Thorne’s jaw clenched as all eyes turned to him, as if he were the only one with the authority—or the spine—to say it out loud. He muttered something under his breath, and when he finally looked at me, his gaze was sharp, but not unkind. Resigned.
“The king has… taken an interest in you,” he said, the words falling heavy between us.
“An interest? What the hell does that mean?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended.
Thorne’s mouth tightened. “He wants to talk to you. To test you.”
My pulse spiked. “What kind of test?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow.” His eyes didn’t waver from mine, but his tone was heavy. “But it won’t be pleasant.”
My stomach twisted like something had curled itself around my ribs and started to squeeze. “What will he make me do?”
Thorne didn’t answer right away. No one did. Even Leo’s usual smirk had vanished, leaving only a tightness around his mouth. Slade looked away entirely. Phoenix’s fingers stopped drumming.
Thorne finally exhaled. “The king doesn’t ask questions he doesn’t already know the answers to. Whatever he makes you do… it’s not for his curiosity. It’s for his amusement. His message.”
“Message to who?” I asked, even though I already felt the answer crawling in my bones.
“To everyone,” Phoenix murmured, voice suddenly quiet. “The court. The other trainees. Maybe even us.”
A chill settled deep in my spine, crawling like frost along my ribs.
“You’re not being tested to pass, angel,” Leo said, his usual grin absent. There was something grim in his voice—unmistakably real. “You’re being watched to see what makes you break.”
My pulse kicked up. I took a step back, instinctively retreating. “I won’t hurt anyone,” I said, more to myself than them.
“You might not have a choice,” Phoenix murmured. He didn’t look at me when he spoke. He stared into the dark liquid swirling in his cup like it might offer an easier answer.
“Well then get me out of it,” I snapped, desperation curling sharp in my voice.
Thorne moved fast, his voice cutting across the room. “We can’t.”
I turned toward him.
His eyes were hard, but something else flickered underneath—guilt, maybe, or something more dangerous. “The second you showed me those shadows,” he said, “you stopped being a girl with secrets. You became property of the Crown.”
I swallowed hard. The wordpropertyburned as it settled in my chest.
“There is nothing we can do for you tomorrow,” Thorne added. “Except try and protect you as best we can.”
For a moment, no one said anything. The air hung heavy around us.
Then Phoenix spoke again, quieter this time. “He’ll try to twist you into something you’re not. That’s the real test.”
“And if I fail?” I whispered.
Leo looked up then, his eyes dark. “You won’t. Just… don’t let him see how scared you are.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But I couldn’t afford either.
So I stood still. Let the fear coil tighter. Let it press into bone.
And I nodded.
Chapter13
Thorne
