Page 35 of Chess

Maddie whirled on her sister, her eyes wide. “Forwhat?”

“To ask questions about Ever of course.” Mouse set Des on the table, the caterpillar’s head perking up as though it were listening too. “But, he would bring leaves for me to feed Des after he saw her with me one day.”

Chess had brought Mouse leaves for her caterpillar to eat? Something was off about that. The only reason he would do that would be to get something in return. Information on Ever.

But that had been before. Before all this...

“A few leaves for your caterpillar doesn’t erase everything he’s done,” Maddie said.

“He grew up differently than us.” Mouse furrowed her brow. “People can change.”

“I hate to say it,” Ever started. “But Chess actually helped reclaim my castle, although his presence has been mostly accompanied by lies. He did come clean recently though. Of course, after being caught.” She then went into more detail, discussing his lies, how he’d helped kill the vampires in the Ivory Palace, and how they both wanted Rav dead.

“You have the palace now?” Noah asked.

“Yes.” Ever nodded. “My spy—March, who Maddie and Mouse are acquainted with—is there now. I had only come here to tell you the news, but since Chess now knows everything, I would like you all to come to the palace now. I trust you to help protect it, and I have to be more careful in the guards I pick this time. But if you choose not to, I understand.”

“And Chess?” Maddie plopped down onto Noah’s lap, one of his arms snaking protectively around her waist. “What are we going to do with him? I don’t care what he wants to do to me, but, again, he tried to murder you.”

He had. But from all their recent days together, he hadn’t attempted to harm her. He’d been nothing but aggravating, yet he’d also been … caring? “I know he did. However, I have something to ask of you, Maddie. If you agree to come with me, I want to allow him an opportunity to join us. Will you allow it?”

By how red Noah’s face was, she could tell he wanted to shoutfuck no, but he waited for Maddie to give her answer.

“Only if I can personally escort him to your palace with his hands cuffed,” she sang with a grin.

“Deal.” Ever laughed. “Now, I need to have a word with the princeling.” She gave a final look to Noah. “I also killed Osanna for you.”

“One less vampire we have to kill.” Maddie grinned.

Ever then left the group to themselves, Maddie patting Noah’s cheek and telling him to calm down about the prince while Ferris watched Mouse scoop Des into her palm.

Pushing open the door, Ever found Chess still seated in the chair with his ankles cuffed to the legs and his wrists bound behind his back. Even then, he lazily rested his head against the back of the chair. He lifted his head, a smirk on his face as his yellow gaze met hers, as though he were tempting her to come closer.

Ever shut the door behind her and entered the room, taking in the black and white walls, the obsidian wardrobe, the dark bed, the steel chair that made the prince look like a seductive devil luring her in. And bloody hell, she wanted to be lured in.

Focusing, she shook the blasted thought away. “I assume you were listening,” she snapped. It may have been more at herself than him because she should’ve been wanting to rip his head off for trying to murder her best friend, and in turn, knocking them down a flight of stairs like a fool.

“To every word,” he purred. “Osanna was always a cunt, so you taking her out doesn’t bother me in the least. Now, what would you like to ask me first?”

“Why did you bring Mouse leaves for her caterpillar?”

Chess clucked his tongue and straightened. A line rested between the prince’s brows, questioning. “Out of everything, that’s what you’re curious about? Ah, Queenie, I think you can do better than that.”

“Just answer the question,” she huffed.

“Poor little Mouse, all alone in her cell,” he cooed. His gaze left hers and he studied the ceiling, as though, if he looked at her longer, she would discover the emotion he wanted to keep hidden. “I wanted her to think I was charming so she would tell me more about you.Confesswhere you were hiding.”

“That’s not the whole story though, is it?” Ever inched closer to him, then leaned forward, ignoring his lovely scent. He didn’t speak as she pressed her hands to his warm cheeks, drawing his face to hers. She would keep his gaze focused on hers so he couldn’t hide behind his lies.

The prince’s yellow irises blazed, his breath hitching. “I had planned to toy with her like I did with Maddie. The Hatter was fun to get a rise out of, but Mouse… She was different. Always humming. Even when… Even when…” He paused, his nostrils flaring. “Even when Rav and my mother would bring her out for herinterrogations.”

The blood in Ever’s veins boiled and she was about to slap him, but then she remembered how he’d allowed Maddie to save her. A realization struck her—it wasn’t only the leaves.

“You gave her the caterpillar, didn’t you?” she whispered, her thumb stroking his cheek.

“And why the fuck would I do that?” he murmured.

“So you could bring her the leaves.”

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