AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The Prince is gone.
The Princess is gone.
Most importantly,Talis is gone.
I swallow and jolt onto my feet. I race to the door to yank it open, but it’s locked. “What the fuck?” I growl, rattling the door knob.
“I’m sorry,” The Prince’s voice comes from the other side of the door.
My heart drops. “What’s going on?”
“I can’t let you hurt Talis.”
“Open the damn door!”
“I’m sorry,” he says again before footsteps retreat.
I slam my fists against the door with a shout of frustration. I tear into the bathroom and rip off my borrowed sweats, sliding back into Gretta’s gown. I thrust on my stilettos, strap on my knives’ holster. Then I move back to the door and ram my shoulder into it.
I curse as pain blossoms across my bicep. I kick at the doorknob repeatedly. On my sixth kick, the knob breaks off, and I slam the door open with a grunt.
I careen into the dark tunnel, search left and right. My ring finger ticks faster, and the concept of time slows.I trusted him. I trusted the first person since I was two years old. And he left me. He took what was mine, and he left me.
My nails curl into my palms, my breaths heavy as I try to formulate a plan. I need to take control of this situation. I need to find The Prince and make him pay for taking this truth away from me. Between the information from Ferris and whatever I could get out of Talis, IknowI’d have something solid on my brother’s location.
But as time unravels from a concept to the particles of existence, and my very being vibrates with a torn uncertainty, I can’t move my feet. I can barely feel my heartbeat. It turns cold — my face, my pulse, my soul.
I turn back into the thing I was before I met The Prince, and I greet her with open arms. She never trusted, and she never botched a job.I miss her.
I trudge down the tunnel to the nearest exit, allowing the magic of the Underground to sway me from one direction to the next. When I reach a pair of black curtains, I hesitate. Because of hope.Hope. I bite my lip and glance over my shoulder, every bit of that hope crushed when I find the tunnel behind me empty.He’s not coming after you. Why would he? He left you.
I suck in a breath and step toward the curtains. Their magic latches to my pain, and I’m dumped onto a busy street. I turn my head as a woman squeaks, and my brows shoot up at the sight of Gretta. The curtains’ magic thought I wanted to be here with my friend, and maybe some part of me does, but I also just want to be alone. I need to reformulate a plan.
“Zora, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” Gretta stands at her flower cart, her hair ruffled by the day’s harsh breeze. Her eyes run down my body. “You look…”
“I know. I ruined your dress.” And I had. Its bottom is shorn and stained from the dirt of the tunnels. There are drink stains I don’t remember procuring, but I must’ve in the club while dancing.
“I was going to saysad,” Gretta remarks. Her brow furrows, and she takes a timid step toward me. It’s clear she wants to wrap me in a hug, but she knows my rule. I can only be my hardest of edges in public. She lowers her voice. “Did something happen?”
Whatdidn’thappen?I shrug and steer myself away from her. “I have to go.”
“Go?” Gretta chases after me through the crowd.
“You shouldn’t leave your product unattended,” I tell her, my voice hoarse.
“Zora, wait.” She jogs in front of me and blocks my way forward. “I’m your friend. You can talk to me.”
I press my lips together and avoid eye contact as I weigh my options. I could stand here in a dirty gown and sob to my friend about the guy I felt something for but who broke my trust. I could. But I’m not that kind of girl, and I’ve never been that kind of friend with Gretta.
She wouldn’t admit it, but she counts on me to be the grit under her boots, the strength when all else fails. If I fall apart, she’ll follow shortly after.
“I just had a long night. I promise I’m okay,” I tell her.
Her concerned look doesn’t disappear. In fact, it gets worse. “I don’t believe you.”
“Not my problem.” I shoulder past her and proceed in the general direction of my apartment.
“It’s about that guy, isn’t it?”
