“What is it?”
He shuffles back enough to watch me. “Look at it.”
“I don’t really want to. Also don’t really want to hold it. Whatever it is…”
He repeats. “Look at it.”
I suck in a breath and then my eyes drop to my hands. Her bloody heart rests in the palms of my hands, the cardiac valves and tissue still hanging from the organ. My legs start shaking and my stomach churns.
“Nate…”
“She took ours, so we take hers.” He brings the tip of his knife into the center of it and sinks it down, until blood streams between my fingers. “We done?”
I nod, dropping the heart to the ground. “Yes. We’re done.”
Nate looks over my shoulder. He nods at The Kings and then curls his arm around my neck, pulling me into him. “Good. I’m hungry.”
We all start making our way out of the cell and just before we leave out of sight, I turn around slightly and take a mental picture of the sight inside the cell. Peyton torn open from the chest, and her bloody dead heart on the dirt-ridden floor with Nate’s knife lodged into it.
“Peace out, bitch.”
Tillie
After a quick shower in Katsia’s bedroom—which by the way, is insane. The structure and architecture is articulate and the décor is something I have never seen before. Her bedroom is laced in soft lilac and dark greys, with large windows that overlook the front of the mansion. The bathroom is at the end of the bedroom, but open. It’s odd, but freeing. The shower has six—yes, six—large shower heads that drop from the ceiling, which is one large mirror. This entire room was made for sex and screams orgasms louder than any orgasm receiving girl.
I dress in new clothes but wash my shoes carefully because I’m not leaving them here, before heading back down to the main living areas where The Kings wait. Nate hasn’t said a word to me since showing me where Katsia’s room was. I’m not confused anymore, I know he cares for me, maybe even loves me to a certain extent, but I’m not delusional about my future with him. It’s probably not going to happen, but just because you know you might not have a future with someone, it doesn’t numb the feelings you have for them. Unfortunately.
As soon as I enter the sitting room, everyone falls silent.
I roll my eyes, leaning against the door frame. “Don’t worry, I’m not seeing dead people.”
Eli chuckles.
Brantley watches me carefully.
Nate is glaring at me.
“What’d I do now? I always feel like I’m in trouble.”
“Okay, I have to know who voted to have a girl in the group?” Ace murmurs. “I mean she is in our fucking clique.”
I press the palm of my hand to my heart. “Aw, I’m touched. Can I call myself a King?”
Nate rolls his eyes. “I need to talk with you.” He brushes past me, and out of habit, my eyes find Brantley.
Brantley nods, so I turn and follow Nate toward the foyer and out the front door. He heads straight for the gates. I run, catching up to him.
“What’s going on?”
“You asked me if there was another option to who would take over the island if you don’t want to.”
“Yes,” I say, falling into step beside him.
We make our way down the main street, passing all of the stores until Nate turns us toward a small alleyway between a weapon shop and a bakery. I follow behind him.
“Why?”
We come out the end and tree’s line the back of the shops, with lights hanging in the branches. There are small cleared footpaths that lead into the forest, and he carries on forward.
I look down at my heels, and then look back up at him, praying to the fashion gods that they forgive me for the treatment I’ve been laying out to Jimmy Choo. The sun is setting in the sky, the day turning to night. I know that this is when the people of Perdita come out, and a big part of me is eager to see their way of life.
When I catch back up to my grumpy leader, I chew on my bottom lip. “Where are we going?”
“I’m going to introduce you to someone. I want you to have an open mind to her and not react with your fangs.”
“I don’t have fangs…”
As we tread deeper into the forest, I find myself looking around. The trees are all separated perfectly, giving me enough clearance to see through them. There are multiple paths that lead off in different directions, with little wooden signs that point down the dusty lanes. The names are all in Latin, so I don’t understand what they say. Nate takes a turn down Adamantem and I follow closely beside him. I itch to reach for him, but since his attitude has been cold, I retract the urge.