I text Misha to pass the time:
About to meet my new stepfather. Wish me luck.
I’m sure she’ll be just as thrilled by the news as I was. She replies with a few shocked face emojis, but as thetyping…notification flickers across the screen, a knock comes at the front door.
My pulse spikes and I jump in my seat.
He’s here.
It may just be a driver, but his arrival signifies the beginning of something I don’t want to be involved in. Seeing my family, small as it may be, being swallowed up by another.
Shaky legs carry me to the door, but before I can open it, Mom grabs my hand and pulls me toward her. Thank the good lord above. There’s no way in hell I want to face the man outside alone.
“Before we go out there, Lilith, there’s something I need to tell you. This marriage… it’s not what you think.” A smile flickers across her face, but she purses her lips to bury them. “You’ll see. He’s kind. Good. Everything I want you to have in your life.”
Not love, then. This all but confirms it.
But why does she look so scared?
I nod but don’t interrupt.
“Just give him a chance tonight. Please.” She repeatspleasea few more times.
“I will.” There’s no point in saying anything else. Even if I’ve made my mind up already, I’m still being forced togo. I might as well use this as an opportunity to see if he’s the man Mom thinks he is.
Three more hard thuds rattle the door. Mom leads us over and opens it.
We’re met by a youngish blond guy in a black suit. My eyes instantly catch the pistol on his hip. My stomach drops on further inspection. He has broad shoulders, an earpiece in, and eyes that scan our entryway as if he’s surveying for a threat rather than just collecting us.
He’s not just the driver. He’s the muscle if anything goes wrong. I wonder if that’s just for this drive, and not for when things don’t pan out tonight.
“Apologies for the rush, Miss Whittaker.” He hurriedly gestures for us to head over to the sleek, spotless Mercedes that’s parked in our driveway.
“Mr. Crawford insists on punctuality.”
Mom nods, saying nothing.
“Crawford?” The name tastes funny in my mouth. “You can’t mean—“
Mom squeezes my hand. A polite way of sayingshut the hell up.
The driver opens my door, and I get inside. My heart is thundering at the idea of walking into the King of Midnite City’s home.
I was totally right. This marriage has nothing to do with love.
It’s a stepping stone for Mom, to become what she’s always wanted to be.
Royalty.
Chapter Ten
Lilith
The Crawford estate isn’t how I imagined it.
The mansion is old, sturdy, and imposing. The building’s center stands two stories tall, and two spires jut out of either corner, reaching much higher than that. Ornate, floor-to-ceiling windows stare back at us menacingly from their thick stone housings.
It looks impervious in every sense of the word. Just like the owners.
