Page 31

“I’m struggling, but I want to give her normalcy. Remind her she’s not as broken as she thinks she is,” I sigh, pulling out a flier for pizza in the area.

“This is all so fucked up,” Grayson groans from the doorway. Startling, I shake myself. The man is so damn quiet. “Didn’t mean to surprise you. I can see she needs normalcy, and I want to give her it. I just wish we could have protected her better.”

Gray has a savior complex. He feels so much guilt for the last few months, and I understand it, because I went through it when the Queen sentenced the twins and I to the reform camp without a chance at parole. We had no idea how insane the Queen really is, but we also weren’t going to allow the reform camp to starve.

That’s what we thought we were in the dungeons for, but based on what Silla was saying about her step-sister, Cinder is very particular and obsessive about her.

We are going to earn the word branded on our bodies soon, and I don’t feel bad about it at all. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Silla is ours, bitch.

ISAAC

“Isaac, want to help me?” Silla asks, her voice soft as she works slowly through the system.

I was leaning against the wall watching her like a creeper, just in awe that she’s sitting in the same room as me. I’ve been in this weird state of shock today, hearing her talk about ending things. She’s our bright light, to hear her talk like this hurts my heart.

“Sure, what do you need?” I ask, my feet already walking toward her.

“Stop looking at me like that and come sit with me. I’m not disappearing, not right this second anyway,” she mutters.

Taking a breath, I drop my ass slowly to the couch so she doesn’t bounce too much. She stays curled up in a corner, typing and searching the dark web for information.

“I’m aware of this,” I say softly, rubbing her knee through the blanket she’s thrown over her legs. It’s buttery soft and warm. Andrya was smart to bring her this, because it is colder in this room. “I’m trying to keep a lid on all of my questions. I don’t want to pressure you or make you uncomfortable, yet I’m just in awe that you’re sitting in front of me.”

“This is weird for me too,” she says with a sigh, glancing at me. “I didn’t expect to ever make it, to be honest. Between Cinder and Lana fucking all day because they need to be on their best behavior for the King, to being pulled into the drama with the Underground, it’s a little surreal that I’m here.”

“Truth bombs,” I mutter. “Okay, so does Charming not know that he’s been cuckolded? I feel like that could be really awkward to find out during a multi-nation summit…”

Silla snickers, shaking her head. “Charming kind of knows, and he has his own mistresses, but he doesn’t want it thrown in his face. He has his own place where he spends most of his time so he won’t have to deal with my step-sister. So when he comes to the castle where he has to show a united front, he wants his wife to be his wife,” she explains. “He’s very much willing to keep his head in the sand if it means he gets to have his cake and eat it too. Charming enjoys his current lifestyle while doing minimal work. Cinder is the face of the monarchy.”

“She’s batshit crazy,” I grunt.

“You have no idea,” she says with a grim smile. “I’m looking for information on how she’s treating the citizens of Forbach. It seems as if everyone is happy and loves my step-sister, but some of the laws they’re discussing makes me uncomfortable.”

“Such as?” I ask, brow furrowed.

“Cinder wants to enact a one child per family rule going forward,” Silla says. “She seems to believe that there’s a food shortage, and that this will head off the issues. I think it’s an incredibly arrogant approach.”

“What would you do?” I ask, truly interested. If our plans are to put Silla on the throne, I need to know that she can handle it.

“Find a way to ensure that our farmers who grow the food for our kingdom have the resources needed to grow the most food possible, without destroying their soil,” Sills says immediately. “When these conversations are happening around me, I immediately ask how I would handle it. It keeps my mind from wandering. While Cinder doesn’t want my input, she doesn’t want me daydreaming, either.”

I have a feeling that this has happened to her in the past, and the results weren’t great.

“So after you find out what’s going on within the kingdom, what’s your next step?” I ask, grabbing my computer from the coffee table. I'm not one to sit idly while my girl is working, so I’d rather jump in and help.

“I want to know what dignitaries are dirty, which do the jobs they’re asked to do without corrupt dealings, and who isn’t happy with Cinder’s rule,” she explains. “I know this is a big undertaking at this hour…”

“Little Hacker, it’s seven at night and we’re about to eat dinner soon. There’s no curfew here, no one to tell us when to go to bed. Go nuts. Ayden can pull a roster and help us as well,” I soothe. It’s weird being outside of the camp, but I’m also enjoying the freedom. While I was an instructor with certain liberties, I was just as much a moth caught in Cinder’s web.

The Warden accepted the job ten years ago because he believed in prison reform, but didn’t realize how corrupt the system was. I joined because we’ve been friends for years, and then I never left because I wouldn’t leave him. There’s no sob stories here, just loyalty that knows no bounds.

“Gods, you’re right!” Silla squeals, leaning forward to kiss my jaw, as it’s all she can reach with the way she’s sitting. Wincing, she wiggles to get more comfortable.

“Did you strain something?” I ask, wondering what just happened.

“Just my vagina,” she mutters. “I hate that my body is so damn battered.”