Chapter 29 : Nameless But Not Blameless
Maeve
"Aaron?" I said into the dark as my door opened and closed, a shadowed figure moving through the room toward my bed. I sat up, pulling the sheets over my bare chest.
I blinked rapidly to adjust my eyes to the darkness. A drawer squeaked as it was roughly opened, the sound of fabric falling to the ground overwhelmed by murmured curses.
"I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow," I said, scooting to the side of the bed and slipping my legs out of the sheets. "What are you doing?"
"Get dressed, Maeve. We have to go."
"Go where?" I laughed, standing and reaching over to my bedside table to turn on the lamp. Yellow light filled the room, washing over his face. "Aaron, what's wrong?"
"Turn off the lamp, right now!" he exclaimed, panic flashing in his eyes.
He was filthy, and his clothes were damp and smelled sharply of rainwater and dust. He had dark circles beneath his eyes, and he looked exceedingly wary. I stepped forward, narrowing my eyes as I closed in on him, ignoring his demand.
He had blood on his shirt. Lots of it.
"Aaron?"
"That's not my name, Maeve."
I froze, any warmth I felt by his presence evaporating into thin air and leaving me feeling suddenly exposed. I crossed my arms over my breasts, not taking my eyes off of his. “What kind of game is this? Why are you covered in blood?"
"My name is Troy." He took a step forward, his eyes boring into mine. I opened my mouth to speak, but the only sound that escaped was a choked laugh.
"Okay, Troy," I said sarcastically. But he looked at me, coldly, his eyes vibrant gems in the lamplight.
"Turn off the lamp, Maeve. I'm serious.”
"Not until you tell me why you're covered in blood.” I felt the sudden urge to step away from him. Troy? Who the hell was Troy? All the suspicions I had had about him came rushing forward as I looked over his face, the face I hadn't recognized. The eyes that seemed so new, so incredibly unique. And his chest, scarless, when I knew it shouldn't be. "You're not Aaron, are you?"
"I'm not. I never have been. Aaron is on an island somewhere. He’s safe. He'll be returned to his family."
"I don’t understand," I said, an edge to my voice. "Why are you here?"
"A mission," he said as he took another step, his hands outstretched in a show of surrender. "I didn’t come here to be your breeder. I never meant to even touch you. I was here to free Romero from the tower."
"Who?" I took a step away from him.
"I need you to listen to me. I need you to know that everything that has happened between us, everything... that was me. Troy. Not Aaron. I meant everything I've ever said and done with you."
strange feeling beginning to well in the
echoing in my ears. I felt bile rising
say that to
scar, do I? That's because I never fell out
in his web of deceit. Everything he
"Leave my room, now!"
know why I took off after I met you
I wanted you. I sought you out of the crowd. You pulled me in. I didn't know who you were. Then you were... not who
us in a dark, complete silence. His face changed, panic and confusion lining his face as he tensed, looking slowly towards the door. I felt his fear.
the wall and positioning it against the door, preventing it from opening. I heard the shared door open and a similar scraping sound coming from his
"What are you doing?"
time." He was ripping the sheet into strips, cursing under his breath as he wound and knotted the strips together to
from screaming for help-" Voices
tightly I
my hair and pulling me into a kiss so intense it made me feel a rush of
against
me away and reaching down
"Put it on, now!"
reverberate through the castle, snapping back to reality as Troy
"Ouch!"
mouth. "Shut up!" he said as spun me around, so my back was
from the door as the sound of footsteps began to sound
to go. We're going to
the door, her
me to be free of him and run toward the door. I pushed against the dresser, but it was stuck in place, caught on the
the door
hot tears
"Troy, help me! Please!"
her fists left the door and the only sound from her was a few choked sobs.
"I am."
to get
promise. I
to him, fire blazing in my eyes. "She
go with him. Please. You have to trust me-" "I'm not going anywhere without you!” I screamed, desperately pushing against the dresser. She was crying softly now, her sobs muffled by the door separating us. I began to pull the drawers out of the dresser, my hands clawing the wood as I pulled
have to get out. The tunnels, they came through the
"I'll get her out."
a crashing sound, followed by
against the dresser. "HELP ME,
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