Page 138 of Conquered (Highgate Preparatory Academ:y Compendium)

He places his hands on top of mine, our fingers interlacing as we hold my stomach. I watch in the mirror as numerous emotions flit across his features, his gaze on our hands.

“I’m scared, Loki,” I confess in a whisper, his eyes coming up to meet mine. “Not of giving birth really, but, shit. We’re just kids, and with everything going on with Black Knight…”

His arms tighten around me.

“I swear to you, Lilly, I will never let anything happen to you. Or our child,” he vows, his emerald eyes almost glowing with his conviction.

“And as for the other thing, yes, we’re young.

And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.

But I know that you will make an incredible mother, you’re able to love the four of us assholes.

” A choked laugh escapes me as tears fill my eyes.

“And there are five of us, five people to love the shit out of this baby. That’s all it really needs. Our love.”

He pulls me closer as tears drip down my face. I’m so sad for him, for this beautiful boy who was missing the one thing he really needed growing up.

“You know, you’re kind of wise sometimes, Loki,” I tell him, sniffling. He turns me in his arms, wiping my face with his sleeve.

“Not just a pretty face,” he tells me, winking. “Kai said we need to start carrying around tissues, you cry so often at the moment,” he chuckles, causing more tears to fall even as I huff a laugh.

“Fucking hormones,” I reply, making him laugh.

“Come on, baby mama.” He takes me by the hand, and we start to walk out of the room. “Let’s get you something to eat. Kai is making some bacon, eggs, and pancakes.”

After eating a delicious breakfast/brunch, we decide to all go for a walk, as it’s a gorgeous spring day. Heading out of the dorm, we make our way downstairs only to see the whole place littered with white pieces of paper.

I get a sinking feeling in my stomach, a shiver coming over my skin despite the sun streaming in through the huge windows. Highgate is nothing if not spotlessly clean, so this must be purposeful. Although, I’m still surprised that the admin staff haven’t cleaned it up yet.

Loki bends down to pick up one of the papers, his face going pale as his eyes flit back and forth reading what’s on the page.

“Ash…” he says in a tight voice, looking up with a haunted look in his eyes.

He hands the page to Ash while Kai and Jax reach down to grab their own copies.

“Fuck!” Jax snarls, just as Ash crumples the page in his fist, a flush creeping over his cheeks.

“What?” I ask, my heart pounding as I look at their faces, full of anger and devastation. “What is it? Tell me, please.”

Kai hands me his copy, his eyes so sad behind his glasses that moisture stings my own. Looking down, my throat goes dry, my breath stilling as I read what’s on the page in front of me.

It’s a letter, addressed to Ash in a messy scrawl. The paper shakes the more I read, tears falling down my cheeks as Luc’s final words swim before me.

Dear Ash,

I can't fight you and dad anymore. I don't want to, and I don't want what he's offering. I just want peace, so I'm taking myself out of the game. The crown is all yours.

Luc

“ O h, Ash,” I gasp, looking up at him and remembering that day in front of the chapel, the beautiful voices of Pentatonix behind us as he told me about finding Luc in his room on the last day before summer, dead and covered in blood.

Anger floods my system, overriding the grief, as I realise that this is yet another of Julian’s punishments. “How could he do this?!” I exclaim, my jaw tight. “You’re his son, for fuck’s sake! And so was Luc!” I’m so cross, my blood boils, scaling my veins and tinting my vision.

“Hey,” Ash turns to me, letting the paper drop to the floor and taking mine out of my hand. “Don’t get so worked up, Princess. It’s not good for the baby.” He takes my shaking hands in his, prising the paper out of my grip and dropping that too.

Pulling me into him, I’m engulfed by his spicy ginger scent, which calms me instantly. Wrapping my arms around him, I hold on tightly as the angry tears subside. Looking up, I see his jaw is still clenched, but his steel eyes are full of concern for me, and my heart hurts.

“I’m sorry, Ash. I’m such an arsehole for flipping out and then making you comfort me, when it should be the other way round.”

He gives me a tight, almost vicious smile, with an edge of resignation to it. It sends a shiver down my spine, and I’m glad that I’m not the one he’s pissed at.

“I’m used to this kind of shit, Princess.

It’s not the first time he’s used Luc’s suicide against me.

And you’re not an asshole .” He gives me one of his trademark smirks, clearly making the point that I’m saying the word wrong.

Twatwaffle. “Kai, organise a clean up crew to come in and deal with this mess. I want these gone stat.”

“On it,” Kai responds, his iPad in hand as he starts tapping away at the screen.

“Let’s go for that walk, shall we?” Ash asks, letting me go, but tucking my hand into his arm like an old fashioned gentleman taking his lover out for a walk.

You know, the lover who’s pregnant with his best friend’s baby, whilst his father forces an arranged marriage on the couple, not knowing that his grandchild will not be of his blood.

God, I’m living in a Mills and Boon novel!

Despite the rocky start to our day, I soon settle with the gentle exercise, taking deep soothing breaths of fresh air as we make our way through the forest, leaving Highgate, Julian, and all the shit behind us.

We come to a break in the trees, a beautiful meadow full of delicate spring wildflowers spread out before us. I let the sun warm my face, closing my eyes as I feel its rays caress my skin.

My pocket vibrates with an incoming message, and sighing, I take it out, to see that it’s from Julian.

Julian Cuntish Vanderbilt: Just a lesson for the Princess left x

Just like that, all the warmth leeches from my body, and I’m no longer able to feel the rays of the sun, even though there isn’t a cloud in the sky.

“What is it, Princess?” Ash asks, brows furrowed, and I shiver at the nickname, hating that Julian just used it. I turn the screen to face him, and a curse falls from his lips as he reads the message.

“When will it stop, Ash?” I ask, my voice thick, suddenly so weary I lean heavily on him as my knees feel weak beneath me.

“When one of them dies,” he tells me, a vicious gleam in his grey eyes. “And the others are rotting in jail.”

I should feel revulsion.

I should feel horror.

But I don’t.

I only feel a sick sense of relief at the idea of being free from the blackness that is Black Knight Corporation. Of finally being free from Julian’s oppressive presence.

What sort of person have I become?