And without a backward glance, he opens the door and walks away.
It isn’t until later that I notice the slip of paper he’s left behind. It’s a crude drawing, a map of some kind, and I can’t help but wonder if this is his small act of rebellion, of standing up to the woman who’s taken control of his life. Now I just need to figure out what to do with it.
—
Hours more passwithout a hint of word from anyone. I eat my food and sit in the silence and think about all the ways I fucked up.If I had been paying closer attention to those around me, maybe I could have stopped all of this before it got out of hand.
But more than anything, I think about the Bond. Is that what this is, this undeniable tie between Callum and me, this physical ache in my chest and coursing through my limbs at the absence of him? And if so, do I owe it to Callum to try to break it, if such a thing is even possible? Does he deserve the chance to live a life free of me?
Sometime after dark, the door to my room opens, the soft glow from the hallway lighting a stripe on the carpet.
I sit up in bed, the effort of the small movement proving to be exhausting. I should care who’s coming into my room in the middle of the night, but I can’t seem to find anything more than indifference.
“Cate?” a familiar voice whispers.
“Bianca?”
“Why are you in bed?” She rustles around near the door, finding a gas lamp and turning it on.
“It’s nighttime.”
“It’s only seven o’clock, love.”
I shrug. Time has lost all meaning over the past couple of days.
Bianca crosses the room, perching at the foot of the bed. “How are you?”
I shrug again. I don’t have the energy to tell herI told you so.
“Harold told us all you’ve come down with the flu and to stay away so we don’t catch it, but I’m not picking up any signs of illness.” Her brow furrows, and she turns on another light, one that shines over my face.
I wish the warmth didn’t feel good, but it does. I turn toward it.
Bianca sucks in a breath as she fully takes me in. “What’s going on, Cate?”
I open my mouth, but it takes a few moments before the wordscome out. Once they start, I couldn’t stop them if I tried. I tell Bianca everything—Lady M’s demand for me to make Callum Reid fall in love with me, the contracts, the threat against Andra, and the guards posted at my door. The conversation with Harold and the utter hopelessness of the past few days. How I messed up everything, for my sister and with Callum. I leave out the possibility of the Bond. It’s too fresh, and too personal.
She listens in complete silence, reactions playing across her face.
“Cate, you poor thing,” she says when I’ve finally finished. “I had no idea. None of us had any idea.”
This sliver of information stokes a small fire in the center of my chest. I’d allowed myself to begin to think they had all abandoned me. I reach for her hand, grasping it tightly in mine. “You have to tell everyone, B. You have to make them see what she’s doing.”
She flexes her fingers, forcing me to loosen my grip. “I can try, Cate, but I don’t know that it will do much good.”
I flop back onto my mound of pillows. “I don’t understand how no one can see how evil she is.”
“There’s something about her. Using my Gift when she’s around, it just feels effortless. As easy as breathing. It’s like it becomes tangible. It’s almost intoxicating.” She lowers her voice, turning her head away from me in shame. “But I never imagined she would be keeping you locked in your room.”
“Let alone what she’s done to Andra.” Just the words turn my stomach. The thought of my sister in the clutches of that woman while I’m here, trapped and unable to help her.
“Lady M needs Andra, she won’t hurt her.” Bianca’s attempt at reassurance falls flat.
“You’ve got to help me, Bianca. Please.”
She nods resolutely. “I will. I promise.”
I have no choice but to trust her.
