Page 13 of Wild Fury (Fallen Royals 6)

Fifteen minutes. I drop my hand and stare at her. I’ve been sitting up in my room for hours, and now I have fifteen minutes to pack up my life. Who knows if I’ll be allowed back? Because I killed someone.

I certainly didn’t set them on fire, though.

And then something occurs to me. “I didn’t apply to LBU. How can I start?”

I glance at Theo, but he just shakes his head.

It’s his mother, Beth, who smiles. “I know the dean. I made a call because he owes me a favor. So don’t screw it up, Lucy.”

Fucking rich people.

I hurry back upstairs and grab a suitcase, immediately throwing in all of my underwear and socks, then shirts. Jeans, leggings, sweatshirts. I don’t have enough room and have to yank some stuff back out, leaving them in a heap on my unmade bed. An agonizing twelve minutes later, I zip the case shut, leaning most of my weight on it so it’ll close.

It crashes against each step on the way down, and I secretly hope it scratches the wood. It’ll drive Mom nuts, and nothing brings me greater joy than my mother’s ire.

Well, sometimes.

Only Theo is downstairs when I return.

“No farewell committee?” I ask him.

He rolls his eyes. “Your parents took Amelie out to lunch with Wilder.”

Figures.

“Must’ve been a well-coordinated attack to get her out while I was upstairs.”

He shrugs, pulling open the front door. He follows me and my loud, heavy suitcase to the curb and watches as I struggle to get it in the trunk. I finally stuff it in and slam it closed, pausing to shoot him a death glare.

“Do I even want to know where I’m staying?”

He smirks. “Not with me, that’s for sure.”

I let out a little exhale. “I was hoping you’d say that. So, who?”

“LBU has a great freshman dorm. Maybe you’ll actually make friends… ever hear of those?”

I pretend to be shocked. “You are not one to talk, Theo Alistair. Not with your scowl scaring all the boys away.”

He rolls his eyes. “Get in.”

“Gladly,” I shoot back. “Who knew all it took was a catastrophe to get myself out of this forsaken house.” I slide into the seat and wait for him.

He opens my door and leans into it, boxing me in. “Why did you say that?”

“Which part?”

“About getting out?” He tilts his head. “You could’ve left.”

A laugh bursts out of me, startling both of us. I clap my hand over my mouth, but it doesn’t stop the noise—or the way my shoulders seem to bounce. My eyes water. God, it’s not even that funny, but I’m pretty sure I just broke myself.

I can’t stop, and he eventually gives up. He closes my door and circles the car, sliding back into the driver’s seat. I laugh until I’m breathless, until my abs hurt, and then we’re just left with an unsettled silence.

“I couldn’t get out any more than Amelie can escape her impending marriage,” I say, rolling my head to the side so I can look at him. We’re in for a long ride if we’re going back to Boston today. And why wouldn’t we? Their directions to leave town immediately were pretty explicit.

“Elaborate.”

I huff. “Well, they were pretty strict on what I could study, and where. In fact, I was supposed to be at community college for the next two years until I could transfer to a business school. They didn’t think I would make it.”

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