Page 58 of Reckless
The carving below my collarbone stings with the reminder, but I pull my vest tighter around myself. No one will see how he’s ruined me.
“I’m sorry you were alone,” Lenny says gently.
“Cockroach, remember? I always find a way to make it out alive.”
He laughs quietly while I study the sky, spotting the first pink clouds crowding the horizon. Taking a breath, I ask, “How’s our new king doing?”
Lenny shakes his head before running a hand over his face. “There… there are rumors.”
“Rumors?” I repeat.
“The whole kingdom is talking about it,” Finn chimes in, riding up beside us. He’s gone mad. Simple as that.”
“That,” Lenny throws him a look, “is therumor. All we know is that he hasn’t left his office since the death of the king, and servants talk. They say they can hear him mumbling through the walls and always find his food tossed from the window.” He shrugs. “Maybe he’s just grieving, and it will all be over soon. Or maybe…”
“Maybe this is the future of Ilya,” Leena says softly.
It’s suddenly difficult to swallow. I know firsthand how affected Kitt was by his father when he was alive. And now that I’ve killed him…
“How is Ilya? The people?” I manage after clearing my throat.
Lenny shrugs. “Well, not great. The Elites are also mourningthe ruler that single-handedly made Ilya the strongest kingdom by banishing the Ordinaries.”
“There are a lot of people who hate you—let’s just say that.” Finn’s tone is joking, though the topic is anything but.
I look away, shaking my head. “I’m not surprised. Not only do they hate what I did, but they also hate what I am.”
“The people are restless,” Leena says softly. “Our new king has yet to show his face to the kingdom, and it’s made many feel neglected in a way.”
“The queen isn’t doing well either,” Finn adds. “They think it’s only a matter of time now.”
My eyes trail to the prince ahead of us. His eyes are on the sky, watching the darkness hint at the promise of pink skies. I let out a shaky breath. His mother is dying, and he was sent on a mission to retrieve me. A mission that is now taking far longer than anyone expected.
Did he say goodbye to her before he left? Did he make a promise he now cannot keep? Did he—
I push the thoughts from my head, bury the worry beneath my layers of loathing for him.
The prince’s well-being is not my problem.
And with that, I turn my attention back to the boy before me and the beast beneath us. “Lenny, you need to teach me how to ride one of these things.”
CHAPTER 22Paedyn
“Where are you taking us?”
I duck before a fallen beam can connect with my skull. Fumbling in the darkness, I try my best to keep up with Lenny’s lanky legs still several steps in front of me. My body aches after a full day of riding, and blindly navigating the backstreets of Dor is not exactly helping.
“You’ll see. Just a little farther,” Lenny calls over his shoulder at the group grumbling behind him.
Leena shoots me a skeptical look while Finn trails behind Kai with a crossbow in hand. We’ve been making our way through the outskirts of the city for nearly an hour now, though we still haven’t been told exactly why.
“Watch your head here,” Lenny warns before ducking through a partially boarded doorway. I spin, taking in the abandoned building we’ve just stepped into. What is left of the walls is draped in shadows, dappled in the moonlight streaming through a slatted roof.
Lenny doesn’t bother slowing the long strides that carry him towardthe dark corner. I squint after him, sucking in a breath. Blinking, I can barely make out the figures melting from the shadows Lenny approaches.
I open my mouth to shout a warning, call his name—
“Lenny!”
