Page 59 of Fixation of the Mind

“Eight hours, twenty-six minutes, and thirty-nine seconds. You have made a record for the longest tester who came out unharmed. Congratulations!” Her exuberance didn't do anything for my shock.

Standing straight, tingles ran up and down my legs, making those first movements hard, more a shuffle than a step.

“Don’t worry. It won’t last longer than ten minutes.”

Her voice reminded me to ask something while no one was around. “So… what now?”

She stopped, facing me as said, “You will have today and most of tomorrow to celebrate, then we will have the gala tomorrow night. You will formally meet the other families and have a chance to make connections. After that, we have the naming ceremony, which is where you and R. Ambros will be named the heads of each of your families. Finally, once that’s done, I will meet with you to talk about your inheritance, estates, and your position on the council.”

Inheritance? Estate? What the hell? I was so tired that it didn't feel imperative to figure it out right now. What I really wanted to do was see the triplets. To hug them, to say sorry for betraying them.

“Got it. Thanks.”

She laughed, and this time it felt real, even coming from her. “I think you’re going to be just what we need to shake things up. All of us have been molded for these positions, so you will have a different perspective. It could be detrimental for you or liberating for us. Either way, it will be fun to watch.”

I let out a laugh of my own. Now, that was the Maria I knew.

She opened the door, and a flash of black and pink streaked across my face before Cin barreled into me. “Oh, thank all the gods!” She pulled me away by the shoulders, then inspected me, her face lined with worry. “No, seriously. I prayed to all of them! I went to the library, which you know I’m allergic to, and I wrote down all of their names. I had time to do a séance, light some incense, and do all the things to ensure you made it out alive.” She hugged me again, but this time it wasn't so strangling.

“Back off, sister. She needs to breathe.” Luca came up to Cin’s side, smiling at me like a perfect male statue. “And she’s serious about all that. It was exhausting.” He took my hand, lifted it to his lips, and gave it a small kiss. “We’re so happy you passed.”

Someone cleared their throat, and we all turned to see Rion leaning up against the wall, glaring daggers at Luca.

The whole world disappeared as I looked at him. His body was tense, his mouth set in his normal frown, but as soon as our eyes met, it lifted. It was just a smidgen, but I saw it. His eyes flashed a cool blue at the others, but when he looked back at me, it was with a warm mixture of green and brown.

He kicked off the wall and walked up to me, stopping short when he glanced at the others. “Congratulations. All your hard work and training paid off. I’m glad to see my mentee had no issues.”

I almost wanted to laugh. How could I ever expect anything else from my logical prince?

Taking his hand, I bowed, lifting it to my forehead as I said, “Thank you. Your training was the only reason I got through that.”

Rising up, I saw his eyes widen and his ears get red, so I turned around to smile at Cin. “Thank you so much for being here for me, but I am definitely drained and hungry.”

“Hey! I got snacks!” Elio came around the corner, saw me, and dropped everything in his hands. He ran up to me, lifting me into his arms. “I knew you could do it, you little psycho!”

Rion ripped me from his arms, setting me down next to him as he clenched his teeth. “She just said she needs food and rest. We are leaving.” Elio stuck out his lip in a pout as he raised his hands and pretended to grab at me.

Rolling my lips in and biting down to keep the laugh from coming out, I nodded, not wanting Elio to die, and thanked everyone for being here for me. I really didn’t expect the Ricci entourage, but it was kind of nice to feel loved by people besides my boys.

“Wait!” Cin jogged up to me, pulling me away from Rion. “We need to do a girls’ day! You need a dress for the gala and to get your hair and nails done. Maybe we can go to a spa for some massages!”

“She already has a dress,” Rion cut in, and Cin and I looked at him. I commended him for keeping a straight face, and I was definitely intrigued to see what they’d picked for me, but I hadn’t hung out with Cin in so long. Girl time sounded amazing, and I did want to put my best foot forward with the other families.

I blurted, “Of course! Let's do that! We can still do the nails and hair stuff. Maybe lunch?”

Cin nodded and smiled. “Hells yes! Let's make an oath in blood!” She had raised a pocket knife that she’d gotten from who knew where and was about to cut her palm when Rion grabbed her hand.

“Rin will not be making a girls’ day commitment in blood.” He leaned in, glaring at her like he was a hair's breadth away from killing her in this hallway.

My hand rested on his, tugging his hand back as I smiled wide at Cin. “I will definitely do it. Let's text later about the details.” I hoped they let it go with that.

She threw her chin out, sending him a challenging stare. “There should be no pushback from you about this. If so…” Her voice got lower. “I will spend every dime of my family's fortune to find her. I’ve narrowed down your little hideout to a ten-mile radius. It wouldn't take long to hire a whole army full of thugs to weed you out.” Like a flip of a switch, she smiled, her voice going up an octave. “If I don’t see her tomorrow, I’m coming for her.”

Rion’s nostrils flared, and he took a measured step toward her like she was a threat. Placing my hand on his chest, I stopped him. “I want to go. Hungry. Food. Sleep time. Please?”

He glared at me for a second before his unyielding eyes softened. “Fine. We’ll talk about it after we eat.” I knew that was the best I was going to get, so I waved at Cin, telling her I was excited for tomorrow, and we left the building like our feet were on fire.

Chapter 21

---