I decided to make my presence more obvious and walked closer to Elva, Nicholas in his wolf form, Night, and Silver. Nicholas shifted back into his human form now, sitting in the grass.“Piper,” he said, smiling slightly, a wolfish grin. He was proud of his wolf form.“Hi, Mommy!” Elva said. “Nick-la
“Why would they want us to know they stole the princess?” I asked.“It’s the location that matters,” Veronica explained.“If it was the rebels who kidnapped her,” Julian added, “It was likely they intended to start a war, even then.” He looked back to the list. “I wonder how my parents were able to
“You worried about going home?” Julian asked.“A little,” I admitted. “I’m not sure what the people will think when they see where I come from.”Julian shrugged nonchalantly. “They like you in part because of your humble origins, Piper. You have nothing to worry about.”If only it was that simple. “
In the bedroom, Nicholas and Charlotte helped Elva and I pack our bags for our weekend homecoming trip. I pick out many subtle outfits for Elva and me. Back home, people would notice if we dressed too expensive. It might even have painted targets on our backs.Elva, however, didn’t understand. When
As the car entered the neighborhoods that I recognized, I grew more and more tense. Nicholas squeezed me tighter, likely trying to offer what comfort that he could. But there was little comfort to be had.I didn’t mind the smaller place. I didn’t even mind the harsher lifestyle.But I didn’t want to
Elva and I dressed in our frumpiest clothes. Elva wore a hat with covers that went down over the ears. I tied my hair up and wore one of Anna’s wigs. It was darker than my own hair color, with bangs that hid most of my face.I barely recognized myself in the mirror. I doubted anyone else would be ab
Anna’s words stayed with me all through the night. I was haunted by them, even as I eventually drifted off to sleep on the air mattress.Was I truly considering the King’s demand because I wanted what was best for the country? Or was I simply hiding, pushing off responsibility to return to a life of
Nicholas’s lips were soft. His touch light, a barely-there caress, as he held my face so near to his own.I didn’t register the sound of a door opening at first, so fully engrossed as I was with the man in front of me. It wasn’t until I fluttered my eyes open and saw a figure walking past, that I st