“Tie him up,” the man says, and my arm is whipped behind me again before I’m forced to stand. “Did you grab clothes for him?”
“Yes,” another voice says.
“Then we’re out.”
Out where?
Not the window, we’re up at least four stories.
Not out the door, unless they somehow got rid of all the guards. I’m about to laugh at them and wish them luck when the man with the gun walks over to the bookcase at the end of the room, pulls a green book, and the bookcase slides open, revealing a secret door.
What the actual fuck . . .
I don’t have a second to think about it as a cloth is draped over my mouth and nose, and I’m forced to breathe in whatever is on the cloth.
The world around me turns black, and the last thing on my mind as I slip into a dark abyss, is Lilly and her beautiful, loving face.
ChapterSeventeen
LILLY
I stare at the dark ceiling above me, rumblings from beyond my door filling in the silence of my bedroom. Busy palace staff getting ready for the exciting day, fulfilling their tasks before they’re welcomed to stand in at the joyous occasion that is my wedding.
“Holy shit,” I mutter quietly, blinking a few times.
I’m getting married today.
Only months ago, I was in Miami, marriage not even on my radar, and here I am now, in a country that belonged to my mom, the love of my life a few doors down, waking up to walk down the aisle with me.
A smile spreads across my face, and like a giddy schoolgirl, I bring my blanket over my head, kicking my legs and arms about as I inwardly squeal.
It’s been a journey, but we’re here. Today is the day.
I flip my blankets off me, sit up in my bed, and adjust my top just as Runa comes through the door with a tray of tea and pastries.
“Oh, you’re up.”
“Making your job easy today,” I say while she sets the tray down on my nightstand. “Ooo, chocolate croissant.” I pick it up and take a huge bite.
Runa chuckles. “The chef made them specially for you today. He knows how much you love them.”
There’s a knock on my door, and Timmy pokes his head in. When he sees that I’m awake, he shrieks and runs to jump on my bed. “You’re getting married today!”
I shriek with him. “It’s so crazy.” I offer him my croissant, but he reaches across me and plucks a raspberry scone instead. “Runa, can you believe it?”
“Hardly,” she says.
Timmy sniffs the air and then leans into me. “My God, is that you that smells so good?”
Runa moves around the room as I turn toward Timmy, sitting cross-legged on the bed. “Yes. It’s from the oils they used last night.”
“Yeah, tell me more about that. Was it weird?”
“Slightly,” I say in a hushed tone, not wanting to insult Runa or anyone who walks in. Even though the bathing thing was weird, it was still a fascinating ritual, a tradition. “The only weird part was when they made me lift my arms and they cleaned my armpits.”
“Stop, they did not.”
I nod and take a bite of my croissant. “Oh yeah. I giggled a lot because I was so awkward, which made them all giggle, so at least there was that.”
