Page 65 of Reign By Wrath

“Out of what?”

I stiffened. Slowly, achingly, my head turned to the door.

Everleigh smiled at her oldest friend in the world. Flanking her were Piper and Gabriella.

“You weren’t going to say they’re out of the Royal line, were you? Surely you know you don’t have the power to do that anymore. Ahhh.” Everleigh mock-pouted. “You didn’t know. It’s cute how deluded you are.”

“Everleigh?” Saylor couldn’t have looked more confused if she truly was deluded.

“Looks like you need someone to spell it out for you,” Everleigh went on. “So, here it is. You’re the one who’s out of the Royal line, Burkhardt. The next generation is taking over, and they want nothing to do with you. They’re ending their business contracts with you. They’re moving off the overpriced land you own. And they’re definitely not voting for your fake-ass daddy. They’re dissolving all their ties with you”—she smiled nastily—“and giving them to me.”

“But— But— That’s not how it works,” she cried. “Who the hell cares what they do a hundred years from now when they take over their companies. All that matters is what I can do today. One call to my dad and—”

“He won’t do shit,” Gabriella sliced in. “Your power was that you could take out any one of us whenever you wanted. But you never had the power to take out all of us. Grandpa and Daddy Burkhardt need us just as much as we used to need them. More importantly, they need the second and third rungs to support any removals from the Royal line. And you’re not getting it.”

“The only power you really had over us is fear,” Piper said, crossing to the drinks station. “We’re not afraid of you anymore.”

The lemonade she poured went straight in Saylor’s face.

It was a mass exodus, but not a quiet one. The entire café emptied out and dumped their tray on Saylor like she was the new screaming trash bin.

“Bitch!”

“Drop dead, Burkhardt.”

“I’ll get you back for what you did.”

“Get the fuck out of our school,” Gabriella said.

“Or we’ll do worse,” Everleigh finished.

“Piper? Gabriella! Everleigh,” Saylor cried at their backs. “Why are you doing this? We’re friends. We’re best friends!”

The three of them didn’t look back. They walked out, leaving the formerly reigning queen of Regalia in a mountain of food trash on the floor.

In the span of twenty minutes, only me, Victor, Saylor, and a handful of incredulous Dregs remained in the café. I walked up to her, not taking any pleasure at the horrific mess that was the great Saylor Burkhardt.

Okay, I was taking a little pleasure, but I didn’t let it show on my face.

“Here.” I held out my hand.

She looked at it like she didn’t know what I wanted her to do with it. It was hard to tell under the smears of jelly and syrup running down her face, though I swore the shining wetness was tears.

“I assume you’re ready to listen now.”

“Listen? Listen to what?” She tried to snap, but it came out more like a sob. “What the fuck is going on—? Are you behind this!”

“No, Saylor,” I replied patiently. “This was all Everleigh. If you give me ten minutes, I’ll explain why.”

Saylor looked down at the mountain of food and trash, then she glanced at the door where her friends disappeared. A million emotions flashed across her face until she settled on one I knew well.

Pissed.

“Fine.” She slapped her palm against mine. “I’ll listen.”

***

SAYLOR SAID THAT, BUTit was nearly eight o’clock that night before she deigned to sit down with me.

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