Page 144 of Terror at the Gates

“I would go to war for you,” he said.

I ceased breathing, thinking that I’d misheard him. I pulled back and met his gaze. He was usually so composed, but there was something unfiltered in the way he looked at me now—a raw confession of devotion.

“What did you say?”

His mouth lifted in a soft half smile as he swept his thumb over the edge of my lips.

“I would go to war for you,” he said again. “I would fight endlessly to keep you if that’s what you wanted.”

Again, I felt the threat of tears, but for a very different reason. I couldn’t ask this of him. War was serious, far too serious to be fought over one rebellious daughter. I couldn’t bear the burden of lost lives.

“I am not worth everything you would lose, Zahariev,” I said.

“You are worth it,” he said. “But I’ll wait until you ask.”

I would never ask, but his offer meant everything to me. I wondered if he could tell by the way I whispered his name orthe way my fingers twisted into his shirt. I thought he knew because his eyes darted to my lips, and I rose onto the tips of my toes to kiss him, only to shriek at the sudden sound of earthshaking thunder and bury my face in his chest.

Zahariev’s arms were still around me, and I could hear him laughing softly.

“I’m so glad I amuse you,” I said, pulling back. Though I glared at him, I wasn’t actually upset about the laugh. I couldn’t be, because it made him even more beautiful. Really, I just wanted him to kiss me and never stop, but another bolt of lightning arced across the sky, followed shortly by a long, low rumble of thunder.

“Come on,” he said, bending to pick up my discarded heels. “Let’s get up the hill before it rains.”

We made our way out of the cemetery. I walked ahead of Zahariev, who fell behind texting. I assumed he was letting Felix know we were ready. I would have waited for him once I reached the top of the hill, but it started raining, so I ran ahead, taking cover beneath the shallow overhang of my parents’ home.

It wasn’t long before Zahariev caught up and we walked together to the edge of the house but not any farther.

“I’ll get your things,” he said.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t want them to know I’m leaving.”

They weren’t worth the fight of retrieving them. I now knew my father’s insistence on me attending the gala had nothing to do with his wish to see me. He had planned to introduce me to his chosen heir, announce our engagement, and lock me in my room until the wedding.

I’d always known this day would come, but I’d never let myself think too long about what it meant.

Tonight, I had to face it. I had been a breath away fromnever seeing my friends again. It made my heart ache for home, and suddenly, all I wanted to do was go back to my shitty apartment, soak in my shitty bath, sleep in my shitty bed, and cuddle my perfect fucking cat.

“Is Felix almost here?” I asked. I was cold and anxious.

I glanced up at Zahariev, who was frowning down at his phone.

“The barrier won’t open because the power’s out,” he said. His gaze slid to me. “Can you walk down?”

“I’ll do anything to get out of here,” I said.

We started across the yard, which was a void of darkness without my mother’s starry lights. We were almost on the road when a terrifying boom erupted.

I heard Zahariev say my name over a high-pitched ringing in my ears. Then somehow I was crouched on the ground with his body wrapped around mine as rain and debris fell around us. I watched it pile up: shards of glass, pieces of wood, and mangled metal.

Slowly, I lifted my head to see that the windows of my childhood home had been blown out and there was a gaping hole where my father’s study had once been.

The explosion had been a bomb.

I squeezed my eyes shut, thinking that maybe things would be different when I opened them again, but nothing changed.

Zahariev said something as he dragged me to my feet, but I only understood one word—run.

I didn’t question him. I let him pull me down the dark and winding road. It was an endless spiral, and the rain made it slippery. The descent took all my focus, but once we were on even ground, the reality of what had happened on the hill started to sink in, and it was like those thoughtsawakened the pain in my body. I realized how much my chest ached and how badly my feet hurt.

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