a wistful smile. “Well, we all wish for happy endings. Doesn’t mean we’ll get them.”
“We will,” I said desperately. “We have to.”
Finlay let my hand drop. He walked away, and although I was sad when he left, I couldn’t bring myself to feel anything more than solace that I’d made the right choice.
Ethan was the only one for me. Alive or fallen, he’d still have my heart.
It’d be just as dead as he was when he was gone.
On Monday, I was having one of the worst flare-ups of my life. It was mostly due to stress. I didn’t get any sleep, and woke up with joint pain all over my body. My muscles were so twisted, tears beaded at the corner of my eyes, and there was a tightness in my chest that made it difficult to breathe. It hurt to even move. My period was over, so I thought my cramps would go away, but they’d only seemed to move to other parts of my body.
And yet, for as much pain as I was in, I couldn’t sit here and allow myself to think of all the terrible things that were happening. Class would be a distraction. I needed to get up and start my day.
I struggled through Enchanting, then began the walk to Lord Lucien’s classroom for Fae History after lunch. I’d forced down some chicken broth and a couple pieces of gluten-free toast. My stomach ached, but I did what I could to prevent myself from tossing it back up.
Before I entered Lord Lucien’s class, someone blocked my way. It was Chastity. She towered over me as she swept back her long blonde hair, laying a hand on her hip.
Oh, great. What did she want?
“Can you excuse me?” I asked, trying to move past. “I need to get to class.”
Chastity gave me a look that burned at the edges of my patience. “I thought we should have a quick chat.”
“Well, time’s ticking.” I was way less rude than I wanted to be.
“I just want to be clear. I’ve heard you’re having a baby with someone else. I assume you’re done with Ethan?” She pursed her lips.
Those stupid pregnancy rumors. They were really doing their damage. “You’ve heard wrong. I’m actually single right now. I’m not having a baby, and I haven’t broken my mating bond with Ethan, either.”
Chastity’s gaze was abhorrent. “Well, why not? You’ve been broken up for months, and to be honest, hanging onto him like this is cruel. You need to consider what’s best for him, and let someone else make him happy.”
Strangling her would be a great way to relieve all this stress, but I held back. After breaking up with Finlay and losing Ethan, I was not in the mood to deal with this bitch. “Ethan’s happiness isn’t your concern.”
I went to move around her but she put a hand on the wall, blocking my exit. “Ethan has certain talents, talents that you have no idea how to harness for power,” Chastity snapped. “He needs a girl that can steer him in the right direction.”
“And what does that mean?”
“I’m from a high-born family. I can navigate the tricks of the royal world. Look at you! You’re a commoner— worse, an immigrant. You have no idea how to fit into our society, let alone conspire in the intricacies of court. The press has made a mockery of you from the beginning.”
The nerve of her. Chastity was exactly like Queen Antonia— a controlling, abusive snake. No wonder the two got along so well.
Chastity didn’t love Ethan. All she wanted was to use him to bolster her status and income. She only cared about herself.
“You shouldn’t bother yourself with my reputation. It’s none of your business,” I growled.
“I couldn’t give two shits about a pathetic fae like you,” Chastity replied. “I only care that you’re getting in the way of what I deserve.”
“Ethan’s not a prize to win,” I seethed. “And if you think I’m going to break the mating bond so you can move in—”
Chastity gave a laugh. “You have no mating bond with Ethan. He chose you because he thought he could use you for the King’s Contest. The only reason he didn’t pick me for the Contest was he wanted to keep me safe. He thought you were going to die in the competition, and that he could choose me for his queen once he won.”
She sniffed. “Bad choice, because you obviously stayed alive and lost him the crown.”