Page 89 of Forever Touched

“I-I won’t, Mother,” she sobbed, then dashed away with my familiar.

I kept my gaze on Mistress, consoling myself with the fact that Pepper was still alive.

“Well, now that we have that unpleasantness behind us,” she said, brushing off her hands with another lip curl, “we can direct the conversation to more important matters. I know Prince Everett has been coming here the past few days. I had a camera installed. Not only that, I cansmellhim on you, and I’m not referring to the claim. You two have been having sex.Lotsof it. Why? Why does he want you so badly?”

All the blood drained from my face.

When I didn’t respond, she crouched before me in a flash and roughly grabbed my chin. “Tell me what I want to know, or your familiar is dead,” she hissed in my face. “Whydoes Prince Everett want you?”

As I felt the pull of thrall loosen my tongue, another tear slid down my cheek. “Because . . .” I choked out, unable to keep my voice from breaking. “Because I’m his soulmate.”

“That’sdisgusting,”Georgina shrilly said. “What a terrible thing to say. She has to be lying, Mother. The crown prince couldn’t possibly be fated to someone likeher.”

Mistress was silent.Deathlysilent. She searched my face, confirming for herself that I spoke the truth. A sudden spark entered her eyes, making me shiver with dread. I knew that look. She was thinking.Planningsomething.

“Does he know about our pactum?” she finally asked.

The word slipped free before I could catch it. “Yes.”

“Does he know about our mission?”

“He . . . he suspects.”

“Does he know whatyoucan do?”

“No.”

Her mouth curved into a cruel smile. “Of course he doesn’t. He’sblindlike so many males are, too drunk on lust to think withanything but his dick. He would never believe that his fatedmatecould do something so heinous. Is that what the Masquerade Ball is for? To expose us? TodemandI release you from our pactum?”

I desperately tried not to answer, but her thrall forced the word from me. “Yes.”

She hissed, baring her fangs at me.

I didn’t say more, already knowing that I was doomed. She was the cat, and I was the mouse helplessly caught in her razor sharp claws. She was unraveling me, ripping out secret after secret. I couldn’t hide from her. Couldn’tfighther. Not when she had Pepper at her mercy.

There was only one thing I could do. One thing that could possibly save us both.

But before I could cry out to my soulmate, Mistress stared deeply into my eyes and demanded, “Can you communicate telepathically with him?”

A scream built in my head. “Yes.”

“Good. Then from now on, you’re going to put on a show for him. Convince him that all is going according to plan. That I am blissfully unaware and you’re perfectly fine. You know all about pretending, don’t you,Star?It shouldn’t be hard. Nod that you understand.”

The command sank into my mind with all the rest, tightening around my free will like a noose,thrallingme into being her obedient servant. The scream faded, and I woodenly nodded.

“Good. Then get some sleep. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow.”

As she dropped my chin and stood, she almost sounded chipper.Victorious, even.

She was definitely planning something. Something terrible.

And there was nothing. AbsolutelynothingI could do about it.

28

EVERETT

“Do you really think this’ll turn into a bloodbath?”

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