Chapter 216

As Jane lunged toward me, I made my own move, reaching into my bodice.

Jane grabbed my left arm, but I used my right hand to wrap the cuff on Jane’s wrist.

I expected her to wince, or gasp, or have some kind of reaction at all. Instead, she just seemed amused. She stopped short, but she also smiled at me. It was a devilish-looking smile, cat-like.

“What’s this?” she asked. “Using my own toys against me?”

“It dampens the strength of my wolf,” I said. “The one you stole.”

“Cute that you think I need the wolf to have the upper hand here.”

“I caught you,” I said. I couldn’t understand how she could be so calm about this. She was acting like she had one something, when I was the one who had trapped her.

Her smile was sharp as a dagger’s edge. “Who caught who exactly, Piper?”

A crunch of metal sounded. A cold metal bracelet closed around my own wrist. A handcuff?

She’d handcuffed us together.

“Now be a good girl and come with me somewhere a little quieter,” Jane said.

I blatantly refused and pulled against her hold. Without her wolf strength, we were more or less evenly matched in strength. I might have even had a slight advantage due to surprise.

Jane had grown accustomed to the strength of my wolf. She didn’t realize how much more effort she would have to put in without it.

I grabbed her arm and she grabbed mine, and we tossed and turned, each trying to get the upper hand. No one else seemed to notice. Maybe to any outside observer, it seemed like we were doing another silly dance.

But then, Jane swiftly snatched a steak knife from one of the cutlery settings on the table and wedged it up against my ribs.

I immediately froze.

“Enough of this foolishness,” she growled. “I tire of these games.”

“You can’t murder me here,” I said. “They would catch you before you get out of the room.”

“So sure about that, are you?”

When she said it like that, I wasn’t. After all, she had already escaped the palace guard so many times before. I couldn’t be so naïve as to think she didn’t have a backup plan for this time as well.

“Don’t do anything stupid,” I said, and it felt like a plea.

Jane shifted her gaze to the view of the night sky out the nearby floor to ceiling windows.

“The stars are beautiful tonight,” she said. “Maybe we should go get a closer look. A bit of fresh air might do us both some good.”

I knew that by going out onto the balcony with her, I might as well have been signing my own death warrant. But, admittedly, things didn’t appear much better by staying here instead.

The sharp end of that knife was still pressed up against my ribcage. All Jane would have to do is push and it would slip between my ribs and touch my heart. I’d be dead before I even hit the floor.

“Very well,” I said. If we went outside, I could at least delay the inevitable somewhat. The best I could hope for now was that by stalling, I could give Veronica time to get to Nicholas and Julian. But I imagined both princes were behind locked doors at the moment, impossible to reach.

Unless…

My necklace!

With my free hand, I reached up, but Jane noticed and too quickly, grabbed the chain of my necklace and yanked, breaking it free. She tossed it over her shoulder. It skidded along the floor and disappeared behind a nearby curtain.

With it, disappeared my hopes of a timely rescue.

“None of that,” Jane growled. “Terry warned me about that little device.”

She started to dig the knife in, forcing me to move.

“I’m tired of being nice,” she said. “Outside. Now.”

I complied, unwilling to be skewered. She hid the knife against my side as she ushered me toward the door. I looked back but none of the royal family was to be seen. Neither was Veronica.

I maybe could have caught Susie’s attention, if I called out or flagged her down. She was valiantly trying to get the silly dances going again. But her limited knowledge of the current situation might cause her to place herself into more danger than she would realize.

I couldn’t risk her. Jane wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Susie, if Jane’s attack on Nicholas was any indication.

I wished more than anything that Nicholas would appear. I could meet his eyes, and even across the room, he would know what was wrong.

But he had his hands full with Joyce. Another of Jane’s plans to upset the royal family. And me.

Jane had meant for the consequences to be worse than they seemed like they were going to be. But even if her full plan failed, she had still managed to get my most stalwart protector as far from me as possible.

I was on my own now. Either death or salvation… it was all in my hands now. And my hands alone.

Jane forced me out onto the balcony. There were other groups and couples there, laughing and chatting. A couple was pointing up at the stars.

So many witnesses.

Jane kept the knife digging into my side, a warning not to speak. She continued dragging me further down the balcony, until we reached a more secluded area on the other side of a wall. None of the other guests could see us anymore. And as the loud music began again, I doubted they could hear us either.

“Well, we’re here,” I said. “We’re isolated. Alone. Now will you tell me just what your plan was?”

If I could get her talking… If I could keep her talking…

“What did you think the plan was, dumbass?” Jane snarled. “That idiot Joyce was supposed to humiliate you. But those two guard dogs of yours always seem to be circling. At least, I could cast a stain upon the royal family. Scandal after scandal will not be perceived well by the public.”

“They’ll recover,” I said. “The people still believe in them.”

“God, you are so naïve,” Jane said. “There are cracks in the foundation, Piper. Soon the entire thing is going to fall down. Do you understand? They are weak. And you only add to their weakness. I see it, and the people are starting to wake up to it too.”

“They aren’t weak,” I said. The King and Queen I had lukewarm feelings for, but Nicholas wasn’t like them. He was strong and brave, and had the people’s best interests in mind. And if he believed in his parents’ strengths and abilities, then I would too.

“You mean Nicholas isn’t weak,” Jane said. “He doesn’t run this kingdom, Piper. And even if he did… he might be the worst of them all.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” I snapped.

“Of course, I do. How strong could that asshole be? He fell for you. The man has no imagination.”

Odd. “You sound jealous.”

At the accusation, her face crumpled up in rage. “Why should you be the one to find love while I am the one who has worked the hardest and suffered the most?! It’s unfair!”

Oh. She was jealous. But then, I guess I knew that. She saw me as some kind of golden child, doted upon while she was cast aside.

That wasn’t true, not how I remembered it.

“Jane…”

“No. I’m doing talking. I wanted to humiliate you.” She flashed the knife under the moonlight. “But if I can’t do that, I’ll just kill you.”