Nicholas was silent at that. I was, too. What could I even say? This so-called relic of Luporath… It still sounded like nothing more than a kids’ story. And I didn’t know Grace’s mother or Nicholas’s mother, so there was no knowing what they thought, what they believed.Eventually, Grace retired to
KaylaSomething warm and heavy across my midsection pulled me from sleep.My eyes fluttered open, squinting against the bright sun streaming through the cabin windows. A light layer of frost had blossomed across the glass at some point during the night, casting tiny, colorful fractals onto the hardw
“Oh, thank the Goddess you’re home!” she cried. “We need to talk.”Nicholas hesitated, glancing at me, but led her inside after a moment. Once we were behind closed doors, Anna broke down and told us what had happened—why she had a bruise.“A crowd of people just… swarmed me while I was out,” she so
KaylaNora’s voice sliced through the quiet kitchen, causing me to turn. She was standing in the doorway, her hands clenched tightly into fists at her sides.I didn’t know what to say at first. I had hardly even seen Nora in the past few weeks, let alone spoken to her. And now here she was, starting
They must not have heard Nora inciting the argument. But they had certainly heard my threats.Nora got what she wanted, it seemed. Anna looked horrified, one hand rubbing across her swollen belly while the other tenderly touched the bruise on her neck.Nicholas cleared his throat. “Kayla, Anna is go
KaylaA few more days passed after that without much trouble. Nicholas and I did the interview, which was received relatively well by our supporters. We painted an image of a perfectly happy, in-love couple who were simply navigating an unexpected pregnancy with a past fling.Half of that was true,
Sighing, I shook my head. “It’s more complicated than that. If I boot her out, it’ll just put a pregnant woman in danger and sully my image even more.”“Your image?” Jade scoffed. “It’s not your baby. We don’t even know if it’s Nicholas’s baby yet, but if anything, it’s his image that should be sull
KaylaThe way that Nicholas basically repeated the command to eat that I had given him at the cabin wasn’t lost on me. In fact, if circumstances had been different, I might have even laughed—just as we had all laughed at the cabin.But something about the cold, no-nonsense authority in Nicholas’s vo
Nicholas & KaylaNicholasNora stared at me, her eyes wider than before. I stared back in shock, but when I turned to see where Kayla had gone, she was no longer there. I glanced back at Nora, who was still gawking at me like she’d just seen a ghost.“Is there something you needed to talk about?” I
I nodded, suddenly feeling my legs go weak. Three days walking nonstop in the forest, living on berries and squirrels, finally seemed to be catching up to me. I sank down into a nearby chair, slumping slightly.Nicholas glanced at me, then walked out of the room without a word, leaving me and Jade a
KaylaI didn’t hesitate. “Take me there,” I said, turning abruptly toward Nicholas.Nicholas furrowed his brow slightly, as did Emma. I knew they were both surprised at my sudden interest in Nora, who had been nothing but a thorn in my side since we’d met. And frankly, I didn’t blame them. Maybe a f
At that, Nicholas released me, taking a step back. He furrowed his brow. “You look surprised.”“Because I thought you had no intention of going on a honeymoon,” I blurted out, smoothing down the front of my jacket. “I thought…”My voice trailed off, and I couldn’t find it in me to say it out loud. I
KaylaI looked up to see Nicholas approaching, his face pale. “Are you alright?” he asked, stopping a little ways away from where I was standing.I quickly turned away, hoping he couldn’t see the tears welling up in my eyes. “I’m fine.”“Kayla.” Nicholas stepped in my way. “Talk to me. Did something
Was it true that Nicholas had laughed in her face when she confessed her feelings? Was he truly that heartless, even back then? Was it true that Nora thought she was doing me a favor by trying to break us up, by showing me that audio clip?I didn’t think Nora could ever be my friend, not by a long s
KaylaI stared at the deer turning on the spit, its skin turned red and glistening with fat as the fire cooked it from beneath. The air smelled like roasting meat, mingling with the scent of fresh bread and mulled cider.I was starving and surrounded by food that looked utterly delicious, and yet my
Before I could protest further, Nicholas whisked me off my feet, gathering me in his arms like I was as light as a feather. He strode quickly toward the edge of the forest—I was surprised to find that we weren’t nearly as far as I thought we were this whole time—and then veered toward the house.“I’
KaylaI stared wide-eyed down at Nora’s unmoving body, at the pool of blood forming around her abdomen. She coughed and sputtered, eyes glazed over, already worlds away from this place by the time I found her.The warrior said that he had accidentally pushed her too hard during a spar, and she fell