Time passed like that, with me shivering in his arms. I clutched his thigh, wondering what he was thinking or if he was too cold to think at all. It had only been about ten minutes, and I could no longer feel my fingers and toes.
“Adora,” he whispered, his breath coming out much smoother than my own. “I am yours ... and you are mine ... and only mine. You cannot be fated for him ... I don’t believe it ... not when ... each day that passes by without you, it feels like you are missing from me.”
Stone began to tremble, and he smoothed his palm down my arm to create any amount of heat between us.
“I’ve tried to stop thinking about you. And I can’t,” he continued, voice torn, chest rising full and falling hard. “I’m terrified of how far I would go to keep you ... and the things I would do for just another second alone with you ... and that I’ll never be able to stop myself when it comes to you.”
Town Hall Meeting
Thebangof Augustine’s gavel stole me away from Stone.
“Last night was disappointing for us all,” Augustine announced.
Ivy stood, taking her hand from mine. “Disappointing?” she asked, her tone on edge. “My sister was almost killed by your son. That’s not disappointing, Augustine. That’s downright evil.”
A few agreed with her, and Augustine bristled at the response.
“You were not there last night,” he countered. “You mustn’t have all the information on what happened or otherwise you’d sit down and not talk out of turn.” Augustine was particularly frustrated on this day. Most likely because it was his only son we were discussing. “In any case, Kane was not in his right state of mind.”
What would he think if he witnessed what his son had done to Phoenix?
“That is no excuse. None of us are in our right minds,” Ivy said. “We’re all delirious from the Shadows, but this does not justify attempted murder. And if you for one second accuse my sister of Kane’s actions, you should know that a case ofhe-said-she-said never was enough in the eyes of the Order. The facts are based on what was witnessed by the people last night.”
I blinked up at my sister, surprised. Not surprised because she’d fought for me but surprised she’d stood up to our high priest for me.
Around me, the people’s agreements got louder, more full.
Augustine looked back at Kane, fingers curling over the podium.
Kane’s face was swollen from when Stone attacked him.
“Kane will not be speaking today,” Augustine announced. “We will return to this matter once the Shadows are removed. In the meantime, we will gather evidence of what happened during the eclipse.”
My spine turned rigid, but no sooner did Ivy’s voice fill the room. “You want to postpone the attempted murder?” She was shocked, confused by the decision. “And what about my sister’s safety during this time while Kane is recovering from histraumaticnight?”
I wasn’t afraid of Kane Pruitt, but I was afraid of Augustine. Even though I’d changed my mind at the last second, it didn’t make a difference. I’d lured Kane to the gazebo. I’d brought the dagger. I’d bought the witherbane. I could very well be punished for it all.
When Augustine didn’t answer right away, another question swooped in. “Will the Sullivan-Cantini wedding still go on? It is in two days, but after last night, we’re all confused.”
My gaze darted to Stone.
He stared back at me from across the room.
Surely they wouldn’t embarrass Cyrus in Town Hall after I’d left with another man in front of half the town less than ten hours earlier.
“The wedding will go on,” Viola confirmed, and Stone shook his head so subtly, his sharp jaw flexing. “Nothing—and I mean nothing—will have the power to rip hope and a future from Sacred Sea or Weeping Hollow.”
My pulse raced in my ears as she answered.
Athump da-thump da-thump. Like banging on a door. Like alet me out.
Julian reached past Phoenix to lay a hand on Stone’s shoulder.
When Stone didn’t turn to acknowledge him, Julian leaned over to whisper into his ear.
Stone didn’t react to whatever Julian had said.
He just stood there with eyes never leaving mine.
