Page 6 of The Evernight Court

Trapped.I had never felt more trapped in my life than I did to be the center of their attention, even when I pushed the doors open behind me and moved inside, about to slam them closed.

“You think those doors are going to keep you from us?” Tristian chuckled, like he thought me fucking adorable.

“You thinkanythingis going to keep you from us now?” said Emil, licking his lips like a fucking maniac. My legs were shaking so badly.

“Don’t be rude, brothers. She just lost her precious Grey. She’s in mourning,” Romin said, and he was openly mocking me.

“We can help with that, though, can’t we?” said Tristian, and they all started coming toward me slowly.

Oh, God…

“Yes, we can. In fact, let us erase your mind of anything Grey by the end of the day, sweet Fall. You won’t be disappointed.” Emil grinned like a fucking monster.

“That’s a promise,” said Tristian, while Romin just smiled and looked at me from under his lashes, like a predator eyes his helpless prey.

“Stop!”I said with as much conviction as I could muster.

I was in the third tower. They couldn’t come into the third tower without Grey inviting them in, right? Or without Grey specifically telling them they could.

The duel was done. They couldn’t barge in here again like they had last morning—theycouldn’t,not without a reason.

“But we don’t want to stop,” Emil said. “Come to us, Fall. Let us ease your?—”

“Don’tcome any closer,” I spit with all the hatred that they made me feel. All the fear that was making my legs shake so badly.

The brothers stopped walking, still ten feet away from me.

“Now, now, Fall. Don’t be—” Romin started, but I wasn’t about to let him finish.

“This ismytower. You are not allowed in here withoutmy permission.”

The brothers looked at one another, then burst out laughing.

“I understand that you’re confused on how things work around here because you’re still fairly new, but the tower isnot yours.We do not give our towers to our brides. This used to be Grey’s, and Grey is not here anymore, so—” Romin started, talking slowly to me like I was a damn child.

“He gave it to me,” I cut him off. “Grey gave me his tower. He said it was mine the first time I came through these doors.” And that was the truth.

The night I came back from Faeries’ Aerie, before the Blood Call, and Grey took me to show me the room he’d made for me, he said,Welcome to the third tower. Consider it yours.

I hadn’t thought much of it then, but now…if it got me even a little bit of safety from these monsters, I was going to use it. I was going to use all I had until I figured out another way.

The brothers looked at one another again. “Did he now,” said Romin, and it wasn’t a question, and he didn’t look half as amused as a moment ago.

“He did.” Could he tell the truth in my voice?

Would this even fucking work? Were they going to take my word for it or try to come through, anyway?CouldI even forbid them from entering these doors?

So many possibilities. Entirelytoomany…

“You’re a bride,” Emil said, but he was looking at Romin, as if to wait for confirmation.

“Brides don’town towers,” said Tristian, but he didn’t sound like he was all that sure.

That gave me a little bit of confidence. “They do when their owner gives it to them,” I forced myself to say. “And this tower is mine. Grey gave it to me. None of you—or anyone else—is welcome through these doors.”

God, please, please, please,I chanted in my head.

A loaded second of silence ticked by. I wasn’t even breathing as I held Romin’s eyes, and though he was smiling, he wasn’t feeling any kind of a positive emotion.

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