"What's happening—" I was interrupted by the sound of Troy struggling to pull my dresser along the wall and positioning it against the door, preventing it from opening. I heard the shared door open and a similar scraping sound coming from his room. He came back into my room, bending to the ground an
"NO!" I screamed, beating my fists against the dresser. "HELP ME, YOU BASTARD!"Troy wrapped his arms around my chest, pinning my arms to my sides as I writhed and kicked his shins with my heels."I love you, Maeve. I love you," Gemma sobbed, her voice breaking.I screamed, bucking forward, which ca
Maeve"Get away from me!"I was running, frantic, tripping and stumbling through the dense greenbelt that lay between the castle ground and the village below. There was noise all around me; screaming, shouting, the eerie high-pitched howl of wolves.I could hear him behind me, his breath catching in
"And then what? I just… trust you? Let you take me to your ship? Where exactly are we going to go, Troy?""You have to trust me.""I don't—""Then trust that I will keep you safe, Maeve. I will reunite you with your family.""And what about Ernest? He's my family. He's out here all alone—"Fire flas
"Cleo! Hurry! Come with me!" I waved my free hand as they approached, Myla hanging off of Cleo much like Troy was hanging off of me."Where? Everything is on fire. I tried to get to the train station, but it was blocked.""The river. We're going to the river!" I cried out over the sound of toppling
TroyI woke with a start, the pain in my arm radiating up through my shoulder and my chest. I blinked against the sun as it beat down on the boat, tall grasses surrounding us as the boat bobbed gently in a small eddy, hidden from view of the main river. Maeve was sitting with her knees to her chest
"Excuse me," Maeve cut in as she struggled to her feet, slipping on the wet floor of the skiff. "Who the hell are you?""Robbie, at your service, Princess. Third Captain of the Persephone, ma'am." Robbie bowed dramatically, tipping his straw hat. Maeve scoffed, turning to me."I got us out of there,
MaeveI stood near the railing of the ship, looking down at the boat that was bobbing on the water several stories below as Cleo gripped the ladder and slowly made her way up the side of the ship, her eyes fixed on my face.Robbie was behind her, his voice carrying in the breeze as he encouraged her
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