Z.
It is written fast, hurried. The Z. on the bottom tells me it was Zephron, Braxton his brother. He is giving us a hint.
Ah.
We won.
Of course we get a hint. But for a second, I thought it was just a brother-to-brother hint. A rule breaking hint if you know what I mean. I change into other clothes and as I try to leave, Braxton wakes. I freeze as I tiptoe around.
“Leaving without a goodbye?” he asks, his voice just awake, low and raspy. A flirty smirk on his face. And manes those dimples.
I curl my toes in my shoes, straightening my spine.
I love what that voice does to me. And I hate to admit that it felt good, knowing he did what he did was for me. I kind of hate myself for it.
But I am not going to let it bother me.
Because his actions told me one thing.
If you need to get revenge, you should do it.
“Yes, I am giving you a taste of your own medicine.” I stick my tongue out at him, a sour and bitter taste still on my lips. He laughs as a response. I swing my backpack over my shoulder. I look over my shoulder as I march out.
“Oh and your brother left us this.” I throw the piece of parchment at him. He looks at it flabbergasted and sits straight up, revealing his naked chest.
“No, but really where are you going?” he asks, his eyes filled with concern, his smirk dropping.
I lift my nose in the air and I scrunch it up, the left corner of my mouth twitching upwards.
“I am going to steal back what was mine all along.”
And with that, I walk out.
First things first. Finding Annie.
Where could that little witch be? She used to spook around the side building all the time, but I assume she works for the king, so the palace it is. Something nasty fills my stomach. I hate that she betrayed me, because I really liked her. Braxton has told me once where all the bedrooms of the palace are. The king and the princes have their own sections and so do their workers. I stroll up the staircase towards the section I remember him telling me about.
Can I just break doors open? How am I going to find her room? As I stand in front of the next door, relief fills me as I watch name cards on the door explaining whose room it is.
Well, the king did make it easy for me. Almost so easy I might suspect that something is wrong. I go deeper into the hall until my name falls on a name I recognize.
Fintan Galathor.
My da’s room. He never had the chance to show me around the place, but he did inform me that he had a room here for the nights it was too late to go back home.
Without thinking, I push the door open.
A moan fills my ears, and I gasp.
Da with another woman in bed.
I clap the door close and slap my hand for my mouth.
