I giggled. “Probably not, but I think you missed my point.”
Everly rolled her eyes and took my hands. “I know we’re an item, but it’s not real, Quinn.”
I nodded solemnly, making her grin.
Her face grew serious. “The men you are meeting now might be your suitors later. The people here are trying to arrange your life, and that’s not OK.”
Her grip on my hands tightened, and tears welled in her eyes. “It’s not right. Not right at all. You should be able to pick. It’s your life.”
I looked up at Brit, who placed her big hand on Everly’s shoulder. “We know. Every woman should have the choice. You too.”
Everly stiffened and blinked the tears in her eyes away before they could fall. She hadn’t said it, but I doubted she picked her contracts. Strolling along with boy-me on her arm was a lot deeper than she wanted to talk about yet.
“I get this year. One year to do whatever I want.” She grinned. “When I told my mother I wanted to spend it in the Architect’s family, she almost fainted.”
Brit barked out a laugh. “You keep surprising me. I thought you’d been sent here as some sort of punishment. This can’t be the luxury you’re used to.”
Everly wrinkled her nose. “It’s not. I, ah, yeah. We’ll leave it at that. But this is exactly what I wanted. To see how the other half lived.”
“You mean us poor folk?” Birt stuck in.
“You said it, not me.” Everly shrugged.
Brit’s eyes widened, and she spluttered while I bit my lips shut to keep from laughing.
“I wanted to work for something, too,” Everly continued. “Make my own decisions to see what that felt like.”
“Part of Your World,” fromThe Little Mermaid,burst into my mind, and I had to bite my lips shut to keep it to myself.
Everly grabbed my hands. “I didn’t expect to make real friends. One of which needs my help.” Her chest rose and fell, and she looked at me as if my problem was the most important thing that had ever happened to her.
“Are you like, royalty or something?” I asked.
Brit snorted. “Might as well be. Richandable to have kids.”
Everly let go of my hands to swat at Brit. “This is not about me. This is about Quinn.”
I accepted the topic change. If we started trading childhood stories, the conversation would get really awkward really fast. “How do I fight back?”
Everly smirked. “Well, you’re not going to stay a boy forever.”
I put my hand over my heart as if wounded.
“I think you should take control of the narrative. Fuck everyone here if they think they can manipulate you. Wait.” Everly flung her hands up. “Your missing TB!”
I put my hands up. “It has nothing to do with this. I drank too much, and it still hasn’t turned up.” I hated lying to my friends, but I didn’t want them to know I’d skipped out on a tab like some poor trash. Moreover, there was only one place to eat and sit down with a drink in this entire castle. What if they tried to help me and things went south? It wasn’t worth the risk.
Everly raised an eyebrow as if she could see through my lie, but accepted it. “Still. The Architect is all about giving people free choice and equal rights. Right, Brit?”
Brit, who had been very quiet, inclined her head. “The Architect himself recruited me, promising a better world. Shit ain’t adding up.” She cocked her head to the side. “I’m thinking we need more information. Whatever Everly’s cook’n up, it's gotta give us more.”
Everly let out a little whoop and jumped to her feet. “I’m going to miss torturing my twin, but tonight, we’re making a statement.” She raised her voice and pulled me to my feet. “Come, my suitor. I can’t have you taking me to the party in your trainee uniform. What were you thinking this afternoon?”
Heads turned. I swear, a girl passing us blushed in embarrassment for me. But all I could do was laugh and pray this didn’t make everything worse.
Chapter 18
Ezra
