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."

feeling beginning to well

in my ears. I felt bile rising in my throat, the fight-or-flight response rippling across my

that to me.

right all along, Maeve. I know you had your own suspicions. I don't have the scar, do I? That's because I never fell out of a tree when I was a kid. I've never been to Winter Forest. We met for the

He had trapped me in his web of deceit. Everything he had said to me, everything

"Leave my room, now!"

I took off after I met you in

I sought you out of the crowd. You pulled me in. I didn't know who you were. Then you were... not who I

the electric hum of the castle powered down, blanketing 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 downy hairs on my arms stood on end as the sounds of rushing footsteps echoed through the corridors below. Something

door, preventing it from opening. I heard the shared door open and a similar scraping sound coming from his room. He

"What are you doing?"

into strips, cursing under his breath as he wound and knotted the

what? If you think barricading me in this room is going to stop me from screaming for help-" Voices echoed from below, skrill commands. Doors began to open

my upper arms so tightly

into my hair and pulling me into a kiss so intense it made me feel a rush of warmth that blurred my senses long enough to drown out the first piercing scream

away from the kiss, his lips lightly brushing against mine as another scream echoed from

pushing me away and

"Put it on, now!"

below, followed by muffled snarling and yelping. I was frozen in place as the sounds of chaos and destruction began to reverberate through

"Ouch!"

"Shut up!" he said as spun

sound of footsteps began to sound in

We're

Gemma cried; her voice filled with panic. She was pounding on the door, her fearful sobs cutting through the

chest, which caused him to loosen his grasp enough for me to be free of him and run toward the door. I pushed against the dresser, but it was stuck in

the door as Gemma continued to hammer on

cried, hot tears rolling down my

"Troy, help me! Please!"

door and the only sound from her was a few choked sobs. "Troy? Are

"I am."

get

promise. I

fire blazing in

 

desperate whisper." You have to 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

to go now. You have to get out. The tunnels, they came through the tunnels.

"I'll get her out."

was drowned out by a crashing sound, followed by shattering glass and the menacing

beating my fists against the

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