LOGINEvelynTwo Years LaterThe gardens outside the palace were alive with late-spring blossoms, their perfume carried on a gentle breeze to fill my nose, as my daughter’s laughter, bright and bubbling, carried across the lawn. I watched her reemerge into view, weaving through the rose bushes as she chas
Evelyn The throne room of my father’s palace had never looked so magnificent. Banners in silver and deep royal blue draped from the vaulted ceilings, fine designs embroidered into every piece of fabric. Torches burned in golden sconces, their flames reflected in polished marble floors. The air carr
Logan Two Months LaterThe room was awash with candlelight from the hundreds of candles lining the space. They collectively cast their amber glow on the stone walls, giving our surroundings a soft appearance.Laughter and music poured through the air, filling every corner with celebration. Tonight
LoganThe tavern was alive with laughter. It felt like everyone else there had something to celebrate as well.Around us floated the sound of clinking glasses and the scent of roasted meats wafting through the air. The scene was incredibly jovial and a far cry from the war councils and court politi
“He loves her,” I said quietly, though the words sounded fragile echoing against the empty walls of the throne room. “And you would punish him for it.”“Love is only worth so much,” my father said, the warmth of a moment ago gone. His eyes hardened. “A ruler must make decisions based on what is best
EvelynThe throne room always felt too large. It had been so long since I had been inside the vast, sprawling space, and even then, it had been filled with others for my brother’s princely coronation ceremony when he was fourteen. But now it was just us, my father and I. There weren’t even guards in
EvelynThe rogue’s blade pressed so close to my throat that I could feel its cold kiss every time I inhaled or swallowed. Her grip was unyielding, and the cut she had created earlier that evening had dried to a sticky paste on my neck.Together, we shuffled into the deep dark of the woods. I wasn’t
EvelynIt had been days since I’d last seen Logan. And while I wanted to say that this space was good for us—needed, even—I found myself wondering where he went every time my mind wandered.The days that passed in his absence were filled with trying to focus on the patients in the medical wing, crea
LoganI didn’t think she could get to me anymore. I thought I’d learned all of her cruelties, the different shades of her violence and manipulation. I would have hoped that after so much time spent with Emma, I would be able to tune out her games and her constant threats.But then Emma leaned agains
My head snapped back toward him. “She deserves it!”“I agree. And she’ll get it,” he said, his voice low and lethal. “Trust me. But not here. Not like this. I want the world to see. We need to make an example out of her. I want them all to know what happens to those who cross us. Her death will mea







