Page 22 of Trapped By Clocks and Hearts

“You’re lucky. You are too weird for me to give your heart over to the Queen. But hers…” I lifted the Heartlamp in a gesture, referring to the heart from the princess of Veridia. “Will make the Queen even more powerful than she already is.”

Her forehead creased. “So, my heart is…?”

“Here.” I tapped my chest. “Outside a body, without a Heartlamp, your heart would have withered away.”

Allie’s chest began to heave, like she already knew the answer to her next question, but knew she still must ask it. She swallowed hard. “Are you…going to give me my heart back?”

“No,” I replied clearly, meeting her watery gaze steadily. “It’s mine. Like I told you. You are mine now.”

Chapter 7 - Shadows

Ididn’t sleep well.

I knew Allie was plagued with nightmares all night—and therefore so was I.

Visions of the monster decimating all the wedding guests, the terrified screams, the spray of blood, and the stench of death haunted her dreams.

Understandably.

However, this morning, the beating of the heart in my chest had gone back to a normal, steady pace. Clutching at my shirtfront, I took a deep breath to steel myself. It was quite a disconcerting sensation after centuries of nothing, of hollowness.

But all this confusion would soon end, I assured myself. I just had to endure a little bit longer and then I would get what I wanted.

As I sat on my bed to catch my breath, I tilted my head to one side at a faint noise. I looked around my silent loft and easily concluded that the noise was coming from downstairs.

Of course, it was.

With an exasperated grumble, I pushed up to stalk down the spiral staircase to check up on what the hell Allie was up to.

Was she trying to escape again? I wouldn’t have blamed her.

Halfway down the stairs, I blinked in surprise.

Allie had somehow resurrected many of the things I had magically whisked away. Her gaze was newly determined as she worked.

I didn’t sense any hint of fear or anxiety in her person.

Until she looked up and spotted me coming down.

But even then, her fear this morning was muted.

It was as though she’d had time to think, to calm down, to rationalize overnight.

Tilting my head, I assessed her aura once more. It was in neither of our interests if she got sick or became distraught from apprehension.

I had to clear the air first. “You weren’t supposed to be there.”

Not meeting my gaze, Allie shook her head.

“How did you even follow me?” I wanted to know.

“I jumped into your portal wake.”

“My…what?”

She pressed her lips together. “I was…eavesdropping. Again. When you were talking to Chez.” Her gaze dropped. “I saw you as you were about to leave for your mission. I don’t know why I thought it could work, but I jumped into the space you teleported through, and then I found myself where you were.”

My blood running cold, I clenched my jaw. “You did…what?”