Chapter 0326

“Okay,” I said. “Um, so how do we trap Jane?” I looked at Julian. He’s typically the master of schemes. I expected him to have a few up his sleeves.

Right now, however, he seemed a bit blank. He shook his head, as if to recover. “We just need to lure her in… if we could… prepare a closet to trap her…”

“A closet?” I ask.

“Something to…” He rubbed his forehead. “Something, confining.”

“She likely has back ways out of every room in the palace, closets included,” Nicholas said. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

“What if we jump out behind her and put a sack over her?” I asked.

Julian, Veronica, and Nicolas all looked at me.

I blinked. “What?”

Julian rubbed his temples next.

((

It was only after a few moments that I realized the many, various flaws with the plan I announced so confidentially. A few moments more and I started to feel how achy my joints were and how heavy my eyelids were.

The adrenaline of the day was wearing off, and my body was worn.

“We should break for the night,” Veronica said. “You’ve all had an exhausting day. We should return to this with fresh minds.”

Julian, Nicholas, and I glanced at each other. In them, I could see the exhaustion that I felt. No doubt, they saw the same in me.

“That’s probably a good idea,” Julian said.

“I

agree,

“Nicholas replied.

“Yeah.” I was reluctant to admit it. I wanted to stay up, think of a plan, and resolve everything right away. But… shifting my gaze to Nicholas, and his healing but still battle- bruised body, I couldn’t deny some rest was in order.

Veronica bid us goodnight and we left the room.

walk you to your room,”

seemed too tired to argue.

away, I pulled him into a quick hug.

+15 BONUS

me go. He quickly saluted as he turned and walked down

then, and I asked Nicholas, “Where will you sleep

plenty

“But…”

you need me.” He held out his arm, and I slipped mine through his. He began

thoughts were a jumbled mess. I almost lost Nicholas tonight, which had my heart all twisted up inside. And

thought of my twin pressing her lips to Nichola s’s. I knew

to be the one Nicholas kissed, and all I had been doing lately was push

the silence first. “Piper. Tonight. Earlier. How did

with

me. I didn’t want to be caught in this dark, ugly feeling all alone. That he was there with

the balcony,” I said. I worried my bottom lip with my teeth, unsure if I should reveal the next part. Though,

“And it was Julian?”

“No,” I said. “Joyce.”

Nicholas frowned. “Joyce?”

proving a point to me, about how I’m too trusting. I

“I can’t argue that…”

he accidentally locked me onto

Nicholas frowned deeper. “Accidentally?”

down a tree, when I slipped and

was growing increasingly

+15 BONUS

I say something wrong?” I asked

face. “But there’s a lot to think about.” His You thought that note was

gaze

slid to me.

glanced up at him from under my eyelashes. “And you opened the door in the middle of the night and

“)

sighed and some of his rising tension slipped away. “I

replied. “It was

“It was?”

“Yes.”

drifted down to my mouth. Mine

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