I brush off her words with a roll of my eyes, pushing off the bed and heading into the other room with a mumbled excuse of needing to check on Callum. Andra’s eyes bore into my retreating back andI think even if we weren’t twins, her telepathic message would be clear:You’re running away again.
I ignore her. But her words are not so easy to forget. They run on a loop through my brain as I pace the hallway in front of Callum’s suite. Of course it’s hard for me to let people in; I’ve been fending for myself—and for my sister—for as long as I can remember. Aside from Andra, everyone whom I’ve loved, especially those who were supposed to take care of me, has abandoned me in some way. Our parents left; the societal structures meant to help us failed us at every turn. And Harold, one of the few people in my life I thought I could trust, kept the biggest secret of all from us.
How could anyone open themself up to love after everything we’ve been through?
And yes, Andra is a grown woman fully capable of taking care of herself. But she is also too valuable for me to just trust that she is going to be okay. I need to make sure she is going to be okay. I could never survive if something happened to her.
“Do you hate the carpet that much? You’re about to wear a hole in that rug.”
I spin on my heel, catching Bianca hovering behind me, a tentative smile tugging on her lips. I know she’s probably still exhausted and I should be gentle, but I can’t help it—I launch myself at her, practically tackling her in a hug. “Thank god you’re okay.”
She laughs, patting me on the back. “I’m fine. Still a little tired, but I’m fine.”
I loosen my hold around her neck but keep her arms grasped in mine. “Thank you, B. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you. You saved all of us.”
She shrugs, but there’s a hint of pride in her emerald eyes. “You don’t have to thank me for that. I’m just glad I was there and able toget to everyone in time.” She cocks her head toward Callum’s door. “How is he doing?”
“Good. He woke up for a few minutes earlier, but he’s back to sleep now.”
“How does he feel? About officially being the Scotan candidate?” Something about the way she poses the question—the tilt of her head, the knowing look in her eyes—makes me think she knows what really happened in that room, knows the secret I’m determined to hide for as long as it takes to fade into nothing.
“We didn’t talk about it much.” It pains me to lie to her, but right now, no one can know the truth. “But I know he’s going to be a great leader.”
“Now he just has to win the election.”
“Right. Any word on when the next period is set to begin?”
Bianca shakes her head. “I’m sure the news is out, but I haven’t seen anything about it yet.”
I gesture to Callum’s door. “I think I should go check on him again. I don’t want him to wake up alone.”
“Cate.”
I pause in front of the door, my back facing Bianca. If I look at her, she will be able to read everything on my face, so I don’t turn around.
“Callum has proven himself to be good and honorable. But just because he is a good man doesn’t mean he is the right person.”
“You mean you don’t think he’s the right person for me?”
She takes my hand and tugs, forcing me to face her. “That’s not what I mean at all, and you know it. I think if you can get over your own bullshit, the two of you could be truly happy together.”
“Should I be offended by that?”
She ignores my question. “What I mean is, just because Callumlooks like what we’re used to leaders looking like doesn’t make him the only choice. Or even the best choice.”
“The rules of the game were very clear, Bianca. Callum has been named the candidate. The selection period is over.” I spin back around. “I’ll talk to you later.”
“Count on it,” she says in a tone that I know means she isn’t going to drop the subject.
I sigh heavily, pushing through the door. I can deal with Bianca later.
32
Callum
The door tomy suite opens and I hope to see Cate on the other side. Instead, Alex peeks his head in, hovering in the doorway until I nod for him to enter.
His face relaxes slightly when he sees me sitting up in bed, a tray of food perched over my lap. A servant delivered it a few minutes ago, advising me to eat slowly. I’ve been trying to heed her word, but when the scent of the soup hit my nostrils, the hunger of the past few days caught up with me and I inhaled every morsel within just a few minutes.
