Chapter Thirteen
Protect with Nobility…
The Pawn
Merle trolled the Ladies’ Dinner with a pleasant smile on his face, and I wanted to hurl.
“Welcome to the Ladies’ Dinner, girls. Take a seat wherever you’d like at the table. Everyone should be arriving shortly.”
I plastered the required smile on my face in return and took my seat. Camille sat down beside me.
“I hate that he’s back.” She glared in Merle’s direction. “Not going to lie. Your archnemesis almost swayed me to her side when all that fuss over her got him removed.”
Huffing a quiet scoff, I unfolded my napkin and placed it on my lap. “She’s not my archnemesis.”
“Whatever you say.” Camille snorted indelicately as she dressed her lap as well. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
I sighed, setting my hands in my lap.
One by one, the other Ladies entered the formal dining room and took a seat at the table. Like last time, everyone wore dresses meant to reveal as much of our bodies as possible. I hated it now, but it served its purpose.
Just like last time, Quinn Everly rushed in after everyone else. She searched the table for an available seat and made her way over to me.
All but plopping down beside me, she fidgeted for about two minutes before settling into her seat.
I catalogued each movement she made, my brain hunting for details whether I wanted it to or not.
The way she constantly ran her hands through her hair, although that had lessened since the first challenge. The way she breathed, like she was always running out of air, a detail I’d filed away the minute I laid eyes on her. And the way she bounced in her seat slightly, even after she’d settled.
Quinn Everly had restless energy. She was chaos in the midst of order.
I didn’t like her.
She’d come into Camelot Court and shaken up everything. All the carefully laid pain I’d aligned for myself over the years prior were threatened, and I hated her for it.
Now, I had no choice but to make her pay for coming here in the first place.
I didn’t have a choice.
I’d been given instructions.
I couldn’t fail.
Chapter Fourteen
It took a long, frigidly cold shower to calm me down after my session with Max, and I cursed myself for showing up late to the Ladies’ Dinner. I ended up stuck next to Vivian, and while Elaine sat far away, directly across the table from me, she was still too close.
But I had a friend on my side, at least.
As we waited for dinner to be served, the conversation gravitated between our training sessions and the clue we’d receive that night for the Scavenger Hunt.
It was almost fun.
Sadly, Merle’s unwelcome presence spoiled the affair.
He sidled up behind our chairs, leering over each girl’s shoulder as he passed.
When he reached mine, I couldn’t help myself.
