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“Carlton. This is what you want?”
“Yes, Councilor,” Bishop says through clenched teeth.
“You give your blessing?”
“I think he said he does,” I interject and earn a disapproving look.
“I give my blessing,” Bishop says.
I face him and he faces me. He tried to have his half-sister murdered and he now knows that I know. That I have proof. It’s why he’s here doing what he’s doing.
Blackmail. I smile. It never gets old.
An attendant carries down the decree that the Councilors sign. They set it in front of Bishop first. He signs. It’s then passed to me. I, too, sign and once the seal is placed, Isabelle’s future is secured. By the end of the day, she will be mine and I will be hers. For better or for worse. Until death do us part.
The Councilors leave first and once they’re gone, I turn to Carlton who is watching me, his mind no doubt calculating the next move.
“It will destroy her if it comes out,” he says.
“You mean it will destroy you.”
Hate flattens the blue of his eyes. “Also her.”
He’s right. I know that. Guilt will destroy her. Her brother died when she was the mark.
How much she and I have in common and she doesn’t have a clue.
I gather my things to go.
“I didn’t realize she was such a whore, my sister. And in a sacred place no less.”
My jaw tightens.
“You know what they say,” he leans closer to me. “There are eyes everywhere here. Every dark corner. I wonder who else watched—”
I grasp him by the throat and slam him back on the table. The Tribunal guard are on me in an instant, two sets of hands trying to pry me off.
“Did I hit a nerve?” Bishop chokes out.
I ease my grip. Shove the men off me and straighten. “You’re sick, you know that?”
His grin vanishes.
I gather my things and walk away.
“Tell my sister I said to take care. She’s quite accident prone.”
I narrow my gaze and it takes effort to keep walking. I wonder if he can see that effort in my gait.
“Just don’t leave any wells uncovered. You don’t want another Bishop girl falling in,” he adds as I let the door slam shut behind me.
26
Isabelle
I spend the whole of the next day locked in my room. I guess he wasn’t taking any chances I’d run. Where I’d go is anyone’s guess.
I tried to get in touch with Julia but have had no luck. My texts go unread, my voicemails unanswered. Although between the makeup artist, the hairdresser, and the seamstress, I didn’t have as much time alone as I hoped.
