Page 65

Walking out of the apartment, we watch him leave. “I may hate him a little less,” Grayson grumbles, making me giggle even as it makes me cramp more.

“I think I have a little more planning in me before I’m done for today,” I tell them.

Together, we explore plant options that have no taste for the food, the best times to switch out the guards, and decide on servants to pull from the castle a few days before the dinner. This way they would be able to find replacements for the staff. Cinder has a bad habit of killing the staff in moments of manic anger.

She also despises being short staffed as well, so there’s a constant flow of new employees. It’s the reason no one questioned the new soldier outside of the castle doors.

“I’ll print this map out, and start creating our plan,” Isaac promises. “Please go lay down. It’s obvious that you’re in pain.”

I’ve started shifting constantly in an effort to relieve the aches, but it’s impossible. I need to change my tampon and pad already too.

“I’ll see if I can nap,” I promise, standing.

Sidney hands me pills, brow raised. “Take these as you’re going to bed, please. I didn’t want to give them to you earlier, because they’re definitely going to make you drowsy.”

Ugh, it means a mandatory nap. It’s just as well.

“Alright, thank you,” I grumble.

“You’re adorable when you're grouchy, Baby,” Andrya says with a smirk.

Yes, I’m going to remind her of this when it’s her turn to have cramps and mood swings. At least things are beginning to move smoothly now.

KAL

I think I’m turning into a bit of a stalker. I’m standing outside of Silla’s apartment watching my brother slink out of it. He has the hood of his sweater covering his hair and face, but I know it’s him because of his walk.

I may not have grown up with Falcon, but we’ve gotten closer over the past five years. I know from Falcon that our mom is suffering from dementia, but I haven’t seen her since she abandoned me when I was five years old. She told me that she was going into a store across the street, and then there was a car accident during which they mistakenly thought that the woman hit was my mom. I don’t know why Mom never came back.

I wonder if she also had some paranoia and mental health issues as well even then, though it’s hard not to be paranoid when people are actually out to get you.

Leaning against the brownstone behind me, I watch the apartment as I think. Silla Tremaine confuses me. I don’t understand why Cinder wants to hurt her, and I think the queen is even more cruel than we initially thought. She needs to be removed as soon as possible.

Bro: What are you doing?

Smirking, I look down at my phone. My brother would kick my ass if he knew what I was doing right now. I know he went to grovel at her feet.

Fuck, why does the thought of kneeling for that girl make me feel jealous of my brother?

Nothing. Do you need me?

Bro: I’m opening the war room. Pull six of our most trusted people who will respect our choice for the throne.

Shit, he’s changed his tune. I know that we both started out on a rocky path with Silla, and her men probably wanted to eat him alive when he went in there.

“Hey!” someone whispers in my ear, making me scream. Fuck, that wasn’t very manly. I was very much lost in my thoughts. Dammit.

I startle so hard, I fall completely into the ground. The woman who snuck up on me is five-foot-five, with blonde hair that has a blue streak through it. She’s a tiny thing, so why am I so terrified?

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asks, baring her teeth at me. I don’t even know if she knows who I am. I made the mistake of just being worried about Silla’s boyfriends, when clearly her girlfriend is the scariest of them all.

“I… just wanted to see if Falcon was alright,” I stutter.

“If you’ve been watching for any length of time, you’d know that he left a while ago,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“Fine.” I sigh, slowly standing up. Brushing my hands over my now dusty clothes, I take in the woman in front of me. “You’re Andrya, right?”

“Yes, little brother, I am,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest. While she’s a spitfire and beautiful, I find I’m absolutely obsessed with Silla, even though I haven’t seen her face in its entirety yet.