The sickened luna’s last chance

Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Alexander nodded and began setting up the pieces, explaining each one’s movement as he placed them on the board.

“White goes first,” he said, gesturing to my side of the board. “Your move.”

I hesitated, then moved a pawn forward two spaces. Alexander nodded approvingly and moved one of his own pawns.

The game progressed slowly, with me making cautious moves and Alexander responding with quick, strategic ones. It was clear he’d played this game many times before, while I was just guessing at the best course of action.

“Knight to E5,” I said after a few minutes, moving my piece.

Alexander’s lips twitched. “You just moved your bishop, not your knight.”

I looked down at the piece I’d just moved, then back at Alexander. “Wait, which one is the knight again?”

“The horse,” he said, pointing to the piece shaped like a horse’s head.

“Right.” I felt my cheeks heat. “I knew that.”

been something akin to amusement. I moved my actual knight this time, only to watch Alexander

should have seen that

explained. “Always look at what your

steps ahead like Alexander clearly was. But after a few more moves, Alexander had captured half my pieces while I’d only managed to take

to his growing collection

“You’re not that bad.

I gestured to the scattered pawns. “They’re plotting their escape as we speak. Probably making little

around his mouth and making

9/2

Chapter 95

eyes. I didn’t know how

like this before. Not in five years of marriage. Not even during our recent public appearances where we’d been pretending to be in

was real. And it did strange things to

and cleared my throat.

it was well past ten o’clock.

Alexander said, glancing at his watch. “It’s late, and I’ve got work to do

going to spend the night with me like a normal husband would. Because he wasn’t a normal husband. And our marriage was just

to myself-that I didn’t care.