CHARLOTTE To stay true to my promise to visit Da’ana more frequently, I was back at her care home a week later. Only… I had a plus one this time I strolled about the hospital hallways with Taide at my side. He’d decided to tag along when I told him where I was going, something about ‘meeting t
Taide let out a sound of protest, but I didn’t look at him. “I told you about him already, remember,” she signed, looking between Taide and me as if she could sense the turmoil between us. “He’s the nice guy who buys me toys and stuff.” I looked away from her, my jaw clenched in anger. When my eye
CHARLOTTE Taide had left me alone with Da’ana. To gather myself. To track down his brother, I didn’t know. He was just as shocked as I was when we got to the bottom of who the culprit was. The word ‘culprit’ left a bitter taste in my mouth though. Caeson hadn’t necessarily done anything to ha
CHARLOTTE I pulled away from Caeson, stumbling back in the tight space, my hands clutched against my chest. My heart was racing, and my mind spun as I stared at him, taking in every small detail. His hair was shorter now, buzzed down to the scalp, and the similarity to Taide was so striking that
CHARLOTTEEvery second I spent in the car alone with him left me feeling like there wasn’t enough oxygen.My jaw was locked tight in anger, in absolute dismay and hatred for my current situation. Inhaling brought all the memories back to the forefront of my mind, the smell of him in the small space
CHARLOTTE I watched as Caeson marched up to the house, his steps heavy with purpose. I stayed in the car, my fingers gripping the steering wheel a little too tight. I needed a minute, just a moment to process everything. My mind was spinning with what had happened earlier. What did Caeson mean
CHARLOTTE Betrayal stung. I would know. But I didn’t want to jump to that conclusion. Not with Mads. At Taide’s words, I spun around on my heel, turning to fix her with a look. She was in on this? Her gaze shifted from Taide’s accusing glare aimed at her, wide, shaky eyes then turning to me
CHARLOTTE Charlotte. Breathe. “Charlotte, you need to believe that I wasn’t just trying to favor Caeson. I wouldn’t do that to you. I didn’t try to keep you away from Taide for malicious reasons.” I pulled my hands out of hers before turning away and pressing a hand to my forehead. “Char, let
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