Page 141 of Enchanted Kingdom
The worst part was that boy had proved to me I was capable of loving a man just to repeatedly prove to me that he wasn’t worthy of it.
Owen’s face towered above my own. “Ya okay?”
I sighed. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine,” Owen argued.
“Physically, I am fine. Falling did not hurt me,” I corrected. “Mentally it is just another bruise onto my already battered psyche.”
He reached a hand down and hauled me to my feet.
Finding that the Dead Lake was unchanged, I wiped at my eyes. This was a disaster. I had started to fall for Keir. He’d been so much different than I expected. And when it was just the two of us, there was an ease I hadn’t ever found, even with Will. I was still so angry at Keir for betraying me. For not caring about me as much as I did him. And I was pissed that I had started to care about things at the castle. I cared about Rafe. This stupid black lake. Silvia. Owen. Renna. Molly. Gwen. Nara. And the princes and their honorable mission. Why had I let myself care about any of it?
I had only myself to blame. And now even when Keir did get sick of my silent treatment and send me home, my life was never going to be the same. Everything had changed the moment I got that damned letter.
As we walked through the side kitchen door on the way back in, I tried to quickly head toward the stairs.
“Tiny!” Maurice exclaimed. “You live!”
I sighed. “For now, anyway.” Until the king figured out a way to get to me. And considering even his failed plans managed to somehow work, I had no doubt he eventually would.
His forehead crinkled. “Would you like to help us make the bread tonight?”
I shook my head. “No thank you.”
And with that, I headed back up to my pretty little cage.
Renna, Molly, Gwen, and Nara came to Keir’s wing a few hours later. Owen let me know they were there looking for me, so I went to the entryway to get rid of them. Owen was just around the wall sitting at the table by the window. I let them just inside the door at the entryway but made no move to invite them any further. It wasn’t really my wing anyway. It was Keir’s.
“Hey,” Renna greeted. “Feel up to some cards?”
Molly pulled out the deck from her cleavage with a triumphant smile.
I was certain either Owen or Keir had put them all up to this.
“Not today,” I stated, but tried my best to smile at Molly. I didn’t want to be anywhere near Gwen. No thank you. I didn’t blame her for kissing Keir. She knew the rules of the game as well as I did. I was more mad at Keir than her, I just also didn’t want to be around her right now.
“You never told us you were staying in Keir’s wing now,” Molly said quietly as she looked beyond me to the rest of the massive rooms.
I let out a long sigh and decided they at least deserved the truth. “The king drugged me. It wasn’t because Keir is so infatuated with me that he wanted me near him. It was for safety reasons.”
Gwen’s eyes went wide.“What?”
I squinted at her. “I would have thought thatyou, of all people, would have known that.”
“I didn’t.” She put her hands in the air. “Look, Jorah. I’m sorry.”
I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Don’t. Don’t bother. It doesn’t matter.”
Renna reached out to hug me, seeing me struggling, but I sidestepped and couldn’t allow her to. If I did, I’d be in a heap on the floor again, and I was taking care to try to put myself together. I didn’t want to unravel and be at square one again.
“How does it not matter?” Gwen whispered, her eyes going glassy. “Despite what you may think, I do consider you a friend.”
I shook my head. “Because it never did. BecauseInever did.” In a whisper I added, “Please just leave me alone. Please go.”
They gave me pitied smiles before turning to go. At the last minute, Renna threw her arms around me. “I’ll be back. You don’t get to get rid of me this easily.”
My eyes were burning as I shut the door behind them and locked myself back in my room.
