Page 82 of Uncrowned

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I swallowed hard, praying as I touched the knob.

I nearly collapsed through the adrenaline that hit at what this could mean.

The two parts of myself that always battled went toe to toe. They screamed and clawed at each other to the death. The question was simple. The answer was not.

Did I stay and fall into the role Vaughn had forced me into?

Or did I lose love and finally fight for freedom?

Fight… to choose…?

I twisted the knob, letting the tears leave me.

Vaughn had taught me to fight. If I were ever going to do that, I had to start with myself.

Unlocked.

CHAPTER 27

Vaughn

“We’re sorry about the loss of your High Master, but you must understand, what Redmond did with Main Master Draper came with consequences. Ones he didn’t survive.”

I nodded, letting instability collide with every emotion imaginable. I didn’t want to be in this meeting facing Mr. Prescott from the Collective High Council. I wanted to continue my search for Penelope. I wanted to burn the city down until I found her. But what choice did I have? Redmond was dead thanks to Gavin Draper and his connections, and my time had run out. I was now the Unavowed. I didn’t have a choice but to step into my role. Being here meant I couldn’t constantly search for her. I did when I was able, but so far, she hadn’t surfaced. After our last moments together, I wasn’t sure she ever would.

“If that will be all.”

“Actually.” He shifted in his chair. “That’s not all. I didn’t just come to offer my condolences. It would seem there’s something you want to tell me.”

I lifted one of my eyebrows at him. “I don’t think so.”

“No?” He let out a sigh. “You get further in life by making more friends, Mr. Masterson—Unavowed. You really want me as a friend.”

“I don’t have friends.”

A smile tugged at one side of his cheek, and light brown eyes searched my face. It had me assessing him. At just under six feet, he was lean but built. He was a good ten years older than I was, around his early-to-mid-forties. Although he had dark hair, hints of silver were starting to take over. He wasn’t a bad-looking man. Slightly average, if not slightly above.

“I hear you lost your queen.”

My shoulders widened, and I sat up more in my chair, feeling my lids narrow threateningly.

“And where did you hear that?”

His hands went up and out, almost as in a shrug or to say he didn’t know… but did.

“I’m a member of the Collective High Council, Unavowed. I hear everything. Where, is irrelevant. What you need to know is, she’s been collected. Right this very moment, they are getting everything they can from her. What is she going to tell them?”

Heat poured from me. Doubt tried to force its way in, but I knew the truth in my heart.

“Nothing.”

His head cocked to the side.