Page 2 of Mud

After one year, eight months, eleven days. He escaped, and I was so afraid, so excited, so incredibly anxious that I’d have suspected I was dreaming if my dreams ever dared to be so realistic.

Even so, when I strapped on my backpack and stopped at the end of the hallway in front of Poppy’s room, I read that text one more time.

Not a dream.

Taking in a deep breath to calm my heartbeat, I grabbed the golden handle of Poppy’s door and pulled it down. For a moment, I feared she’d locked herself in there, but then I remembered that Madeline Rogan wouldneverin a million years allow either of us actual keys to our doors—or any kind of wards to keep others out, for thatmatter. Because privacy was important, yes, but notfrom her.

I entered Poppy’s room on my tiptoes. She was a light sleeper, but only right after she fell asleep or in the early hours of dawn. It was two in the morning, and she was snoring lightly, though she’d never admit it if I ever brought it up. Poppy Rogan—snoring?

“Sounds like somebody’s a little bit obsessed with me,” she’d tell me with that little devilish grin and her wiggling brows. “Why else would you be there watching me when I’m sleeping?”

Good thing I knew better than to tell her truths. That’s why the letter in my envelope contained everything but.

Poppy’s room was the same size as mine—probably bigger than a standard studio apartment, with a walk-in closet and a gigantic bathroom attached, big windows overlooking the acres and acres of land that surrounded Madeline’s mansion, as well as the edge of the hills at its back. It was as fancy as everything else my grandmother owned, but at least Poppy appreciated all of it in a way that I never could. Even now, she slept in a silk nightgown the color of blood, and her golden-brown curls were covered in a pretty red bonnet, and her phone was peeking from under her pillow, coming to life with vibrations every minute—app notifications that were so normal for her they didn’t even wake her up.

She didn’t stir, didn’t move, didn’t breathe faster. She just slept peacefully, sprawled in the middle of the king-size, perfectly comfortable. And just like always, whenever I was looking at her and she didn’t know it, I felt sorry for her. For me. For us.

We were born only two months apart. Our mothers were sisters, and they married on the same day.

They died on the same day, on the same plane crash, too, together with our fathers.

Then it was just us two and Madeline—and that’s why I felt sorry for her. For me. For us.

I left the envelope on her nightstand, and I slowly retreated, walking on my tiptoes, perfectly silent. I was an agent of the Iridian Department of Defense—the highest security organization that pretty much governed all magical beings on earth—after all.

Only when I walked out the door and I was all alone in the massive hallway surrounded by marble, did I realize where the excitement, where all thatthrillmixed with the fear was coming from.

It wasn’t just because ofhim,the man I was warned about.

It was because of Madeline as well. Because ofme.Because finally, after two years, I had a reason to run away from this place, even if it would be for only a couple of days. I had a reason to gather some fucking balls and walk out of here because I had no other option. No overthinking and overanalyzing and over-anything—I just walked out.

Down the main set of stairs, through the kitchen and out the backdoor to avoid the guards that watched after us at night, as if anybody would dare to attack a Rogan estate. As if anybody would even consider it.

But the guards didn’t see me. Nobody saw me except the moon and the stars—but I liked to think they were my friends. I didn’t even rush my steps up the lowest hill on the south of the mansion and to the small woods at the edge of it.

There, I found my bike covered by a thick piece of protective fabric exactly as I’d left it—maybe four months ago? The tank was full, and the engine roared to lifeeffortlessly, and that’s when I allowed myself to smile that smile that had been trying to creep up on me all the way out of here, even in this situation.

Because even though I’d received that text and I was walking away from the mansion, from my grandmother, and even though there was a very,verygood chance that I was going to die soon, in those moments I was alive.

In those moments, I was free.

Dear Poppy,

I met a guy and I fell in love. It was quick and painless, just like you said.

Mad Mad would never let me go on a trip with him for a few days, so I’m asking you to distract her and pick your best lie to cover for me today. I know you’ll make me regret this and I expect nothing less. In return, you may ask whatever you want from me when I come back (yes, even the dirtiest details of this trip).

Forever your nemesis,

Rora

Chapter 2

Rosabel La Rouge

Present Day

Poppy had always been a hopeless romantic since we were little, and she spent hours planning her fall in love. Not her wedding, no—she planned how she would fall in love, and claimed that when she metthe one,he would do everything right because he’d be so in tune with her feelings that he’d know how to win her heart within an hour and a minute.

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