“I should probably know more about boxing,” I murmur to Rafe, at my side, as we get out of the car to the flashes and the shouts of the paparazzi. My handsome brother laughs warmly down at me, offering his arm. “Yes, you probably should,” he murmurs. “Considering who you’re mated to. What do you k
“He is?” I ask, my eyes going wide. I pass my drink back to Jesse for a moment and slip my jacket from my shoulders, suddenly feeling warmer, probably from the anxiety his words produced. “Yup,” Jesse says, nodding to me seriously. “The Atalaxians have apparently brought one hell of a fighter.”
“I don’t know,” Daphne says, tilting her head and narrowing her eyes a little in a challenge. “Are your Midwinter cookies any good?” Jesse sighs sharply. “Nah, our cookies are crap.” Daphne bursts out laughing again, and Jesse goes with her. “Seriously,” Jesse continues, shaking his head. “Mom
Dad’s frown deepens, so I double down. “Mom said I look pretty,” I say, quickly shifting my hand so I point at her now. Mom gasps a little in protest at my betrayal, but dad ignores it all. “You do look pretty, Ariel,” he says, his words even and slow. I drop my hand with a grin, realizing that
An eager smile bursts onto my lips as I finally realize the truth of it, because I’m suddenly so happy for Daphne. Didn’t she say that she had a celebrity crush on Rafe, that she had for awhile? Good for her! Daphne! Lonely Academy seamstress, crushing on the Crown Prince from afar, and now here s
And as my brother stands next to me and my cousin comes to my other side, I refuse to let myself be intimidated by these horrible men. Not by their cruelty. Not by their brute control. No, I won’t be cowed by it. And by the low growls that I can almost feel rumbling in Rafe and Jesse’s chests,
My stomach twists uncomfortably and I put my glass of wine down on the wall in front of us, not sure if I can have any more, not sure that I’ll be able to keep it down. I’m suddenly so worried about Luca. Not that I think he can’t handle himself - I just have…no idea what the Atalaxians are going
And right in time to see Luca come out of the dark tunnel on the eastern side of the stadium, the lights flashing all around him as a confetti cannon filled with silver and gold rectangles explodes above him, filling the air with fluttering flares of light. I shout and cheer along with everyone el