She finally opens her eyes. “I supervised.”
“Where’s Brooke?”
“Not back yet.”
“Where’s Theo?”
“In the forest.”
“Doing what?”
“It’s not proper to discuss.”
“Didhedo this?”
“Obviously.”
“And the fire?” I point to the dancing flames in the dead center of theO.I turn to Henry for clarification.
“Also us,” he confirms as Theo and Comet join us on the beach. Comet quickly makes a chew toy out of the large stick at the top of theO,so the message now reads “SUS.”
Theo watches me carefully, his expression unreadable.
“But I thought—” I sputter, trying to remember exactly what happened before I fell asleep. “I gathered sticks and bamboo for my raft. I didn’t tell anyone.”
“You thought you were the only one with a rescue plan?” Victoria asks dryly.
“I thought I wasalone.”
The royals blink at me like I’m an utter idiot.
“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Henry says.
“To be fair, she could probably bump me off pretty easily at this point,” Victoria says. Henry nudges his sister with his foot. “Fine.” She rolls her eyes. “This is not an ideal situation, but we’re in it together.”
I wish I could believe that. I turn to Theo. “You didn’t follow me,” I say quietly.
His expression darkens.
“Look!” Brooke’s voice screams. I spin to find her in the dark. A swell of nausea rises in my stomach and I sway on my feet. Theo steadies me.
Henry shouts. Every muscle in my body winds tight, preparing for the worst, but when I look at him, he’s jumping up and down, waving his arms in the air. “Over here!” he yells. “We’re here!”
I glance up at the dark sky. Wind whips my hair across my face as a swirling tornado of sand and leaves and branches rises into the air. I choke on a mouthful of sand. Theo yells, his words drowned out by the thrum of helicopter blades. We run for cover behind the trees. Theo pulls me to the ground and shields my body with his just in time for us to watch as a trio of helicopters land on the beach.
The doors are thrown open, and people spill onto the sand.
Theo’s eyes are wide as saucers as we share a glance. “It’s over,” he whispers.
We’re hidden behind a thicket of trees, so the rescuers run immediately for Henry and Victoria. Henry points to his sister,and two people in emergency medic uniforms kneel next to her, ripping open a bag of medical supplies. The part of my brain that has been terrified about her health relaxes for the first time in days.
We survived.It’s over.
Which meanswe’reover. Theo and I are officially out of time.
I’m too in shock to move. All I should feel is relief and happiness, but fear grips me in a steel trap. It’s too soon. At least in Greece, we had a countdown to the end of the world. I made a call to the Firm, and I knew they were coming. I had time to prepare myself for the emotional hand grenade.
“Is this goodbye?” I ask, suddenly realizing I don’t know what happens after this. Will the Firm still take me to London, or is it too close to the coronation now to worry about the desperate American? Maybe they drafted our divorce papers after the plane went down. I’ll sign them over the Atlantic and they’ll hand me a parachute over Chicago.
