Frid raised her eyes to Victor and grinned. The latter only clenched his jaw, watching her.
They were still quietly bickering when Corliss passed by us, heading straight to Alina’s room. I tightened my fists.
These people were taking her away from me. Day after day, they poisoned her body and corrupted her soul with lies as they pushed her away from me.
I remembered Sage’s ramblings, Sage who was so tortured by his severed mating bond that he lost the remains of his humanity. He did everything to convince my motherto be with him, but it was never enough. She chose someone else and he let her. I would not make the same mistake.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
ALINA
My heart was racing, ready to explode. My head would not stop spinning. Everything happened at once, and my mind could not keep up.
What was I supposed to do? How did I end up in this mess?
I was hoping that a full night of sleep would help me sort through things, but as it turned out, I could not sleep, not after the evening I just had. I paced the room from corner to corner, rubbing my temples and talking to myself.
At one point, I opened the door to see if Kent was in the corridor, but a young man in a blue uniform was dozing in the chair. I bit my lip, and quietly closed the door.
How could they announce my engagement when I never agreed to it?
I was sure I never said yes to Rutherford, but at the same time I never denied him.
Was all of it my fault?
Yes.
I was the one to blame. If I did not want the engagement, I should have been clear. But I could not forget the dizzying effect the whitebane had on me the last time I spoke to Lord Rutherford.
Had I actually agreed to accept him?
I was not sure if I had. Panic started to cripple my body and my eyes closed. I moved to sit in one of the chairs.
Kent!
I could see if he would help me.
But how can I look him in the eye when I just allowed myself to be promised to another just moments after letting him touch me so intimately?
The rush of hot and thick blood colored my face. He would never forgive me.
The queen!
I could turn to the queen for help and protection. Surely, she would understand. She would not want her court abusing their power to force a marriage on someone unwilling.
What if she didn’t understand? What if she took their side? What if I make things ten times worse?
No, there had to be another way. I had to do something, or my life would not belong to me anymore.
Unsteady on my feet, I got up and moved through the room toward the door. My mind was finally made up. I was going to find Kent and ask him, beg him, to help me escape. There had to be something we could do.
When I entered the corridor, I quickly saw Samantha standing by the chair. The young man was still fast asleep, and she was about to pinch his nose. She turned around and immediately straightened.
“Morning,” she said in a calm voice, her eyes still holding a mischievous expression.
“Good morning. Do you know where I can find Kent?” I asked.
Her eyes widened and she looked at me for a long moment before giving me a short nod. Together we walked through the corridor and down the set of stairs.
