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“Go ahead, take your best shot. I’ll be sure to laugh it off once you’re done, no doubt your strike will be as pathetic as you. Fucking daughter of a whore, I bet your Mother offed herself just to get away from her poor excuse of a daughter.
Everything goes black…
The next thing I know I’m sitting on top of Four, with the back of her head grasped in one hand while my other rains blow after blow on her face. It isn’t until a set of hands, on both my arms is lifting me away that I release my grip on her and her head falls with a resounding thump to the hard, wooden floor.
“I’d say that business is now concluded, as for the final matter a claiming has been issued, and I may as well do that now to save myself another trip,” he looks down at his watch and I go still between - who I now realize is - Aeron and Tucker.
“Yes Sir, I want to claim her,” Shane jumps to his feet and storms over to Sir, all while pointing his thumb in my direction. Sir gives another cold, calculating smile, right as he pulls his arm back and slams his fist into Shane’s one, good eye.
Despite Ms. Vanderbilt’s threat, no one can hold their gasp in, only I don’t think I react at all. I feel rather numb right now. Even looking down at my hands, with my split knuckles covered in blood, it just isn’t reaching me.
“Do not ever think to make demands of me, you want to claim a girl then you do it the right way. Not seeking my attention the moment I arrive, and hounding me endlessly to get your way. Besides, Thirty-Four has already been claimed, and by someone who knows how to do it in a way befitting of the Harkwright name.”
Okay, not completely unreachable, I certainly heard that one. Someone has claimed me… but who?
“Aeron, you may as well escort Miss Luna Carter to the front with you.”
We step forward, Tucker letting go once I’m in position once more, and the words fly out of my ears as he repeats himself from when Bradley claimed Daria.
“Congratulations Luna, welcome to the family… for now,” there’s no disdain this time, no something more dangerous is coming off him. Intrigue and something that is making his eyes flash every time he looks at me. Something that I’m too scared to name, because I seem to have ended up on Senior’s radar, and I don’t think any girl ever wants to end up there.
20
When the Prince Comes Home
I stand here, waiting to be dismissed, with Aeron’s arm hanging loosely over my shoulders. Emmet’s letter is choosing now to resurface in my mind with how I can choose who to give myself to, only he doesn’t really mean that. Because I wouldn’t choose any Harkwright here, I’d choose the one who got away and made a name for himself, and because of that, I’m going to hold on to it for as long as I can. It also means I’ll be safe from the Prince for the time being, there really is a silver lining in everything.
“Vanderbilt, get the girls out of here. I need to discuss matters with the boys,” Sir says as he looks at his watch once more, and Daria is on the stage wrapping my arm around her shoulders, and leading me away.
There’s nothing wrong with me, but I can’t seem to get my body to communicate with my head. Too much has happened, and I haven’t had anywhere near enough time to process it.
“One moment there Daria, I would like a moment with Luna,” Aeron steps forward but Tucker holds him back, as Sir Harkwright descends the steps and walks down to the last row of chairs. Leaving a seat at the end for me to claim.
Claim, I really shouldn’t want to laugh at that word right?
“I’ll wait for you outside,” D says, I know she doesn’t want to leave me, but she doesn’t have a choice. None of us do.
“A claimed girl cannot stay as a thirty it wouldn’t be right. Your room is much too far from the north wing, so we will have to move you up. Welcome to the top ten,” he looks at me as though I should be down on my knees thanking him, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
“Thank you Sir, although I am more than happy with my number,” I say quietly, keeping my hands under my legs so I don’t fidget.
“Your happiness doesn’t concern me, although there is something I have been meaning to ask you ever since your face looked up at me from the applicant list. It also makes me wonder if you know what a legacy is and why one would never fall to such a low ranking?”
I turn slightly to look at him as a scream rips through the air and even Sir looks startled. He climbs to his feet, the men rushing to stand behind him as he pushes through the doors and walks out of the room. Daria is quick to appear at my side and is pulling me up.
“Come on, we need to move,” she says quickly, and I have to rush to keep up with her as we leave the Academy and head towards the maze. It seems that everyone else has done the same.
I watch as the men disappear within and every girl in this place is waiting, whispering, and panicking. Although, I can’t work out what could have caused such a scream.
“I’m telling you, she wasn’t in the assembly. I haven’t seen her since last night, and the last person I saw her with was…”
“Shut up, you can’t be saying things like that.”
I don’t even know who’s talking, but for some reason that’s the conversation my ear locks onto right as Sir leaves the maze and all but two men are following behind.
“Get this area cleared now,” he bellows as nurses hurry over with a doctor that I haven’t seen before, right as the missing men appear, carrying a girl between them.
“That’s Carly,” her name falls out without me meaning to and Daria grips me harder before pulling me away, even though she was the one that dragged me here in the first place.
