Erik~~

Someone's cold hand grasps my chin, pulling my head up. I open my eyes and find Rydersin's father staring at me, his face twisted in disgust. My neck and shoulders are stiff from me only being able to slouch and not lie down, my hands chained securely to the ground so I can't strangle him.

"It doesn't seem like my daughter is coming for you."

"I thought I've been clear that she wouldn't."

His fingers dig into my chin. "Then what do you suggest I do with you?"

"You're the one who kidnapped me. You figure it out."

The door swings open, and the Preeminence jerks away from me. A woman, dressed in a Veil uniform, runs inside. "Preeminence, there's been a disturbance outside. You're needed at once."

The Preeminence lets go of me, and my head droops under its own weight. "I want Veil guarding him," he snaps, heading for the door but pauses. "Do you know what it is?"

The woman shakes her head. "No, Preeminence." She taps an earpiece calling for Veil and a moment later six enter the room, in uniform, with guns strapped to their hips.

"Preeminence." The woman shifts her weight. "We should get you—"

"Hello, Father."

My eyes snap to the door where Rydersin stands framed in its doorway, flanked by her Veil. She's dressed similar to them, but her shirt is white, and her sleeves are rolled up.

"Rydersin." The Preeminence clenches his teeth. His Veil raise their guns, but he throws out his hand to the side. "Lower your weapons."

Rydersin's eyes land on me before returning to her father. "You've taken what's mine, I see."

Hers.

"Yours? He was convinced he meant nothing to you."

"I'm talking about the clothes I bought him."

I snort while the Preeminence eyes go steely. She did in fact buy me by current outfit, the clothes I wore when we were all at dinner.

"I don't kidnap your employees. Why should you do it to mine?"

"So that's all he is? You're not in a relationship?"

Rydersin rolls her shoulders back. "Forgive me, Father, but I'm a bit confused on what you want here. Do you want him to mean more to me than he does?"

"I hate the idea of you tarnishing your reputation with him."

I bristle. Maybe he's right. Maybe being linked to me could only tarnish her in the end, but it still hurts to hear because I don't want it to be true. I want her to be able to shine beside me.

"Once I'm Preeminence, I think my reputation will be safe. But thank you for the concern. Now let me take the former Tresais with me and then you can go back to enjoying your evening."

"If you want him, then you'll give up your foolish pursuit."

Rydersin's eyes flash. "I wasn't asking, Father. Give me Erik and then you and I will see each other in a few days."

"Give up your mission."

Rydersin's lips inch into a smirk. "The rest of your Order would side with me, wouldn't they? That's why you're doing this. Because you know you'll lose. Is it so bad to imagine me on your throne? Is your reputation really so fragile, it couldn't survive your daughter's?"

The Preeminence holds his head high, staring down his nose at her. "Kick him."

Her eyes find mine a moment before a Veil drives their booted foot into my stomach. I gasp, the chains keeping me from falling back.

"Continue on with your quest, Rydersin. I'll continue to amuse myself with your employee."

"Let him go."

"I don't want to." He looks down his shoulder at me. "Again."

The Veil drives his foot into my side, under my ribs. I hunch over, panting, unable to shield myself.

"Rydersin, go." I force the words out. "He won't stop until you're gone."

Eyes on her father, Rydersin taps one single finger against the side of her leg and in seconds Meilin, Xioazhi , and Karn surge past her through the door. Her father's Veil move, meeting them in a clash, with Rydersin and the Preeminence continuing to hold their ground in the middle. Neither of them even looks at the fight taking place around them.

I struggle with the shackles, but it's futile. My heart is racing, and I can do nothing but sit here and wait for the outcome. I'm a lad in distress, and I'm not used to this role.

No one draws their weapons. Regardless of the animosity between Rydersin and Preeminence Torellae, she is still his daughter. I imagine neither wants the other to get shot in the crossfire. Though that's all speculation. They could hate each other's guts for all I know, and their scales do seem to be tilting away from love.

Two of the Preeminence's Veil break off from the fight to shield him, and he lets them usher him out. Rydersin watches him go as if they were the only two people in the room.

His absence doesn't stop the fighting, and as she turns to me, Karn and another Veil swing their fists at each other in front of her.

