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A fist of fear squeezed my heart. “What is this?” When I was close enough to really see him, the bottom dropped out of my stomach. His beautiful face was bloodied and swollen. Deep bruises bloomed over his naked chest and shoulders like ink stains, accented by several slashes that were still oozing dark blood. His arms were pulled tightly behind him, securing him to the chair.

“It’s just a dream,” he said, but the words felt off.

“Why?” Tears welled in my eyes and overflowed down my cheeks. “What…why?”

My broken Prince hung his head again. “I’m so sorry, Pixie. Wake up. You shouldn’t be here.”

I dropped to the hard floor between his knees and tried to reclaim his gaze. “I don’t understand. This is a nightmare. I never…” I reached up to brush blood-and-sweat-soaked hair out of his swollen eyes. “What is this?”

“It’s nothing.” He squeezed his thighs around me in something like a hug. “Just a nightmare like you said. Please wake up.”

I swiped the back of my hand across my face to clear the tears blurring my vision, and my magic bristled in my chest, telling me again that there was more to it than that. I leaned closer to call him out, but the sensation of waking told me he was going to get his way. I brushed a whisper of a kiss across his abused mouth.

“I’ll find you again,” I said against his lips. “I’ll save you this time.”

He shuddered with a soft breath. “I love you, Pixie.”

24

CORDELIA

I yanked open the door to the library’s break room after my shift on Wednesday afternoon, harder than necessary, still feeling heartsick. The ongoing tension with Bellamy was the only explanation I had for the disturbing nightmare last night. Everything felt unsettled and wrong.

I was less mad at Bellamy now, but still couldn’t bring myself to risk opening the door to my magic’s unpredictable rage. I knew deep down that he didn’t want anything to do with Margo, but I also knew that I really didn’t want to spend the rest of my life in prison.

Stepping outside into the gray afternoon, I looked up to take in the thick clouds that blocked the sun and promised rain. A perfect complement to my current mood. I pulled my thin cardigan a little tighter around me as I started the walk home. The threat of bad weather meant fewer people were wandering the quad, but a strange sensation set up between my shoulder blades that made me feel like I was being watched.

I glanced over at the carved stone benches that surrounded a marble fountain and noticed a man there. He caught me looking, and I quickly averted my gaze just as my phone chimed. My head fell back with a groan.

Bellamy hadn’t stopped texting me since our fiasco of a lunch date. Fifteen so far. I didn’t open them, because I couldn’t bring myself to leave him on read, but the previews in my notifications painted the picture. They began with apologies and promises. Then they turned into random attempts to lure me into an unrelated conversation.

Bellamy

I’m at the tea shop. Should I get green or…

It’s supposed to be hot tomorrow. Is your…

Uninspired for dinner. Guess it’s box mac…

Eventually I turned my previews off, but glutton for punishment that I was, I stopped to dig my phone out of my purse anyway. It was an unknown number, different from the ones saved for Bel and Lucian. I stared at my phone, chewing my lip and wondering if Bellamy would really be so desperate that he’d get a new number. With a heavy sigh, I gave in to my curiosity and opened the message.

Unknown

I’ll be the first to agree that my brother can be an idiot, but how long are you going to punish him?

So, he hadn’t gotten a new number–he’d convinced his twin to appeal on his behalf. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard, hesitant to reply. Then my eyes flicked back up, and I noticed that the guy who’d been sitting on the bench was now walking toward me. His gaze was abnormally shadowed, some trick of the muted daylight. Even so, I suddenly didn’t want to be alone, and the way my magic bristled in agreement had me a little worried. I hooked my purse back over my shoulder and continued down the path.

I’m not punishing him, Quinn.

I fought the urge to look back over my shoulder to see if the man was following, and a shiver worked its way up my spine. My fingers curled a little tighter around my phone.

Quinn

Then what are you doing?

I glanced to my left when I reached the main sidewalk in time to see a woman push her way through a trio of students having a conversation. Her dark gaze was trained on me, and dread coiled in my belly. I turned right, putting her behind me even though it was the opposite direction from my apartment. I was being paranoid, right? Overreacting. But I found myself hitting the call button on my phone anyway.

Quinn answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”