“I don’t feel so good.” I swallowed, blinking rapidly as though the image of Ash, bloody and bruised beyond all recognition, wasn’t seared into my mind. Tears turned my vision blurry, making my eyes and throat ache.Cold hands found my face, cupping my heated cheeks. Through the rivulets that danced in my eyes, I could make out Dain’s face, much too close for comfort.His head was tilted ever so slightly, a perplexed look on his face as he studied my own. I swore I could detect just a hint of frustration. I tried to shove his hands away, but to no avail. Hadn’t he ever seen a girl cry before?“Stop swatting my hands away.” I snapped, but the threatening tone of voice was flimsy considering it cracked halfway through.“Stop crying.” He murmured, his grip on my face tightened. I could smell his breath, and knew from the whisper of cherries, that it had been some time since he last had a drink.

I had all afternoon to think about what Dain had told me, and the slim possibility that his brother was out there…alive.No, I wouldn’t let myself hope. There was no escape from what I had done. I had seen his body with my own eyes, and my silence was only delaying the inevitable.Ever since Ash’s attack, sleep was no longer a break from reality. I relived his assault in my dreams, felt that familiar pain and embarrassment all over again. Nightmares where he had done more than just mark me—so much more than leave me battered and bruised.Leslie was truly skilled at her job because every time I was wrenched from a nightmare, coated in sweat and disgust, I could smell the vanilla scented steam spewing from the bathroom. I’d soak in the bath for over half an hour, surprised at how well I slept once the tension had finally been drained from my body.I had expected tonight to be the same, but when I rested my head on the velvet p

I lunged at the desk in the living room, snatching up one of Adley’s school notebooks and a pen, just as her eyes unfocussed and went blank. The calm sky-blue of her irises glowed softly, unsettling as she stiffly swiveled her head in my direction.For seconds Adley stared at me, until finally she spoke.“Daughters of the sun and sea,two once powerful kingdoms brought down to their knees.Dying legacies, where only one will stand.The champions of Light and Dark hold the fate of the world in their hands.”Ally sighed, frowning softly at her sister, until her eyes too went blank. Her eyes began to glow, the same soft color as her twin. Ally’s pale blue eyes held fragments of grey, like gathering storm clouds.Her head swiveled in my direction, and she spoke.“A call to arms from warrior’s past,to defend their Houses at long last.Brothers forced on opposing sides,the me

“You’re not very hungry. Are you feeling alright, darling?” Dain asked, his head only slightly cocked as he watched me from across the table. He watched everything I did, and where it had first been annoying and unsettling, now it affected me in an entirely different way. I wanted to ask why, why he stared at me like he was memorizing my face and habits, the gestures I made and the way I spoke, but it was a question I doubted he’d answer. “I’m feeling just fine, thank you.” I mumbled, plying him with some automatic response as I wracked my brain for a solution to the next step of my plan. The next part would undoubtedly be the hardest, considering I manage to make it past this point. I brought the spoon of soup to my lips almost robotically, taking a small sip. It was warm and soothed my throat, but my stomach refused more than a few slow bites. He lifted an eyebrow at me, some of the playfulness slipping from his lips. He thought there was something

Breath was knocked from my lungs as Dain snatched the knife from my hand, flinging it across the room before flipping us over on the bed.All too easily he had taken control, his chest heaving and bare muscles stealing the moonlight. Leaning over me with his hair tousled from sleep, his eyes were wide and roamed my flushed skin like a man deprived of light. I was left with no time to process as his lips came crashing against my own.I had tried to fight, vaguely aware of Rayna’s lingering presence in the back of my mind, watching in stunned silence as she tried to figure out how I had landed myself here—while also providing absolutely no help.My lips parted for his on their own, desperate, and eager despite how hard I fought. My fists slammed against his chest, but the moment his tongue darted out and brushed my own…the taste of him, sweet and tart but also masculine, it was my undoing.I wasn’t sure when my hands had drifted tow