Page 70 of Beg the Night

Not just secrets I hadn’t pulled from her yet, but true, genuine fear.

“Let’s get this over with.” I sighed as I strode across the pristine floor in my ridiculous white shoes.

In the hallway, I was stopped in my tracks.

Athena stood in front of me, having just stepped out of her room as well. And my god…

Like this night wasn’t already going to be painful enough. She wore a white dress—no surprise there—that slouched off her shoulders, exposing her collarbones. The fabric fit her slim body perfectly, like a second skin, as the almost sheer fabric drifted to the floor.

And her hair was pulled back. I had never seen it pulled entirely off her neck before.

She looked incredible, her face clean of any unnecessary makeup, thank fuck. She didn’t need it. Never would.

She stared back at me, too, focus drifting up and down, probably cataloging my ridiculous outfit.

I made my way to her, forcing myself not to fawn over her as I approached.

“The grand hall is this way,” one of the maids said as they shuffled slowly ahead of us, giving us a few feet of space.

In a move more than a little uncharacteristic for me, I held my arm out to Athena.

Her eyes widened. “You choose now to become chivalrous?”

“There aren’t exactly many other opportunities to be chivalrous around here, Athena.”

She inhaled sharply at the sound of her name. I loved it when she reacted like that. Like she was excited, almost.

People were rarely excited by me. Afraid, maybe. Disappointed, absolutely. But never excited.

“All right, then.” She looped her arm through mine and we slowly followed after the maids. “I guess the only way out of this is straight through it.”

“It’ll all be over soon.” I kept my posture as stiff as possible as the heat of her body radiated from her. “As long as there are no surprises at dinner, anyway.”

“Can’t you feel it?” Athena whispered as we continued through the ridiculous maze that was the mansion.

We came to halt in front of massive doors that I could only assume led to the grand hall. “Feel what?”

Brown eyes wide, she peered up at me, and I saw it again. The fear. “Something isn’t right.”

Before I could ask her what the hell she was talking about, the doors were opened, and we were suddenly the center of attention.

The grand hall was the first thing I had seen in this place that was not white. Not even close.

The entire room—walls, table, chairs, floor—was gold.

Director rose from her seat at the head of the long table. Behind her, several guards were stationed. A man I didn’t recognize sat toward the other end of the table, and then?—

My heart stopped beating.

Mags.

It took everything in me to remain calm, to keep my composure. She stood from her chair, too, just as Director did. She wore a modest white gown that made her look younger than she really was. Her cheeks were pink and her skin was clear, notcovered in dirt like she had been the last time I saw her. She looked… She looked healthy.

The woman beside her stood, catching my attention, and my gut clenched. Athena’s sister. The one from the ball.

Beside me, Athena froze, her lips parted and her focus scouring the room. Like me, she was taking it all in. Assessing the situation. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

“Welcome, welcome!” Director waved, ushering us inside. Athena tightened her hold on my bicep. “Come in! Sit down! You’re just in time. The food will be served momentarily.”

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