**Rosalie's POVThe rain picked back up as Damian and I ran around the exterior of the capital. It was pouring so hard, I could hardly see where we were going, but I kept my eyes on him and forced my feet to keep moving forward.Faltering at this point wasn't an option. I had to keep moving for my b
I reached up and took hold of his wrist, and he yanked me up so that I could reach the top of the wall. The rain continued to pummel me as I sucked in air, so glad to be this close to freedom."Great job, Rosalie," Damian said behind me. "Great job."My lungs were still burning, and we weren't anywh
Almost exactly thirty minutes after our short break, I saw the cabin appear up ahead.As we were approaching our first destination, I opened my bag to inspect Damian's clothing. Sure enough, I found a six inch switchblade in his pocket.I took it out and tucked it in the bottom of my bag. I didn't w
"Is this what you're looking for?"Damian grabbed for the knife, his hand clasping around my wrist.I backed up again, hitting the wall. My head thunked against it, and pain radiated through my skull, but I had to keep my focus."Rosalie," he said, "you're her biggest threat– the only one who could
All of sudden, I had a feeling like someone was looking at me. Jolting myself out of my brief lapse, I glanced around angrily, but found nothing.It was probably paranoia…I tried to calm myself down by focusing on my next move.Damian had been planning on taking a ship to Suntra, so I went to a dif
"Miss, did you get your room number yet?"A young crew member pulled me out of my shock.I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart, then put on a smile and turned to him. "Ah, yes, it's on the ticket."No– that couldn't have been Ethan. There was no way he was here.Besides, it would be hard for
I wasn't standing in the exact same spot as I had been when I saw Rosalie leap to her death, but the image still filled my mind.Another wave of anguish washed over me, and I felt myself shaking.I was at a loss. How the h*ll could she do that? It just didn't make any sense.The Rosalie I knew, the
I cleared my throat and turned away, walking past her. "Not now.""But, Ethan—" Her hand shot out to grab my arm."D*mn it, Georgia!" I said, pulling my arm away from her, my tone much angrier and out of control than I intended. "I said not now!"Her eyes widened in shock, and she withdrew her hand.
The entire family had gathered in the dining room and was chatting amiably over a very impressive spread that had been laid out by the kitchen–two prime rib roasts, a honeyed ham, and three roast ducks were the centerpieces of the table, all of which were being enjoyed liberally by everyone.George
RowanMom ran her fingers across Selene's head, admiring her fine white hair. She looked every ounce the doting grandmother instead of a ball of uncertainty, like Maeve. Maeve was pacing back and forth near the fall wall of my bedroom, her arms folded across her chest and her head bent as she tried
Kacidra joined in the conversation. "Maeve is right, Rowan. We need to know what's happening with you and Hanna, or else we'll never be able to help."Rosalie's voice was calm and supportive as she asked, "Is it Hanna that's troubling you, son? Is she doing all right?My first instinct was to tell t
Gemma and Ernest had flown down with my parents and their son George, who was just two months older than Maeve's sons.A moment later, the library door opened and more of our family members poured in, as if they were fully aware of the thoughts I'd just had and I'd summoned them. I pushed aside my n
RowanThe castle was abuzz with its usual day-to-day activities. Servants and maids passed me in the hallway carrying baskets of laundry and trays of tea. I could hear the clattering of cookware as I left my office and walked toward the grand staircase off the foyer, seeing the door to the servants'
"Who? What happens?""There's so much more out there," Mara said dreamily. "So, so much more.""Maeve!" Troy called from down the beach.I turned to look at him, and when I turned back to Mara, she had taken off. "Wait!" I called after her, but she had already made it out of earshot, her footsteps l
Best of all, Troy was happy. He was at peace and at home. But there was still much work to be done.We were spending several weeks jumping from island to island, taking stock of the wellbeing of the inhabitants, and making a list of what was needed. Most of the islands were in need of medicine, inf
Maeve–Four Months LaterSuntra was not what I was expecting. I had become accustomed to the seemingly endless white-sand beaches of Avondale, where the sand grit was so fine it felt like powdered sugar as you walked barefoot in the surf. Suntra's sand was coarse and golden and dappled with tidepool
I straightened up a bit, shifting Oliver's weight in my arms as I narrowed my eyes back at him, sizing him up. A man roughly my father's age came bounding out of their house, waving at me apologetically as he leaned to whisper harshly in the ear of the man I assumed was his father.Whatever his son