Janelle
I couldn't sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Adrian's face in the great hall, the moment his mask had slipped and I'd glimpsed the real him underneath. The way he'd said "enough" with such quiet authority that an entire room full of nobles had fallen silent.
And then the way he'd dismissed me, like I was nothing more than a clumsy servant who'd embarrassed him.
I sat up in bed, frustration burning in my chest like acid. Three hours had passed since the feast ended, and I was no closer to understanding him than I'd been before. The confusion was eating me alive.
He defended me. Then he humiliated me. He saved me from the bear trap. Then he rejected our bond. He caught me when I fell. Then he told me he wouldn't always be there.
What kind of game was he playing?
I threw off my thin blanket and pulled on my cloak. I couldn't lie here anymore, going in circles, trying to make sense of a man who seemed determined to contradict himself at every turn.
