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Bastien

As far away as I wanted to remain from all that was familiar, I could not venture too far in eoned and raped It was like a cord aroundme to the land It was my duty to return, but I was not ready yet

I sat in the small boat, my back turned toward the shore, while the endless expanse of blue stretched out in front of er than this I wished thatas my muscles I wished that I did not feel all that I felt in this moment

Would Victoria really have betrayed me? Was she as callous a woman as Brucella?

When she had responded to … had she never been my friend?

It didn’t make sense Every part of me wanted to reject it But then, I re sense of late Not since the night I’d lost s will make more sense if I just accept Victoria for what she is A liar A cheat A player of hearts

But then, each tiht blue eyes, the way she’d looked at me The way she’d sainst ht The way she had pulled me closer as I had caressed her lips The way she’d breathed h evidence for her betrayal was before my very eyes--what kind of a coincidence would it be for the hunters to arrive with their monsters just after we accepted her fa my body that Victoria was innocent And there simply has to be another explanation

Life would not be so unkind to me It would not…

"Bastien!"

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as a familiar voice shrilled out from behind me

I whirled around and, to liding toward me I had been so lost inup toward the deck, I wasnext to her on the deck were Sergius and Rona, along with ed to escape, and they had gotten the same idea as an to h for an easy jump

And jump she did

She hurled herself across the waves and landed at the bow ofit to shudder and shake beneath ive her the chance to touch me

I would not climb aboard her ship I would not allowthat would be like ad that I had lost Victoria forever It wouldaside the fact that my aunt and Dane had atte that she had deserved it all along That Brucella was right, and Victoria had been a rogue

And it would be one step closer to Rona