Page 32
Story: Princes of Ash
I take the opportunity to leave the chaos of the living room and head back to my bedroom. I enter cautiously, still all too aware that this isn’t my home, and find Remy peering into the mirror over the dresser. Lavinia stands over the bed, grabbing for a pillow, and it’s only when I step inside that I notice the knife in her hand.
“What are you—”
Riiiiiiip!
The knife cuts through the fabric, stuffing spilling out of it like a gutted fish.
“Really?” I ask her, looking at the mess. “You think they bugged my pillow?”
“No stone left unturned,” she says, eyeing the mattress.
I start to jump in front of her, but Remy gets there first, plucking the knife out of her hand. He bends to place a gentle kiss on her shoulder. “You know I love it when you turn red, Vinny, but let’s leave the bed intact. I’m pretty sure the padding would make a device ineffective.”
“These guys are ruthless,” she argues, looking frayed. “They’ll do anything to keep an eye on her.”
Remy and I share a look, but while his expression is full of confusion, I understand exactly what’s going on.
“Lav,” I begin, instantly feeling frustrated that we can’t have any privacy.
But she curls her fists. “It’s not fair.”
“That she’s being watched?” Remy asks, scratching his head. “I mean, she’s a Royal, baby. Them’s the breaks.”
Lavinia deflates, but I give her a small nod to show her I understand.
It’s not that I’m being watched.
It’s that Lavinia is free, and I’m not.
Since I can’t go into that with Remy here, I relent, “Pace would want everything as high-tech as possible.” Thinking back to the security footage in his room, I remember that he always covers multiple angles, and the images are disturbingly clear. I look around the room, up in the corners, anywhere with a clear view. “He wants to see everything.”
All the time.
“I already checked the toilet seat,” Remy says proudly, spinning the knife around his inked knuckles. “Spick and span.”
“Gross,” I mutter, a heaviness sitting on my shoulders.
“Although I believe the jailbird has skills, this all feels next level.” His eyes dart to Lavinia, a comprehension flashing between them. In a creepy unison, they say, “Charlie.”
“Charlie?” I ask.
“He’s Ashby’s pet tech slave,” she explains. “Creepy little fucker. I bet they’re working together, even after Nick—” She clamps down on a growl. “I bet he’s responsible. I told Nick he couldn’t be trusted.”
I hear what they’re saying, but Pace… the way he talked to me that night in bed before I left the palace…
“He wouldn’t leave all of this up to someone else,” I decide, squirming uncomfortably. Sometimes, it’s like I can feel his eyes on me. The energy of them. The intensity. It burrows into my bones like an inescapable hum, possessing me with the urge to look over my shoulder. “It’s… personal for him. He’s the cat, I’m the mouse. Even if we found every bug, every secret camera, he would have a backup measure.”
“What?” Lavinia asks, studying me. “What are you thinking?”
I look at Remy. “How do you make sure Lavinia is safe—like all the time?”
His hand comes around her neck, his thumb gently sweeping the skin beneath her ear. “She’s chipped,” he says nonchalantly, then frowns. “They didn’t tag you?”
“Of course they did,” I answer, touching the same spot on my neck. “But I don’t know very much about how they work. Can you use it to… listen to her?”
Lavinia looks alarmed at the implication, eyes pinning her Duke. “Wait, is that a thing? Have you guys been—”
“Fuck no,” he says, thrusting his palms out defensively. “It’s just a tracker. And the Royals only started using them because of your dad.”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192