Page 46 of Forsaking All Others

“The pleasure is all mine,” he snarls before hanging up.

I burst out laughing, the first time I’ve truly laughed since entering the Game.

35

“What do you mean you killed your best friend?” Thorun squeaks. “You told me you don’t have any friends.”

“I don’t,” I shrug, “she was the only one.”

‘I was never permitted any other.’

“You killed all the rest?” Sona asks, her tone indicating she’s actually impressed.

“No,” I snort. “I told you before, I don’t like people. I don’t need friends.”

“What did she do?” Evelyn asks, her curiosity clearly piqued. “Steal your man?”

“No,” I shake my head. “I just needed something she had, so I killed her and took it.”

Thorun frowns as she studies my expression, but Sona and Evelyn take me at my word.

Of course as usual I’m only giving partial information. Mirabella was my best friend, or so I thought, right up until my twelfth birthday party when I discovered she was something else entirely. And I might never have known if I hadn’t confided in her what had happened with Valentino.

Mere hours later I was standing before my father as he sat behind the desk in his study, gloating.

“Good girl,” he’d chuckled, as though I’d planned what had happened. “The bond is cemented. Valentino has fallen hook, line and sinker. My little honeypot will control him like a puppet.”

I hadn’t needed to ask how he knew; I’d only confided in one person. And I knew then, instantly, what Mirabella was. I’d heard Father speak of ‘minders’ in the past. I knew of people he’d assigned them to.

And I knew I had one.

But I was too smart, even then, to let on that I’d worked it out. Instead I played along, let her watch and report on me throughout high school, university… right up until the night I pushed her off our yacht in the dead of night and stole her identity so I could apply for The Games.

My family thought me dead, but they continued to hunt Mirabella. After all, she’d failed in her duty to protect me, and rather than explain what had happened and face the music, she’d left a note and run off, or so they thought. Her body/my body, was never found. So all during my years of running it was still Mirabella they believed they were pursuing — right up until the moment they’d somehow learned of my bait and switch, and that I’d been selected for The Games.

Up until that point, my plan had been flawless.

I’d bided my time. I’d planned my strategy. I’d taken my chance.

And that’s exactly how I intend to play this game.

I refocus on the task at hand now and spin to Evelyn.

“Tell me why you think you can lead this group?”

She rolls her eyes.

“I,” she smiles widely, “have already played this game.”

“What?” Thorun interjects. “How?”

“When I was a baby,” she shrugs, “I was one of the babies who starred in Lord Falcon Dragonspur’s second series.”

“As part of the Louvre challenge?” I frown.

“Yes,” she narrows her eyes at me, “you’ve obviously studied your game history.”

“Down to the minutest detail,” I nod.