I stand at the back of the line of harem consorts, awkwardly avoiding eye contact with Gwen as she keeps looking back to glower at me. Blessedly, after a time, the line starts to move forward and I am saved from continued awkwardness. Yet, as I move closer and closer to the front of the Hall, I am
Well, that’s a concern for a later time. Right now, I only need to concentrate on surviving the night. The other consorts are mingling, so I attempt to as well. As far as I can tell, Caleb has yet to enter the room. I use this newfound freedom to weave through some of the Hall, mingling, but also
My irritation at my sister forces words from my throat that would have otherwise stayed lodged there, mostly from my shock at seeing Samuel again. “I wasn’t chosen for the King’s harem by some pitying fool, but by the King himself,” I say. Leah’s good humor immediately sours and she glares at me
I snap my mouth closed, remembering when Caleb had pulled me into that separate room and made me scream so loud with pleasure that everyone in the Hall could hear him. I do not want a repeat performance of that scenario, especially with Samuel in the room. He would be forced to listen. One by one,
Samuel’s face turns even redder. So does mine, I imagine, from how hot it feels. I can’t reprimand Caleb from saying such things – especially not when he’s sitting on his throne, in front of so many people watching and listening. Still, before he walks away, he does somehow manage to speak up. “
Samuel leans in. “I have to speak with you,” he says. I must have misheard. After his display with Leah, there can’t be anything in the world left for us to talk about. “Whatever you think you need to say, you do not,” I tell him. “Trust me. Giving Leah my necklace told me everything I need to kno
I flush the note down the toilet. When I leave the bathroom, Caleb is there in the hallway just outside the door, as if he’s been waiting for me. “Where is it?” he demands, a growl in his voice. “What are you talking about?” I tell him. He storms toward me, anger in his eyes. “You think I’m
Bethany has permission to walk these halls, even this late at night, yet she still moves quickly and cautiously. She’s on a secret mission to scope out the secret location to see if Samuel arrives and what his reaction is to Harper not meeting him. Harper hasn’t been herself since arriving back
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’
None of that matters now. Annabelle looks at me sharply. “What are you doing here?” I step into the room, Bethany following along, my silent support. Glancing away from her in my dream gown, I try to stoke my rage again. Remembering the letter, I retrieve it from my pocket. “I’m tired of being th
The next morning, as I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, dreading another day of doing nothing, I hear a swishing sound near my door. Sitting up, I look at the door and find a slip of paper laying near it on the ground. Did someone slide that underneath? Curious, I pull myself out of bed and walk
“I want to apologize to you for how I acted before,” Annabelle says. With her head down, she also droops her shoulders, seeming for all the world like she might drop to her knees at any moment. He really doesn’t need that kind of dramatics, so he’s relieved when she continues to stand. “I let my
She looks away. “While I cannot save those condemned to the coliseum, I can help prepare them to hone the best of their abilities. I give them the best possible fighting chance, so when they step into the ring, they might survive. Many do not, but some succeed.” Looking back at me, she continues, “
I awaken the next morning to a loud, confident knock on my door. Rising up from bed, I pull on my housecoat and walk to the door, opening it. I’m half-expecting Bethany, though she doesn’t usually knock quite that loudly. Instead, I find the Pitmaster there. Her expression is severe as always but d
Much, much later, after Caleb ravaged me on the stairs again and then twice more in my bedroom, once we are relatively cleaned up, though I still carry his scent all over me, Caleb sits on the edge of my bed, staring at me as I recline there, jelly-like and sated. We need to have a talk, and I know
Seeing Caleb rush towards me, fury in his gaze, I already know what’s happened here. Bethany. She might have seemed compliant when I told her to stay behind, but I should have known she wouldn’t just sit idly by while I placed myself in danger, even if I instructed her to do so. She is my friend b
“That is a terrible idea,” Bethany says, not holding back. “What could you even hope to gain by doing that? Best case scenario, Leah has no way of delivering the message. Worst case, Samuel lures you out somewhere and has you killed.” “He won’t kill me,” I say. Despite his threats, he cares for me,