Page 21 of The Broken Queen

Julianna, on the other hand, seemed to have forgotten her momentary breakdown, as she continued to play with the other children. I crossed my arms over my chest and jutted my chin.

“Her spirit is broken. Her fight is gone. Lars is ripping her open from the inside out. Theonlytime she smiles is when she’s around Julianna, and most of the time it’s forced. If she didn’t have that little girl, she would cease to exist.”

A deep rumble barrels out of my chest. The way he was talking about her, as if she was some fragile porcelain doll, didn’t sit right with me. Raven was stronger than what he was giving her credit for. She would make it through this. Shehadto.

“You better figure out what the hell you want, because if you break that girl anymore, I’ll kill you myself.”

I stepped back in the shadows with raised eyebrows as he walked away.Well played old man. I didn’t expect that revelation from him, but he was right. Ihadto do something. Besides, no one was allowed to break Raven’s spirit but me. I owned her, and I was going to make damn sure this Zeke fellow knewexactlywho he was dealing with.

Originally, there were two key players in this little game of chess, then a third, but now a fourth had been added to the board. In the end, there would only be one left standing.

The corners of my lips tilted.It’s time for the King to return.

Part Two

Slade at eleven-years-old

“But I don’t want to move!” I stomped my foot on the ground and crossed my arms over my chest.

They couldn’t make me go. Iwouldn’t go!

Mom threw Dad a look as if she didn’t know what to do with me.How could they think I would be okay with this? Why didn’t I get a say? It was my life too!

Now they were telling me we had to downgrade and go live in some big, stupid castle in a country I had never heard of. Dad was apparently hired on as the King’s ‘head of security’ and Mom was hired on as one of the Queen’s maidens or something like that. And what was my role? To be a babysitter to some spoiled, rotten princess.

Yeah, life majorly sucked.I wanted to stay in Texas with my friends. I wanted to scuff up my shoes, sweat to death in the hundred degree weather, and go play ball. I didn’t understand why they just couldn’t go without me. My grandparents lived here too, why couldn’t they just raise me?

Dad leaned down until he was on his knees, looking at me with his bright blue eyes. “Son, we don’t have much of a choice. Things have been tough, and this is a great opportunity for us to go explore and experience new things.”

My face scrunched up. “Why can’t I stay here with Grandma and Grandpa?”

His eyes dimmed. “Their health won’t allow them to take care of you properly. You don’t want anything to happen to them, do you?”

I shook my head violently.

“Good. I know you will miss your friends, and this is where you grew up, but try to make the most of it, okay? There will be new opportunities to make friends. Hey, you might even make friends with the Princess!” He chuckled, but I didn’t find it funny.

Why would I want to make friends with a stupid girl?

Slade at twelve-years-old

I FLICKED THE ROCKinto the lake, cursing when it didn’t skip like I wanted it to.

This was stupid.Everything here was stupid.

I missed Texas, and I wanted to go back.

Slade at thirteen-years-old

I PLACED MY BAG INthe locker and slammed it shut.

“Whoa, who crapped in your Cheerios this morning?”

I turned, and Elijah was leaning against the lockers with a mischievous grin on his face. “The Princess.”

His blonde eyebrows shot up. “I thought you two had never met.”

I started walking towards my class and he followed along. “We haven’t, but I swear the ghost of her is haunting me. Princess this, Princess that. It’s all I ever hear at home and it’s starting to irritate me.”

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