Rydersin steps forward, ducking under the other Veil's arm, and, when she comes up, she drives her fist into his jaw, sending him stumbling back. She doesn't pay him any more attention, crossing the room until she's crouched in front of me.

"I'm so sorry he's done this."

"It's not your fault. No matter what he might want you to believe."

With a frown, she stands and walks past me. The chains keep me from turning to see where she's going.

In front of me, a Veil drives his knee into Meilin's stomach before slamming his fist into her cheek. With a cry, she stumbles back, and her sister is on him, putting him into a choke hold.

I feel Rydersin at my back, her arm brushing mine. There's a click, and one of the shackles falls away, and I flex my wrist, the joints popping. A few seconds later she has the second one unlocked.

"Can you stand?"

"I'm not sure."

"Put your arm around my shoulders."

My arm feels like a ton of bricksONLYONWATTPADBENDERare attached to it, but I manage to lift it long and high enough to rest it on her shoulders. Her arm wraps around my back, and she helps me to my feet, but the room spins, and I stumble.

"Are you all right?"

I let out a shaky breath. I feel awful. I'm nauseous, my body aches, and my face and stomach are tender. "Yeah," I say anyway, "but I'm not going to be any help getting out of here."

Before us, two of the Preeminence Veil lie unconscious, and its three against two, but it's clear Rydersin's team is exhausted.

Keeping us from the fighting, she pulls me along the outskirts of the room. Xioazhi, Karn, and Meilin hold the two other Veil back. When we reach the door, though, Xioazhi peels away to join us. She nods to Rydersin and pulls out her gun, going ahead of us. We follow close behind into a dark hallway; at the end of which Xiaozhi kicks open the door, flooding the room with light and revealing two more Veil.

She takes them both down in the matter of only a few kicks and punches.

Rydersin tugs me past them out into the hall, and to my surprise, we're not in some scary looking shack where you would keep someone you want to hide. Not that I kept Jonas in a scary looking shack when I kidnapped him, but we're not going to talk about that right now.

Rather I've been being kept in a chalet. Through the window, trees roll down the sides of mountains. I thought it was the middle of the night but the sun shines down on the trees. They almost seem to sparkle.

"Where's your dad?"

"Probably hidden safely away. We'll only have a few minutes before his reinforcements arrive."

Xioazhi kicks open the back door of the chalet. A thick layer of trees lies before us, and there's a small path leading through them.

She motions for Rydersin and I to go ahead, and the Preeminence's daughter helps me through the thick growth of leaves and vines. I didn't realize Acquaellia even had mountains but that just shows I should have paid more attention in my lessons about Amoria's geography.

Sweat beads on my forehead, the air here humid. Rydersin keeps tugging me through the forest and it slowly starts to feel as if we've been walking forever. "How did you find me?" This seems like nowhere near where we were that night in the lake town.

"Your cousin told me."

"My cousin? Percy? Colton? Jonas?"

"No." She squints. "The one with curly hair."

Andrew. Did I actually see him then that night? If so, why was he in the same town as me?

Rydersin pushes aside a leaf-covered branch. Beyond it is a green vehicle, the shape of a sports car but with the wheels of a truck. She helps me into the front passenger seat before getting behind the wheel. Xioazhi stands guard outside.

"You still plan to go before your father's Order?"

Having just started the engine, she lets her finger hover over its button. "You don't have to come. I understand if you want to sit it out."

Maybe the logical thing is just that. To stay far far away from the man who kidnapped me. But I want to be there, to see his face when his Order votes for his daughter. "I'll come."

Something sparks in her eyes, and for a brief moment a smile appears on her lips. I suddenly miss having my arm around her, to be able to feel her breathe instead of just seeing it—to know she's all right.

"Rydersin, I—"

Karn and Meilin tear through, the trees and the three Veil throw themselves into the back row. The door isn't all the way shut before Rydersin has the vehicle in drive.

I lean back in my seat, watching as the trees race past in a blur. I'm glad they showed up when they did because honestly, I don't know what I wanted to say. Just that . . . that . . . I sigh. I'm falling for Rydersin, aren't I?

I saw a comment the other day from the beginning of book 1 where someone said they really hoped Erik and Iris just didn't end up being cousins in the end, and I guess they kind of did.