Page 9 of Reign

“Here’s how I see it.” Tempest rises and tucks his hands in his pockets. “Sabine went into last night with the sole motivation of ending your life. Likely she had a plan for when you were a corpse at her feet. I’m thinking, Callie’s psychiatric history got the better of her and she stabbed the shit out of you, and Ivy, poor dear, tried to intervene but was gutted for her efforts, too.”

“That’s cold, T.”

“Forgive me for the brief summary, but even you have to admit that Callie’s mental history is like catnip. Using it isn’t even diabolical. It’s such pluckable, low-hanging fruit.”

I do my best to control an unwanted eye twitch.

Tempest sweeps out a hand, continuing his one-man, fucked up Shakespearean theater. “But alas, circumstances occurred and variables came into play that Sabine didn’t quite plan for, like your girl throwing herself in front of you. Death by literal backstabbing can’t work if Callie’s supposed to be the villain wielding the knife. So, Sabine used quick-thinking and switched gears, deciding to sacrifice her top girl because sending you a message was more important. Think on that, Stone. The consequence of killing someone close to her was less important than screwing you over. There is no way you and Callie can stay together after this.”

“Stand down.” I curl my lip at him. “This isn’t some Romeo and Juliet moment where I take a vial of poison and sacrifice myself for a love story. Our society is under threat. Our ranks put into question. My princedom at stake.”

Tempest grips my arms, not to shake sense into me, but to assist in having me sink to his level. “I certainly hope you see it that way,” he says, his lips barely riding over the words. “Because from an outsider’s point of view, you’re doing a helluva lot to fuck up your takeover of the Nobles for a girl.”

“You know who she is.” I shove out of his hold. “You’re the only other person who understands the dangers of Callie’s legacy and why I kept up the charade of seducing her to keep my father happy, and why I’m still keeping her close. We need her on our side, T. And after last night? She’s gone rogue. And that’s not a benefit to any of us.”

I tell him about Callie’s mass email that’s likely hit everyone’s inbox by now—including his. Tempest’s expression grows shadows, but he stays quiet.

“Why’d you let her do it?” Tempest asks after I finish.

“Because I need her to trust me. Her best friend was violently murdered in front of her. How would it have looked if I tried to convince her to do nothing?” I start pacing the room, my veins throbbing, my arteries pumping. “She was silenced when her mother died. Labeled unhinged and kept separate from any information regarding Meredith Ryan’s murder. Who was a former Virtue, by the way.”

Tempest doesn’t flinch at my fact-drop. He wouldn’t, since unearthing long-forgotten, scandalous secret society mysteries is part of his deal as my second-in-command. Tempest is the sole recipient of my wants, theories, and terrible truths. He alone understands the desperation behind my goal to steal the Noble reins from my father.

“I had to give Callie some control,” I say through his silence. “Some ability to seek revenge. Otherwise, she’d be kicked down, locked up, voiceless, and betrayed. She may not have gotten back up this time.”

Tempest studies me. “Are you sure your concerns for her are surface level?”

“I’m protecting her as I’ve always done.” Then, to cover any missteps I may have made, “Causing her to become strangled and unsure again does neither of us any good. We need Callie at the top of her game, ready to do anything we ask. Curled up in a ball and wailing at the walls isn’t her ideal state.”

“There will be a lot of blowback because of that email.”

“How about another girl’s murder? You think there’ll be issues with that?”

Tempest ignores my sarcasm. “I’d bet my parents’ next blockbuster movie that Sabine has prepared for this moment. And that’s fine, because you’re coming out with your own story.”

Tempest stops any retort by lifting his hand, silently asking me to hear him out before I lose it.

“As your only ally, my duty is to keep you safe. Not her, not Ivy, not even our boys. You first. Listen to me and listen well. This is how we’ll playthings—you’re going to resume making Calla Lily Ryan’s life hell.”

I lift my brows, sucking in breath for a sweeping denial, but my throat constricts before I voice sound.

Tempest senses the opening. “If you want to keep her safe, this is how you’ll do it. Callie’s figured out her heritage. Great. Sabine saw her as a threat before, but now it’s an impending avalanche. And there’s also you to contend with. You care too much about the new girl, and she’s developed feelings for you, too—which, thank you both, was showcased in front of our evil queen last night. With that kind of proof, Sabine’s on the warpath. She’s so keen on ending you, she was willing to sacrifice Ivy to prove her suspicions that you’ve continued ignoring your father’s instructions, despite the public lashing.”

The sound of the dagger sinking into Ivy’s skin, then Callie’s piercing scream, stirs the air around me. For a minute, I think I’m holding Callie’s weight again, bracing her against my chest as her tears drip from her chin, cold by the time they hit my collarbone.

I blink, and Tempest comes back into focus.

“We can’t take their perception of your treachery at face value,” he continues. “In order to get Sabine to back off, you need to shut up about Ivy and distance yourself from Callie. No—that’s not enough. You have to make Callie hate you, Chase. Like fucking despise you. If Sabine can kill her princess without a thought, she’ll kill you and Callie with just as much ease and take the Nobles and Virtues for herself.”

I rub my fingers against my lips, air heaving from my nose, but I can’t argue his points. “Sabine has my father. She’s taken the Virtues and made them into her playthings. She has powerful men at her disposal by placing key girls in positions to annihilate them. Why isn’t that enough for this cunt?”

Tempest’s pale eyes pin mine. “After Piper’s death, this runs deeper for her now. I don’t think she’ll rest until she has you by the balls. Your sister was first, but I’m confident Sabine’s ultimate goal is your destruction. Do me a favor, don’t help her along.”

I grit my teeth, my jaw aching with the force. “I won’t rest until I avenge my sister and keep Callie from the same fate. Do you understand?”

“Crystal. And we can do all that. Intelligently and without this whole cocked-and-loaded thing you have going on right now.”

“I have to warn her.”

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