Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 79938 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79938 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
“Oh god. There are totally wolves in Germany,” she whispered. “You know, when I put a pin in this country, I thought for sure that it would be a trip filled with schnitzel and amazing beer and cruising the Rhine and dancing all night with some blond guy named Hans.”
“Hans isn’t a German name, and he sounds like an asshole.”
She smiled against his skin, letting their low conversation distract her from the steady pulse of pain in her arm and the danger all around them. “He was nice in my dream.”
Theo walked for several minutes without saying anything. Just holding her close and watching everything around them. “Why a pin?”
Maybe it was blood loss or maybe it was the terror bleating in the back of her mind, but Meg didn’t even think of lying. “I grew up poor and miserable—things that don’t have to go hand in hand, but they did in my family. It was… ugly. Really ugly. I spent a lot of time fantasizing about running away, but even when I was young and stupid, I knew better. Nothing good happens to runaways. I stayed. I kept my head down as much as I could. And the only thing that got me through it was my map filled with places that I’d someday go. My escape.”
Theo hugged her closer. “When we’re through this, Galen and I will take you on a Rhine river cruise. Fuck, we’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“When we’re through this, you’ll be King of Thalania again.” Her eyes were getting heavy, the weights of them pulling her toward the darkness. “I’m really tired, Theo.”
“I know, princess. We’re almost there.”
Almost where?
Light played across the backs of her eyelids and Meg opened them to find them on the edge of a hill. The forest lay behind them and fields upon fields rolled out at their feet over the gentle hills. Theo hitched her higher and readjusted his grip. “See that village?”
She squinted against the weak sunlight, barely making out a little cluster of buildings camped out three hills over. They were some kind of brick or mortar or whatever buildings had been made out of back in the day, and they looked almost as if she and Theo had stepped into a time warp into the past. The steep roofs were a charming red and even at this distance, she could see flower boxes blooming in many of the windows. “I see it.”
“Galen is going to meet us there. And then we’re out of here.”
Out of here. She clutched his shoulder. “What? No. You need that birth certificate.”
“Phillip’s not going to stop coming or sending Dorian and his men after us. If he’s taking these measures before the coronation, then he’s desperate. The whole reason I brought you with us was that I thought our presence would protect you.” Theo gave a sharp laugh. “I should have known better.”
She’d never seen him like this before. Laughing Theo. Sexy Theo. Infuriating Theo.
Never Bitter and Despairing Theo.
“Theo, you’re doing the best you can.”
“My best isn’t fucking good enough.” He started down the hill, and despite the anger in his voice, he held her gently and moved in a way that didn’t jar her. “I should have stayed and fought when Phillip first pulled this bullshit. I had leverage and power as the Crown Prince. If I’d stayed—”
“What would have happened to Thalania? Answer me.” She fought against the fatigue seducing her eyes closed and grabbed the front of his shirt. “You know what would have happened. What always happens when two factions fight for power.”
“I wouldn’t have let it come to a civil war.”
“It wouldn’t have been your choice to make once you decided to fight. Phillip has a lot of support among the first circle of families. He wouldn’t have gone down easily, if it at all. You made the only choice you could have given the circumstances.”
He looked down at her, blue eyes filled with things she wasn’t willing to put a name to. “When did you become an expert on Thalanian politics?”
In for a penny, in for a pound. “After that night with you two, I was curious. I didn’t think you would call, but I wanted to know more about the place you two came from.” She forced herself to release her grip on his shirt. “You can’t leave Germany without what you came for, Theo. I won’t let you.”
“In that case, we’d better get a move on. Galen will kill us both if we’re late.”
12
Galen didn’t breathe until he saw Theo and Meg walk into town. Leaving them had been the hardest fucking thing he’d had to do, but with someone hunting them in the trees, Galen was the best equipped to handle the problem. He started the car he’d stolen from the guy and drove to them. Theo carefully set Meg in the backseat and followed her in. Good. She looked three seconds from passing out, though the patch job on her arm was well done.