“There are so many things you don’t know.”
“So tell me,” I begged, hoping to see a hint of the old Sin again.
“I can’t,” he said, turning his back on me again.
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Take your pick.”
“So what can you tell me?” I asked, exhausted. I waited, watching his shoulders rise and fall as he neither spoke nor walked away. “Please, Sin. Tell me something. Something useful.”
His voice was quiet when he responded, almost as if he was speaking to himself. “You need to pay attention to the man behind the curtain.”
His long legs carried him from the arena before the words even registered. When they did, I was only more confused.
Another Wizard of Oz quote. I'd dismissed his earlier reference as a common saying in my world but now…
The film played every Wednesday night at the old rundown theater in Jersey, and I knew nearly every line by heart. I think I loved it because it was about an orphan who got to visit a magical world and escape the depressing life forced upon her. The one thing about the Wizard of Oz I could never understand, though, was why she wanted to leave so badly. She could have been a queen in that world. A world full of beauty and magic. Why would she want to go back to being poor in Kansas?
I understood it now. Ever since arriving in Rivella I wanted nothing more than to go home myself. I didn’t want to be a princess. I just wanted to hug Jenn, have a drink at Dingo’s, and play my violin.
What I didn't understand was how Sin knew it.
Regardless, it sounded like he was telling me that if I wanted my life back, I needed to figure out what was going on behind the scenes.
So that's exactly what I was going to do.
Chapter twenty-six
I returned to the castle intent on seeking answers. I couldn’t figure out why I had been so lax in speaking with my father until now. I kept telling myself it was because I respected his busy schedule, he was the king after all, but that was a flimsy excuse at best.
So why hadn’t I been demanding more answers? Answers about what happened to my mom. Answers about how I ended up in the human world, or what was waiting for me when I entered the dark forest?
He assigned the twins to 'educate me,' and yet somehow I’d barely learned anything. He scheduled me for training sessions, but I’d made no actual progress. I’d been here for days, and I honestly knew little more than when I first arrived. There was more going on in this castle than I was being told, and I was determined to figure out exactly what it was.
I checked my father’s study first in case he had returned, but it was still empty. I went out to Cam and Ram’s cottage hoping oneof them might know where the king was, but the small home was dark.
I dragged myself back to the palace, trying not to feel too defeated. The only other person I knew here was Josira, and I had no idea where she spent her days.
I hooked a right out of the seizure-inducing courtyard and decided my only method at this point for finding my father was to go room by room. He had to be somewhere.
To my dismay, hours passed with no luck. The few courtiers I encountered had ignored me when I kept saying “King Verren,” either not understanding or simply choosing to be unhelpful.
I had decided to admit defeat and was passing by the grand hall on my way back to my room when I caught my father’s voice drifting into the corridor. My father’sangryvoice.
I ducked into the shadow of the doorframe and peeked around slowly to see what was happening. I wasn’t about to confront him if he was in the middle of berating one of his guards.
My father stood in the back corner of the massive hall, arguing with someone hidden behind a wide pillar. I held my breath as he roared at the person in front of him, a throbbing vein prominent on his forehead. I didn’t know who incited his anger, but judging by the threatening sound of his voice, it was serious.
After a few minutes of admonishments, he turned and stalked off through the grand hall, exiting out the back. I debated chasing after him, but curiosity got the better of me, and I stayed in my hiding spot, wanting to see who my father was so upset with.
My breath caught in my throat when I saw Dey step out of the shadows. As he hurried past me, I made a snap decision and decided I wouldn’t give up this opportunity.
“Dey,” I called, revealing myself.
His head swiveled around, and for a brief moment he looked nervous.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I was waiting to talk with my father, but it didn’t seem like a good time. Is everything okay?”
