“Nice try,” Henry says. “I’ve never pretended I don’t want what Theo has.”
I feel like the ground has shifted under me, and I need toget this conversation back on track. “It must be easy to defend the monarchy when you get all of the privilege but none of the drawbacks.”
Henry chuckles and tips the bottle toward me. “Never have I ever wished I was born into a different family.” Without looking at Theo, he hands the bottle off to his brother. Theo tosses back a small sip. Henry’s face clouds, the mask on his vulnerability slipping for a fraction of a second. I can’t help but think how much of his constant cockiness and flirting is just to cover how much he wants Theo’s life.
Theo holds the bottle up to his sister. “You should probably drink too, but that seems like a bad idea. How are you feeling?”
Victoria wipes sweat off her brow. “I’m all right. I’m—”
A tremor travels across the surface of the water, scattering ripples across the hot spring. “What was that? Who did that?” My gaze travels over to Comet, but he’s still sleeping undisturbed under a tree.
“You didn’t feel it?” Victoria asks.
“Feel what?” Brooke says.
“The ground has been shaking on and off since we landed. I’ve felt it at least a dozen times.”
“What, like bloody earthquakes?” Theo asks. Our eyes meet, the way they always seem to. He raises an eyebrow like,Can you believe this shit?
We’re cursed,I mouth back.
Victoria shrugs. “I don’t know what else it would be. It only ever lasts a couple of seconds, and no one else has noticed but me. I thought I was going a bit mental.”
“A dozen of them?” Henry is skeptical.
“Earthquake swarms are common in volcanic regions,” Brooke says.
“Is that dangerous?” I ask.
We fall quiet as we scan our surroundings. We’re on a beautiful tropical island, but we’re also climbing the side of a freaking volcano. Everything about the island that once felt peaceful takes on a menacing air, from the shadows in the trees to the inky-black depths of the hot spring.
“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Brooke decides, but a telltale crease forms between her brows. “Pass me the bottle?” She holds her hand out to Theo.
“Uh-uh. You’ve got to play the game,” Henry says.
“I need the bottle to play the game.”
“One drink left,” Theo says as he passes the booze to my sister.
“Sorry, Wren, this is going to be a short game and you’re not legal yet.” She takes a deep breath. “Never have I ever dropped out of law school and secretly regretted it every day since.” She downs the rest of the whisky and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.
“I knew it!” I cry. “How long have you known?”
“Since about three days after I had my quarter-life crisis and made a huge point of telling everyone that I was taking time off to ‘find myself’?”
“And you’re positive this time?” I lean forward, wondering how she can be so certain.
She nods.
“All the jobs in the world and you want to be a bloody barrister? Interesting,” Henry muses.
“What didyoudecide about law school, Wheeler?” Theo asks. His tone is cool, but he looks at me like my answer is the only thing he cares about.
“I agree with Henry.”
“Do you now?” Henry throws his brother a cocky grin.
I sigh and scrub my hands through my tangled hair, regretting bringing this up in front of everyone. “It’s a lot of pressure to choose the right path, that’s all.” I feel a burn at the back of my throat and look down at my lap. “I almost died—twice—and when we’re rescued, I don’t want to screw up my second chance at life.”
