were invincible enough to kill twelve people with no consequences?” His question was left unanswered. The king kissed
CHARLOTTE Caeson left for the palace that same night. I tucked my feet under me and reached for the TV remote, as I pondered over everything that happened yesterday. In the few seconds it took for me to turn on the TV, I caught sight of my bitter expression on the reflection of the TV. I hated
CHARLOTTEI glanced up at Caeson, catching the steady, unreadable expression he always wore. His gaze held mine, cool and unwavering, and for just a moment, something fluttered in my chest.I quickly shoved it aside, clearing my throat.“She’s staying then?” I asked, looking around the room. “We all
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I watched the cat nibble on the can of tuna I’d placed on the kitchen island, its tiny pink tongue darting out to lap at the edges.Its fur was such a soft, dark fluff, and as I scratched behind its ear, it leaned into my hand, purring softly. I smiled to myself, feeling an unexpected war
CHARLOTTE I pulled my curls into a bun as I walked down the stairs, my feet moving slowly against the wooden steps. The house was quiet, too quiet, but that was normal these days. My thoughts were scattered until a flicker of movement caught my eye. A flash of black streaked across the foyer. I st
CHARLOTTE Taide was growing out his hair. I sat on the edge of my bed, watching him lean over the mirror on my dresser. His hands combed through his dark hair, smoothing it back and letting it fall forward again. It was longer than I’d ever seen it, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it yet. S
A childish part of me felt like defending that Emma had started it, but why did it matter? It shouldn’t matter and I tried to make myself believe that. Taide’s attention shifted away from the menu to me, and I cleared my throat before turning my gaze from Caeson and down to the menu like I had
CHARLOTTE After a short drive, Taide pulled up in the parking lot of the small restaurant that was a hotspot amongst students in the area. The main area was rowdy and full of students eating and talking loudly, but Taide led me past there and into a quieter, more ambient area. It was still c
CHARLOTTE Taide held the door open and shot me a knowing look. But I didn’t move, I remained in one spot, crossed my arms and pouted. “But Taide—” “I don’t want to hear it,” he cut me off, his expression deep and serious. My lips snapped shut, I sensed that there was no point in arguing. So, wi
I pulled them both back into the house and then to the kitchen. With a small exhale, I let go of their hands, immediately missing the comfort and warmth their touches gave me. “I need to find Madeline,” I told them. “Do you know if she’s back?” Just like Taide, she’d been gone almost all day. Rei