Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
I rolled out of bed and forced myself to sit up. Pain slammed into my skull. My head felt like it would explode.
Good. I deserved worse.
I dragged myself to the bathroom. I was a fucking mess. Eyes bloodshot. Hair tangled and wild.
I splashed water on my face then brushed my teeth, trying to scrub the awful taste out of my mouth.
Somehow I managed to meet Alanna’s timeline. I escorted her to breakfast where all her minions fawned over her. Over us.
The spread was elaborate—every kind of egg dish, potatoes, croissants, fresh fruits glistening with dew. Magnificent. Fit for a queen.
But all I wanted was another bottle of Black Smoke.
My thoughts kept drifting to Alice. What was she eating? Stale bread? Dirty water? Was she given any breakfast at all?
While I sat here surrounded by luxury, she was rotting in the dungeon. Because of me.
I'd thought about rescuing her. A thousand times. But Alanna had guards everywhere. Eyes in every shadow. If I tried to free Alice and failed, she'd pay the price. Not me. Her.
Alanna tapped a spoon against her porcelain coffee cup. The chatter died instantly.
“I have some more news.” Her eyes sparkled with triumph. “Darius and I simply can’t wait, so we’ve decided to move things along.”
She clasped my hand—her grip like a vice—and smiled at the crowd.
“The wedding will be tonight.”
Tonight.
My heart clenched but not with fear. With something almost like relief.
Tonight I would belong to Alanna forever. But tonight Alice would be free. Grump would get her out of this dimension. She’d go back to Earth, away from this nightmare. Away from Alanna.
Away from me.
She’d hate me. She’d spend the rest of her life believing I’d betrayed her. But she’d be alive. Safe. Free from nightmares.
That was worth everything. Even this.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Alice
I hung from the chains, exhaustion dragging at my bones.
Not sure if Chester was telling the truth. Had Darius sacrificed himself to the queen to save me?
Something moved in the corner. A shadow that didn’t belong.
I gasped, my heart lurching. Ari? Chester?
A pair of silver eyes emerged from the darkness, watching me with a hunger that made my breath catch.
Then they vanished.
A wisp of wind rushed over me—warm, familiar—and suddenly he was there. Right beside me. Close enough to touch.
