“Why?”
“You can ask him. I’m going to bed.”
Hannah stopped at the bottom of the stairs. Evelyn had only taken a couple steps up when Hannah spoke.
“He’s not yours.”
Evelyn stilled, anger roaring up again. “Did he propose to you yet?”
“No,” Hannah admitted.
“Then he’s not yours, either.”
Trust me. You don’t want him. And neither should I.
He lied to me.
Evelyn slammed her bedroom door and burst into tears.
He fucking lied to me.
She doubled over, trying to breathe and wanting to scream.
HE FUCKING LIED TO ME.
Evelyn caught sight of the lavender flowers by the window.
He was right here.
She threw a stream of fire to burn the flowers.
He kissed me.
With shaky hands, Evelyn removed the queen’s tiara—his mother’s tiara—plus the borrowed bracelet and set them on the dresser.
This is his home and his family.
She looked down at the dress that matched his lighter eye color.
He danced with me in front of everyone and didn’t tell me who he really is.
Evelyn set herself on fire.
Her magic would never burn her own skin, but the flames consumed her gown, corset, underskirts, and heels. It was like taking a bath in the hottest possible water. The heat burned a black mark in the rug.
He asked me to stay in the kingdom with him.
She pulled on a nightgown and crawled into bed.
He. Fucking. Lied.
22
Comfort
When the sunlight reached her the next morning, Evelyn wasn’t sure she had actually slept. Her thoughts were impossible to separate from her dreams, and her mind played the past week on a loop. She was ready to throw every memory into a fire and be done with it.
Leo is Prince Alexander. He made me fall for him while lying to my face.
