I don’t believe my ears. I had to have misheard. So I take a moment to catch my breath. It shakes as I inhale. Then I repeat the most shocking of the things he said to me, “’Brother-in-law?’”“My wedding to Leah is already set,” Samuel says. His voice is clear and crisp, but totally monotone, withou
Fury striking through him like a lightning bolt, Caleb stands so abruptly, that his chair pushes back and falls flat against the stone tiles of his office.“How the hell was she able to make a call?” he demands.Tristan looks straight at him. “I let her use my phone.”Enraged, Caleb rounds the desk.
“Come,” the Pitmaster says. “I’ll show you where you can rest for the night.”She turns and starts walking away from me. I hurry to follow her, eager for sleep. Fear and adrenaline have kept me going since before my escape attempt. While I still feel those things, my body physically cannot handle mu
Not seeing any choice in the matter, I follow Tristan toward the stairwell that had led me down into this dark place to start with. Yet before we reached the stairs, and potential freedom, Tristan abruptly turns and heads into an office carved into the stone beneath the stairs.Inside, Caleb sits at
“I don’t know anything,” I say weakly, body still trembling as it slowly, painfully, comes back from the edge.Caleb’s good humor immediately vanishes. His smirk drops into a glare of disapproval. “Cover yourself, whore.” In a flourish, he turns away from me and walks to the door.He’s not giving me
Both of our gazes shoot to the open doorway, where the Pitmaster stands, her face twisted in disbelief.“You would dare disobey your king?”“The King who condemned me?” Kidd snaps. “What loyalty do I have to him? Besides, we both know if he really cared about this slut, he wouldn’t have sent her dow
Under the tutelage of the Pitmaster, I begin to train more fully. The smaller blade is easier to manage and I can make several quick strikes against the training dummy without tiring.“Not good enough,” the Pitmaster says. “You are still too slow. And your need for breaks is too frequent. With how l
However, in the time it takes to say it, the girl grabs my discarded blade, jumps to her feet, and tries to stab me.I step backwards but the Pitmaster moves faster. Bringing down her sword, she lobs the girls hand clean off. The girl cries and crumples. My sword… and her hand… fall to the ground.“
Looking at her, Caleb tries to stir up some feelings. If he could just feel something. It doesn’t have to be as strong as how he feels for Harper, but something in the same vein. He can admit she’s beautiful. He can admit she will likely be a good Luna.But that’s where his affections for her end.
I run all the way back to my room, trembling with shock and upset. Bethany turns to me the moment I come rushing through the door.“There you are! Where did you go?” she says. She seems angry for a moment, until she fully takes in the state of me. “What happened?”Shakily, I tell her what I can, abo
Caleb is talking about the swelling red on my cheek. The bruise that has been forming since Kira slapped me. But so much has happened since then. It’s hard for me to focus, to keep track. Deciding whether or not to reveal Kira as the culprit of this particular injury requires more critical thinking
I’m stunned silent for a moment, then I look at her with wild eyes. I can’t really understand what’s happened here, or why she would do that.Before she can get even one more word out, I shout, “Someone is planning to kill Caleb!”She rolls her eyes at me. “Someone’s always trying to kill him, you s
As I race back into the hallway, I think about returning to my room, but I don’t want to be idle anymore. Sitting around thinking is half of what got me into this mess. It’s what made me take such a foolish action as pouring my heart out to a man who has no capacity to accept it.But just as I don’t
He cares for me, that I know. It might not be love, but it’s more than nothing.Even so, he and I are from two very different worlds.What does Caleb even know about love? His father had a harem, and he and his mother never got along. Caleb’s brother Evan found a mate, but then Caleb was forced to k
Seeing Caleb in his wedding suit, I start to lose my nerve.Why in the world would I think I could convince him now, when he’s ready to go and greet the nobles and other guests? By coming in here, I’m only embarrassing myself.Mortified by my own impulsive action, I turn around and start to leave.“
As much as I wished it wouldn’t, the day of Caleb’s wedding eventually arrives. It takes me a long while to drag myself out of bed, and then even longer to go to the window and pear out at the world.A day this dark should be miserable outside. Storm clouds, maybe. Dreary and overcast at least.But
My heavy heart persists into the evening. I haven’t talked much since speaking with Kira, retreating to my room soon after. Not even Bethany could encourage me to speak. Kira’s words cut into me, straight down to the bone. I don’t want to believe that Caleb only wants me for sex, and that’s all he’