Page 31 of Cold Heir

Vulnerable.

Within fifteen minutes, the glittering lights of the city came into view, and I never thought I’d be so happy about that. Once, this had been thelastplace I wanted to be, now, it was one of the few places I felt remotely safe. My plan was to take a day or two to regroup, assess the details of my last escape, and figure out something else.

My eyes slammed shut with a vague memory, a promise made to Levi in the throes of passion. The vow stated that I wouldn’t sneak off again without telling him, but … how could I honor that? My head hadn’t been clear, considering, and I couldn’t abandon my team simply because I’d screwed up and caught these unruly feelings.

And unruly they were.

There was no way I could get away with what I needed to do, with the princes aware of my plan, so I’d have to think of something. Something would have to give, and I had a feeling that, in the end, it would be Levi’s trust.

Above, a skytrain whizzed past at an impossible speed, and I marveled at it like the few other times I’d seen one. This, like so many of their structural feats, never ceased to amaze me. The thought of all the Ianites had accomplished in the field of technology led me to think of Elle, but this wasn’t the first time she crossed my mind.

The moment I climbed into Julian’s car and wasn’t greeted by her chipper voice, I was acutely aware of her absence. It seemed out of character for her not to be here, but then again … I had a feeling she’d taken quite a bit of flack for helping me. In a way, I was afraid to ask.

Traffic thinned and the bright lights of the city were behind us as we neared the palace. The moment I spotted the broad, shimmering gate that surrounded it, I breathed deep, remembering how hard I fought to break free that night. It wasn’t likely that I’d be allowed a second shot, but my mind was already made up to try. I had to. For Felix, Banks, Shay, Liv. Forallof them. For the mission.

“Ready for your surprise?” Julian asked, glancing toward me with a smile as we drove the winding path, lined with fiery lanterns that reminded me of arriving the first day.

There wasn’t even a small part of me that felt excited about this. No dress or trinket existed that would make this moment more sweet than bitter, but again, I played pretend.

“Sure,” I answered with a smile that paled in comparison to his.

A lighthearted laugh left his mouth when he seemed to sense my lack of enthusiasm, and the sound of it confused me a bit. He wasn’t offended that I wasn’t looking forward to it, which I admit made me a bit more curious.

We came to a stop in front of his large home situated roughly a mile from the one his parents occupied. Acknowledging them, I briefly thought of what Glenn had shared during our visit—that the queen herself had been by to spend a few days with him. It was, apparently, her little secret, one I wouldn’t reveal to Julian.

The sound of three of the car doors springing open prompted me to peer up instantly. My instinct was to reach for the handle to join them, but a firm, “Allow me,” from Silas made me halt.

My gaze rose to meet his as he approached, forcing my thoughts to skim down the long list of sacrifices he’d made on my behalf. When I did, my stupid heart did the strangest thing.

It fluttered.

A gentle smile graced his lips as he freed me from the car we’d been trapped inside all these hours. To my surprise it was warm. He was … I don’t know … different from the others. In ways I hadn’t quite figured out yet, but I was certain I’d get it once our bond had been sealed, and I’d likely comprehend it even deeper after the Claiming ceremony.

He didn’t release me like I expected. Instead, after slamming the door shut behind us, he interlocked our fingers.

Yes … Silas was different indeed.

The four of us approached the entrance to Julian’s home, and I sensed his and Silas’ excitement. Whatever surprise they prepared, they were clearly hopeful about my reaction.

Before Julian could turn the knob, it was snatched from his grasp, and light from inside flooded the entrance. Within its glow, the biggest smile I’d seen in forever greeted me.

“Mistress, Corina!” Elle beamed, embracing me so tightly I was aware for the first time since meeting her, that she was manmade. Nothing natural could possibly have a grip that powerful.

It felt strange. The overwhelming sense of relief I felt, realizing she hadn’t taken the brunt of the uproar I caused that night, was startling. I thought that, in the very least, her programming might have been tweaked, but from what I could tell, she was still the same old Elle.

Chipper, and inconceivably happy.

My friend.

Smiling as we held one another, I squeezed her right back. She’d proven something to me that night, something I never would have considered otherwise. She showed me that humanity didn’t always refer to a species. Elle was more human at heart than almost anyone else I knew.

She released me and that sparkle in her eyes was still there when she turned to Julian.

“Have you told her yet?”

“Not yet. Silas and I thought it’d be best not to.” He turned to me, and I was definitely more interested now than before. “Elle’s prepared you a bath. One of us will bring your bag up and—”

“Well, what’s the surprise?” I interjected, which made Julian smile again.

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