Page 32 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

“Yes, Kieran.” Henry bows.

“Now, go before people start suspecting things and talking.” Kieran smiles gently.

“Bye,” I whisper.

Kieran waves and Henry and I start walking away, my heart aching with each step I take away from him.

“It’s going to get better soon,” Henry says.

CHAPTER 12

“Avira wants to see you,” Henry tells me after I open the door.

My face drains of color as I stare at him.

“No,” I whisper, taking a stuttering step back.

Everything flashes before my eyes as those words keep repeating in my head. Avira wants to see me again. Is she going to whisk me away and torture me again? Will she get to me before Henry can save me?

“The prince has granted her permission to talk to you with me present. You get to pick the place, but we need to go there now and tell another guard to tell your sister where,” Henry explains.

“What’s going on?” Mother asks as she steps behind me. “Are you okay? Adeline, talk to me.”

“Av-Av—” I can’t bring myself to say her name out loud.

“Avira wants to talk to her and the prince has said it’s okay as long as I’m there,” Henry fills in for me.

“No. I will not allow her to see Adeline,” Mother declares.

Henry slightly bows his head. “Unfortunately there is no way out of this for her.”

Stars flitter around my vision as I grip onto Mother’s hand, holding on as tight as I can, trying to stay upright. Is Avira watching right now? Is she smirking and laughing about how pitiful I look?

“There is really no way out of it?” Mother asks. “You couldn’t ask the prince to get her out of it?”

“There is only so much the prince can do. While he does not like Avira right now, she does work closely with his father. He said that you can hear her out and not say anything at all and then leave, but you have to meet with her so that he doesn’t get in trouble,” Henry explains.

Of course. Prince Archie may care about me a tiny bit, but he cares more about himself and how it will impact him. I shouldn’t have believed that he really cared for me.

“Let’s go. You can tell me where you want to meet with her while we walk there,” Henry says.

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” Mother whispers in my ear.

I turn toward her and take a deep breath. “But I do. I don’t want anything to happen to you or the baby. I’ll just go and hear what she has to say and then I’ll leave.”

Adeline, is everything okay? I can feel dread flowing through you, Kieran asks.

Turning to Henry, I lock eyes with him. “Let’s talk where I had a discussion with Skylar. Out in the open so she can’t do anything.”

He nods and calls over one of the guards, pointing to the bench in the middle of town.

Everything is okay, I lie.

Sweets. His voice holds disappointment. I know you’re lying. What is going on?

Avira wants to talk to me and the prince granted it. There is no way out of it.

I can’t be seen in town when you are there but there will be some of our people there that will watch over you to make sure nothing happens, Kieran replies.