“That’s…” I dropped my gaze to the board. “Why play? With opponents like that, where the pieces are just casualties, why even play the game?”
“Power. A thirst for victory. The spoils of winning a challenge. The list is endless.”
“I get that.” My brow furrowed as I thought of everyone else inside Camelot Court. “But I mean…”
As he picked up on my meaning, a haunted expression settled over his features, drawing a shiver down my spine. He forced a smile and a careless shrug of one shoulder. “Since when do the pieces on the board get a choice?”
I frowned, staring at all the pieces. “So…if the opponents want to play that kind of game, then so be it?”
“Pretty much. They can’t walk off the board. Sometimes, a piece is lost…” He cleared his throat, his eyes darting to themauve couch as he adjusted his phrasing. “Under the furniture. Chewed up by the family pet, most likely. Not much better than staying on the board, if you ask me.”
“And the only way it changes is what? If someone faces the opponent with different intentions? Hoping for a clean game?”
He nodded.
“An opponent like that is hard to find when the rules have always been the same, though.”
I thought about Desi again. How similar we were in background, and how Kingston had picked her, too.
“But someone who hadn’t played their kind of game before…” I scrutinized him, aware this might be a trap, but trusting my gut. “Someone who’d grown up playing by different rules. They’d be the only one who could stop it, right?”
He dipped his chin, nodding without taking his eyes off mine.“We’ll see.”
After my lesson with Peter, I spent the next free period contemplating a way out ofElementstraining with Ben.
No luck there.
He walked up to where I sat on the patio, snapped his fingers, and barked over his shoulder, “Let’s go, charity.”
I didn’t move.
When he realized I hadn’t followed him, Ben spun around and gave me his bestwhat the fuckface.
“Hello, did you hear me?” He gestured wildly with his hands. “Let’s go.”
“My name is Quinn.”
“What?”
“You called me Charity. My name is Quinn.”
With an exasperated groan, he leered at me. “I know your name, sweetheart. It was short for charity case. Now, get up. We have somewhere to be.”
He stalked away, and I took my sweet time rising from the table to follow him.
I caught up with him as he started the golf cart.
Just to be a pain, when he waved a hand over the seat beside him, I sat in the back. I earned a scoff and a creepy laugh.
“Your loss, dollface.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“Back to Winchester Hall.”
“Oh, perfect! I need to go check out something in the Round Tableau while we’re there.”
I strapped myself in, not trusting his ability to drive, and crossed my arms over my chest.
