Nicholas I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Terry, my uncle and advisor to the King, and his hands on Piper as if he intended to touch her intimately. And Piper was practically passed out beside him, unable to give consent, unable to do anything more than cry. Red hot fury burned through my v

I could stare at her forever. I used to, back when we had been dating, on the rare occasions that she stayed the night. We didn’t do anything sexual. We just liked to hold each other. I would wake up earlier than her, just as the sun was creeping in through the windows. It would shine on her, cove

In sleep, I felt safe and warm, like I was rocking in a boat on gentle waves under a bright sunny sky. Here, my troubles seemed so far away. I was at peace, distant from those who wanted to hurt me or bring my family harm. Once, I had thought myself to be in Nicholas’s embrace. I almost recognized

By the next morning, the drug had worked its way through my system and I felt like my old self again. I went down to breakfast, where I was reunited with Elva, who had stayed with Susie the night before by order of Nicholas. I was grateful for his foresight. Mortified as I was by my actions and so

When I asked Julian if he wanted to continue the investigation, I had thought he might be a hard sell. What I hadn’t expected was for him to put me down flat. “No.” “No?” I said, startled. “No, Piper. Nicholas is right. It was wrong of me to try to include you. I knowingly placed you in danger

“We will have to tread very carefully here. Terry is the Luna’s beloved brother and has sway over the entire royal family.” “It doesn’t matter how well connected he is,” I said. “We can’t let him get away with it. Or anyone else who could be involved.” Julian watched me a moment. “This isn’t jus

I followed Lilliana further into the gardens to a small rod-iron table with two chairs. Lilliana motioned for me to sit and then sat in the opposite chair. “I’m glad we could finally have a chance to talk like this,” Lilliana said. She rested both hands on top of the table. I mirrored her for a

I found Elva, Susie, and Mark at the edge of the gardens, where the fields of short grass began. Elva was playing with Silver and Night. She crawled over Night, while Silver nosed at her stomach or licked her face. Elva’s laughs were loud and happy, and easily pushed away any lingering sadness I

People didn’t just vanish. Bookcase after bookcase lined the walls. I gently dragged my fingers over the spines. Some of the books seemed ancient, others newer. They sat side by side on the shelfs, a balance of new and old. When I reached the wall behind the couch, I noticed, there on the gr

During the banquet, Julian leaned over to me and said, “I have a lead. Be ready tomorrow morning.” I tried to pry for more information for the rest of the night, but he just smiled vaguely at me or said, “You will have to wait patiently.” By the end of the evening, I was ready to shake him u