Chapter 124

That night, Julian came to escort me down to the cellars so that we could explore the tunnel again. He waited to speak until we were clear of the other candidate’s rooms, but once we had descended the staircase, he case me a sideways look.

“I heard about what happened,” he said.

My hand tightened on his arm, bunching up the sleeve of his black shirt.

“She was in my room, Julian. She could have been right next to me. Or Elva. If Elva hadn’t wanted to see that fabric in the morning, we might have never known Jane was there at all. What could she even want to do with that fabric? It was just a small piece?”

“Some kind of mind game, most likely. Or an attempt to sabotage you.”

I supposed either of those were possible, but I just didn’t know. I hated not knowing.

“But if she’s trying to sabotage me, why would she need to go into the other girls’ rooms?” I asked.

Julian abruptly stopped walking. I did too, since our arms were looped together.

He looked at me, a touch of something like worry in his eyes. “What did you just say?”

I startled a moment, surprised by the shift in him. Then I explained, “Tiffany told me. Some of the other girls have seen Jane wandering around the castle. She’s even gone into some of the girls’ rooms. They all think it’s me.”

“Then she is sabotaging you,” Julian said. “Pretending to be you, sneaking around and acting suspicious. She’s trying to pit all the other candidates against you.”

“That can’t be the reason,” I said. Or at least, not the only reason. “If I get removed from the competition, then she won’t be able to sneak around anymore.”

Julian’s brow lowered, and he frowned. The expression was unusual on Julian’s face. He typically concealed his anger behind a mask of fake cheer or a knife-edged smirk. Like this, he looked outright murderous.

“They want that,” he said, voice low and dangerous. “When you and Elva are outside the protection of the palace and the cameras, you’ll be much easier targets.”

My stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot. I didn’t want to believe that could be the plan, but it made sense. Without the safety of the palace, I would be more vulnerable. And if Elva’s sickness returned…

Who knew what I would do to save my daughter.

Julian looked at me, and the intense focus in his eyes gave me pause. He looked so much like Nicholas in this moment.

“Come on.” He tugged me forward. “We should tell my brother right away.”

Julian led me the rest of the way into the cellar, where Nicholas and a guard were already waiting. Nicholas was glaring at the ground when we walked in. He looked no less miserable when he saw us arrive.

“Tell him,” Julian said. He guided me into the room and then released my arm.

“Tell me what?” Nicholas glanced between us both before settling his gaze on me. He still seemed unhappy, but his hard glare softened, looking at me.

I told him what I had told Julian, about Jane pretending to be me.

Nicholas elicited a colorful string of curses, some words of which I’d only heard before in kitchen backrooms during the dinner rush.

He turned to Julian. “They are trying to isolate her so she is an easier target.”

Julian nodded.

The knot in my stomach twisted up further. But my determination also amplified.

“Then we have to stop them tonight,” I said.

“Piper –”

“No, Nicholas,” I said, cutting him off. “I won’t change my mind. If we wait so much as even another night, who knows what they might do with that time? We have to act now, before it’s too late.”

Julian stepped closer to me and touched my arm. “We’re only going to snoop tonight. We’ll look for the information we need to stop them, but nothing else.”

I wanted to burn that whole house to the ground, but I understood the restraint. The underground organization was bigger than Terry and Jane. Too much action might bring the wrath of the entire organization in retaliation.

Really, right now, the urgency was only for my sister. She was the one causing me the most danger. She was also the one I wanted to know the most about.

Was she there by her own free will? Or because she was coerced? Tonight, I wouldn’t rest until I learned the truth, and then either saved her or stopped her.

“Promise me,” Julian said. “Only snooping.”

I sighed. “I promise.”

“Good.”

As Julian stepped back, Nicholas came forward.

“Show me how to break a hold once more,” Nicholas said.

“Okay.” I was nervous too. A little bit extra practice wouldn’t hurt.

Nicholas locked me in a hold.

Julian rolled his eyes. “You just want another reason to put your arms around her.”

I blushed a little, but Nicholas didn’t let me go. “Show me, Piper,” he whispered into my ear.

So I did.

Ten minutes later, we were sneaking through the tunnel, following the long trek to Terry’s mansion.

Julian had brought his flashlight again, but this time he kept it low to the ground, illuminating only the ground we were walking on and nothing else.

About halfway through the tunnel, I felt something tug at the emptiness inside of me. The thing that used to be there – my wolf – was calling to me. It was dim, buried beneath some kind of fading magic, but it was there.

“My wolf,” I gasped, to give the princes warning, before I started to sidestep Julian to be in the lead.

Julian made a grab for me, but I slipped under his reach before he could connect.

I moved quickly, recklessly. I didn’t care about anything but my wolf.

A pair of arms wrapped around my waist. Nicholas’s breath was warm on my ear.

“Slow down, Piper. You aren’t thinking clearly.”

He wasn’t holding me tightly enough to hurt me. He wasn’t even properly restraining me, since my arms and legs were free. He had taught me many tricks to get out of just this situation with a stranger.

But Nicholas was no stranger, and he didn’t mean me any harm.

I tried to control my fast breathing. My heart was beating like a sledgehammer against my ribs.

“Just breathe a moment,” he said. He exaggerated his own breath. I felt the steady rise and fall of his chest against my back. “Come back to yourself.”

I tried to focus on his words, his commands, but my wolf was right there. It was calling for me.

My thoughts were scattered.

“I’m okay,” I said, but my voice wavered.

“You sure?” he asked.

“She’s lying,” Julian said.

“I won’t run off,” I said as a concession. I had been lying. I wasn’t okay. But even as desperate as I was, I knew running off now would only make things worse. For Elva’s sake, my wolf’s sake, Jane’s sake, and my own, I had move slowly and concisely. No matter how difficult that might be.

Nicholas waited a moment more. When neither Julian nor I added anything, he slowly removed his arms from around my waist.

I immediately missed his warmth and the strength of embrace. When he held me, I felt like a different person almost – someone who could be vulnerable, knowing they would be protected. Without it, I was just me again, struggling to get by in a cruel, heartless world.

We continued walking. I stayed in the lead but I didn’t run ahead. I kept pace with the others, even though my heart begged me to move faster.

When we neared the end of the tunnel, Julian clicked off the flashlight.

The room of cages didn’t look much different from the last time I’d seen it. Still dismal and depressing, with a lone dim lightbulb hanging overhead. But this time, strange noises were coming from beside one of the cells.

“Mm,” Terry hummed. “You taste delicious.”

A woman faintly moaned.

I leaned out from the end of the tunnel to peer around the corner.

Terry had his arms around my sister.

They were kissing.

Was he attacking her?

My vision burned red.