Father started to rattle off an excuse.
‘Stop lying,’ I interrupted.‘I’ve known you my entire life.I can tell when you’re lying.’
‘This is the truth.’
‘It isn’t!’
He closed his eyes, then sighed.He knew better than anyone that I wasn’t gullible enough for any excuse he could come up with on the spot.My heart pounded in my ears while I waited for him to speak.He had to have a good reason.Didn’t he?
‘I was trying to protect you.’His face softened.‘I told everyone you’d been abducted, but as you saw, not everyone believed the story.I feared if people knew you were writing from the castle, they would think you married the prince of your own accord.’
‘So you isolated me?Yann didn’t know if I was alive.I didn’t know ifhewas alive.’I made myself breathe.‘Could you not have sent me one damn letter to tell me what was happening?’
‘I acted rashly, and by the time I realised it was a mistake it was too late.But Clara, the more I thought about it, the more right it felt.I know how charming Prince Raleigh can be when he wants to be.The last thing I wanted was for you to be disarmed by the freedoms he allowed you.’He cupped my cheek.‘I didn’t want you to stop fighting like your mother did.’
I shoved his hand away, disgusted that he would try to blame Mother for her own death.‘And which one’s worse?That I might dare to find happiness in my own marriage, or that people would think I did?’
‘Everything I do is to protect you,’ Father said.‘That includes preserving our family’s reputation.’
Ourreputation?‘So that’s what this is about.’It was suddenly so obvious.‘I imagine everyone’s so much more sympathetic to a mayor whose daughter was abducted by a vampire than a mayor who sold her to one.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous.’
‘Then what were you censoring?’I asked.‘The fact that you gave your blessing?Is this all part of you trying to hide your damn secret?’
His silence was all the confirmation I needed.
‘I don’t need protecting.’I brushed past him, meaning to wait outside until Yann brought Sovereign around, but Father grasped my wrist again before I could reach the door.This time I felt his grip bruise.My breath caught, teeth snapping together.I twisted to face him, but the man I saw felt like a stranger.‘What are you doing?’
‘Last time I let you walk out that door I nearly lost you forever.’
I met his stare.‘If you don’t let me go now, you will.’
Father weighed the choices before him.‘You’ll understand, in time.’Then, he tightened his grip and began to drag me from the door.
What?I tried to yank my hand back, but his strength was far greater than mine.I dug my feet in, not willing to relinquish ground.He gave up on pulling, fended off my flailing arms and managed to wrap one arm around my waist, lifting me off the ground.Shouting profanities, I elbowed him in the face and kicked until he was forced to drop me.I landed heavily but forced myself back to my feet and was almost in the doorway when I crashed into Yann.
He steadied me with one hand, then looked from me, red-faced, out of breath, to Father, his cravat askew, cheek already swollen.‘What’s going on?’
‘Father’s—’
‘The prince has hypnotised her,’ Father said.‘Help me bring her upstairs.’
‘He hasn’t—’
No trace of sympathy or shock crossed Yann’s features.It was as if he had expected this.I met his eye, silently pleading with him to step aside, but he looped his arm through mine and let Father do the same with the other.They dragged me from the doorway as I kicked at them, screaming for them to stop.I knew I had no hope of overpowering them together, even with Yann’s injury, but I was loath to make this easy for them.To hell with the family reputation; all of Orlfen would have heard the commotion.
They dragged me to my old room and threw me to the floor, then slammed the door before I had the chance to find my feet.I hurled myself against the door as the lock clicked, pounding at the wood hard enough to bruise my own knuckles.
‘Let me go,’ I screamed.‘I have to go back.Open the door!’I clawed at the handle in the vain hope I might have misheard, but it was thoroughly locked.My mind struggled to catch up to reality.After twenty-five years of nothing more malicious than gentle teasing, you don’t expect sudden aggression from the man who raised you or the man you thought you loved.But this was really happening.They’d locked me in.The thought sent my panic spiralling to new heights.
‘I’m sorry.’Father’s muffled voice sounded genuine through the door.‘I can’t let you go back to the castle.’
‘You can’t keep me here.Raleigh willkill you!’I slammed my fists against the door, pain jolting up my arms.‘I have this under control.Please let me go back.’
‘He’s put you under his spell.’
‘Hehasn’t,’ I insisted, though I had as much chance at convincing him as he did of convincing me.‘You’re going to ruin everything.Open the damn door.’
