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Anderlane.
I didn’t know it, but that wasn’t surprising. I didn’t know anything about the cities outside of Carrottrove and Ironhelm City.
Was this even part of Cade’s kingdom still? I hesitated to ask, lest I put any kind of scrutiny on myself, but I realized just how little I knew about how far his territory spanned. I wish I’d paid more attention to the map in his office, which clearly outlined the hold that Ironhelm held.
But I wouldn’t stand out here. I would make myself as scarce as possible, making no waves until I could move on. I couldn’t keep going without transportation or money. I was hungry and tired. Moving through the mountain range by foot was out of the question, even if I took a horse or stole another car. Cade may not have cared or noticed that I’d made off with his convertible, but an unsuspecting resident would report a stolen vehicle to the police, and traveling by horse was no picnic when I had no idea where I was going.
Plus, there was no telling what lay beyond the mountains—if anything did at all. Death was not a risk I was willing to take for my anonymity. I would sooner go back to Carrottrove and deal with my parents than wager my life.
Here was as good a spot as any to start off before moving along. I could make some money and carry on to the next town if I felt chased, learning about the area more before I ventured onward. I could rest and plan for the next steps in my life.
But there was no reason for Cade to chase me. I had given him the out he desired. He wanted to be with Stralia. I was holding him back, even if it had not been my choice. He might put on a show for the benefit of my parents and the others who demanded it, but in the end, he would be relieved, wouldn’t he?
But he can’t be king without marrying me,a sensible voice hissed at me angrily.He’s not going to let me run off. He wants to be king more than he wants Stralia, doesn’t he? He’s always said that the kingdom is the most important. He’s going to come after me.
Unhappiness seized my soul. He had played me so well, making me believe he had truly cared for me, but the reality had been exactly that. His only desire had been the throne and ensuring that the blood oath was fulfilled for the good of Ironhelm.
Cade would have to find another way to collect his crown. I would not be taken for a fool anymore. If he had just been honest with me…
I swallowed.
What if hehadbeen honest with me? Would I have still married him and let him carry on with Stralia?
It was a moot point now.
I fixed my eyes on Anderlane, determined not to think of the Alpha King of Ironhelm for another second. That part of my life was officially over. It had been from the second I had put my first foot out the window at the palace.
The city was just as modern as the downtown area of Ironhelm City, updated in metals and stacked houses to preserve space. Although, Anderlane was much smaller than the capital city, even though there was still traffic and bodies packing the endless sidewalks.
Everywhere I looked, there were flashes of spells enacted, faeries creating and disappearing their whims as easily as they walked down the street. Cell phones sat at their ears without hands, baby carriages pushed by nothingness as the mothers gossiped behind the invisible entities strolling with their children. Smoke and lights flashed at every corner, but Shay was impervious to it. I didn’t know where to look.
“My place is just up here,” Shay informed me, abruptly turning away from the main roads and onto a side residential street. She stopped the car before a charming but rundown two-story house, painted in yellow and in desperate need of a touch-up.
“It’s not much, but it’s mine outright,” Shay explained, catching my expression. “I inherited it from my deadbeat father. The only damn thing he ever gave me in my life.”
She said this without an ounce of bitterness, her smile maintained. “And you can stay if you need to.”
Suddenly, tears flooded my eyes. To my horror, the events of the past thirty-one hours overwhelming me in a tsunami.
“Oh!” Shay mumbled, turning off the car as she parked in the driveway of her house. “It’s… it’s going to be okay. You’ll see.”
Mortified, I tried to wipe away my tears in front of this stranger, but I couldn’t stop, and I buried my face in my hands. Shay put a calming hand on my shoulder until I finally managed to calm myself.
“Come inside…” she begged me. “Have a shower and something to eat. You’ll feel so much better after you get out of that frilly curtain you’re wearing.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, but I was humiliated, and I raised my head and looked at her gratefully. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“Nah,” she laughed, looking relieved that I had finally stopped crying. “That’s what we do. We look out for each other!”
She hesitated. “What can I call you?” She held up a hand before I could respond. “Any name will do,” she added quickly, warningly, her eyes narrowing.
I inhaled, remembering the promise I’d made to myself as I’d left the castle.
I have to become someone else now, someone not tied to the King of Ironhelm and his kingdom. I will rebuild and start fresh.
“Liana,” I replied quietly. “You can call me Liana.”
* * *
