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Bash fixes his top button. “Nothing. We should get going.”
“This isn’t nothing. What did my dad say to you?”
He adjusts his collar and gestures toward his bike. “Come on.”
I put my hands on my hips. “What did he tell you? You two came out laughing, so I thought we were cool.”
“You think any dad is cool with me kissing his daughter?”
“Did he threaten you?” Anger churns in my gut. My palms glow green.
“He merely suggested we take things slowly.”
“Ugh! He’s such a hypocrite.”
Bash shrugs. “He’s the king. That’s his right.”
“No, it isn’t! He was telling me that if he could go back in time, he’d do everything differently.”
“Either way, I’m not going against his wishes.”
I scowl at him. “What else did he tell you?”
Bash licks his lower lip and looks away.
My stomach drops. “What?”
He finally makes eye contact with me. “Your father wants to release my aunt from prison.”
Everything spins around me. “What? Why? The woman is pure evil! She took away your funding for the academy even though she’s your legal guardian.”
He frowns. “She may be a jerk, but she isn’t as evil as we initially thought.”
“She tried to kill my dad! I mean, Drake. She and Shane would’ve killed you.”
“Not to mention you.” He grits his teeth. “But the fact of the matter is, they were ring-leaders of a movement devoted to Tiberias. They knew what Drake was like—everyone from Valora did—and they wanted him out of power. His harsh decrees were proof of his true nature, and everyone feared what he was building up to. The tax hikes and wage decreases were only the beginning.”
“What are you saying?”
“Coral has agreed to continue paying for my education if she’s freed.”
“My parents could pay for that.”
Bash doesn’t look convinced. “The king also doesn’t want his supporters in the dungeon. It doesn’t send a good message.”
“And you’re willing to play along with this, despite what she did? The woman would have killed you! Her husband nearly did.”
He says something, but I can’t understand what. No, I can’t hear him. Everything spins around me. Sharp, horrible pains rip through my stomach. I clutch my belly and cry out.
Fear fills Bash’s eyes. “Marra! What’s wrong?”
The edges of my vision turn white. Stars dance between Bash and me. The searing pain intensifies. Can’t breathe. Can’t cry out.
Everything goes black.
