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A small carving knife. The blade likely isn’t long enough to kill, but if I use it right, it might. And it’s easy to hide.

With one last look around, while listening for any potential witnesses, I pocket the knife and make way back to my room where two chocolate bars sit on my pillow.

28

Jordan

“Are you okay?” Cassie’s concerned eyes meet mine in the mirror as she brushes my curled hair into a high ponytail.

I nod, blinking away the nerves from my eyes.

Kain has been holed up inside his room, and guards have been patrolling our wing all day without their usual breaks.

“You’ve been zoned out for the past ten minutes. Did you even hear what I’ve been saying to you?”

I glance at the protruding belly from beneath her burgundy slip dress and once more, jealousy slams into me. And concern. The words are on the tip of my tongue to tell her what happened with Dorrian today, that he’s not who she thinks he is.

But… the life inside her…

The innocent baby…

I shoot up from my seat, whirling around to meet her shocked face. “You need to get out of here.”

“W-what?” Her face is contorted in confusion as she holds the brush loosely in her hand, her other one falling over her belly.

I swallow. “Dorrian… this family… they’re not who you think they are, Cassie. If they ever find out about this baby—”

“Dorrian knows, Jord.”

I’m rendered speechless. “You told him?”

She nods, a gentle smile gracing her face.

I groan. WAKE UP, CASSIE!

“And what did he say?” I ask, bringing the fragile skin around my fingernails to my teeth.

“He’s so happy, Jordie. Honestly you should’ve seen his face when I told him…” Her voice trails off as I sift through ways to make her leave in my head. “He said he’d protect us.”

Of course he was fucking happy. It’s another being to control. To sacrifice—

I give her a quizzical look. “Do you know what’s happening tonight?”

“Yeah, it’s the yearly gala.” She smiles. “Which is why your mother asked me to primp you up today. Apparently, she didn’t trust you to do it yourself.” She gives me a knowing look.

There’s only one way to make her see sense.

I sigh, ripping my top over my head.

“Woah! I love you, Jord, but that’s a bit too much!” Cassie laughs.

I turn to show her the scar on my back, and the room falls silent like a heavy blanket just fell over us.

“What is that?” Her tone is something I’ve never heard from her before. It’s perplexed. Cautious.

“That”—I point to the particularly nasty and uncomfortable wound—“is what they’ll do to you.”

“W-what does it mean?”