Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 44666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44666 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 223(@200wpm)___ 179(@250wpm)___ 149(@300wpm)
The windowless chamber is exactly as I remember, circular and somber, designed with judgment in mind. Mahogany-paneled walls enclose the space while a colossal zodiac mural sprawls across the ceiling, its celestial symbols casting an eerie stillness over all who enter.
The last time I was here, Liam lost his auction privileges. Now, I wonder what I stand to lose.
Oliver nudges me forward into the circular seating, and I sink into the space reserved for Capricorn, between him and his father. The legacy members settle next to their sons as Mr. Castle steps to the podium. He rests his hands on the polished wood, taking in the room.
“A vote is in order.”
No preamble or drawn-out discussion. Just those five words from Liam’s father.
And so it begins.
The House of Aries starts, and the verdict is unsurprisingly in my favor. Next, Mr. Castle gestures at the House of Taurus. One by one, each house heightens my anxiety with its ruling.
When it’s Mr. Stone’s turn, he doesn’t hesitate, delivering his decision in the Brotherhood’s customary format. “Yay. She absolutely needs behavior modification.”
No surprise there. He’s been waiting for this.
More votes come, some echoing his verdict, and others standing against it. By the time the tally reaches the House of Capricorn, the numbers are neck and neck.
The elder Whitney votes against me, but Oliver leans back, and his leg presses against mine under the table. His deliberate nudge grounds me—unseen by the others but impossible for me to ignore.
He lets out a quick exhale, and I almost miss the crack in his facade when he says, “Yay.”
Still, I’m frozen, rooted in place by disbelief. Did he really vote to have me punished? I’m too stunned to react, part of me refusing to accept it.
Pax Monroe is a monster.
And Oliver just fed me to him.
Before I can find my voice, the heat of his thigh anchors me, bringing me back from the edge of terror, and I remember.
It’s not over yet.
Everyone’s attention goes to the next house, and a sliver of hope stirs in my veins.
A hope soon lost.
The Houses of Aquarius and Pisces split their decisions, deadlocking the count.
“We have a tie,” Mr. Castle announces. “As such, Liam’s vote will count as double to break it.”
Chaos erupts.
Mr. Stone is irate. Landon looks relieved. The Monroes are yelling at the Morgans. Ford and his father are on their feet, flinging insults back and forth.
Mr. Castle slams the gavel down. “Enough!”
“It’s not enough,” Mr. Stone shouts, his rage blasting through the sudden quiet. “Your biased son can’t even bid in the auction under his own name—he has to use my son’s legacy as a proxy.” He points at the House of Capricorn. “Oliver should have the final say, as the one who holds power over the queen this month.”
The air leaves my lungs, apprehension clamping around me like a vise.
Too many seconds pass.
Because Oliver is drawing this out. Making them wait.
Making me wait.
Finally, he straightens, eyes locked on Liam, and says, “I change my mind. Novalee won’t be harmed under my care.”
A noxious fog engulfs the room, thickening before the inevitable detonation. Pandemonium spreads, voices clamoring over one another.
I barely register the noise. The verdict is set, yet the reality of what happened glues me to the spot. I’m too stunned to move.
Then Oliver rises, calm and composed, as if he didn’t just flip the summons on its head. He reaches for me, guiding me to my feet, and my legs quake beneath me as the adrenaline drains away now that the danger has passed.
For now.
Gripping me by the elbow, he leads me toward the exit, where Liam waits.
“Why did you change your vote?” Cautious gratitude hijacks the chancellor’s tone, layered with suspicion.
Oliver settles a possessive hand on my lower back, and a confident smirk tugs at his mouth. “Consider it an advance payment.”
“A payment for what?”
“Permission to travel off the island with her.”
“Travel where?” Liam asks through clenched teeth.
“You know where.”
A lethal shadow darkens Liam’s expression. “Absolutely not.”
“I think you’ll change your mind, like I did today.“ Oliver steps around him, pulling me along, but his parting shot says it all. “Otherwise, I won’t be so generous with my vote next time.”
13
I should be grateful. Oliver changed his vote, sparing me from Pax Monroe’s sadism, but all I hear is him saying yes. Maybe it was a test. Maybe it was a performance. Either way, when it counted, he reversed course and stood between me and the dungeon.
But redemption doesn’t stand a chance when betrayal is still shouting, which is why I’m still furious.
He lounges across from me in a leather armchair, apparently unbothered after playing executioner and savior in the same breath. A glass of something expensive rests on the table beside him, untouched.
It’s all I can do not to glower, my emotional upheaval threatening to turn the sitting room to ash. The fireplace has nothing on me. If anything, those flames only feed my ire, spreading too much heat across my skin.