Somehow, the days had bled into weeks, then into months. The Selection's duration was already at two months, and it promised more to come. And, for a reason that had nothing to do with a prospected romance with the Prince, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano was dreading the thought of leaving the Palace.

She had grown weak, in that sense; even the thought of having to return home filled her with a sense of dread. This life of luxury and ease was so promising and so real, at least for the time being. But Reyna knew it was too good to be true.

But that wasn't going to stop her from milking it for all it was worth.

Which was why she was currently sprawled on her bed, watching the Sun make it's path across the sky. It was a lazy morning, one that was drifting dangerously close to the afternoon. But that was fine; Reyna wasn't needed until four in the afternoon.

Is this really what you want to spend your time doing? a voice in the back of her mind asked, just laying in bed? Is this the story you want to tell everyone when they ask what you did in the Selection.

Reyna named the voice "the voice of reason" as she slowly sat up, wincing at the soreness of her muscles. Yesterday had compromised of a long run around the palace grounds, and Reyna felt as though she had held up the world using only her legs.

Within ten minutes, she was dressed. Lacking makeup and her hair hastily braided back, yes, but she was still dressed.

The guard outside her room said nothing to her as Reyna quietly exited. Part of her wanted to say something to the stranger, but what was there to say? She walked through the hallway, feeling more like a ghost than a person. The halls were empty, save for the occasional guard or servant. And that was when it hit her: Reyna had no idea where to go.

Making friends had never been exactly easy for her, and it had only grown more difficult the older she became. She knew her demeanor was too stoic, too cold to attract the attention of many, but that didn't mean Reyna enjoyed being alone. It was the opposite, actually; she enjoyed the company of others. But there wasn't a single person in this palace that would seek out her company.

That thought sent a sharp knife of sadness through her heart, but Reyna ignored it. She had to, right? Or else she would get wrapped up in a self-thrown pity party and dive into those dangerous emotions she kept so guarded inside her heart. No good could come out of that.

No good comes out of your emotions, Reyna; keep that mierda in your head where it belongs.

Reyna shook her head almost violently, pressing her thumb nail against the inside of her wrist. The pain helped her focus, at least for the time being. Soon, her father's voice was out of her head.

But there was someone standing at the end of the hallway. Reyna blinked twice, just to make sure it wasn't a hallucination. Luckily, it wasn't the silhouette of her father that stood there; it was a girl.

Hazel Levesque stood at the end of the corridor, staring out the window. Her back was turned towards Reyna, and Hazel's shoulders were shaking. The girl was crying.

Reyna froze immediately. Shit. Comforting people had never been her strong suit, and her not being close with Hazel only made things worse.

Hazel hadn't seen her yet, there was still a chance that Reyna could sneak away without the other girl noticing—

What is wrong with you? Go and talk to her, the voice of reason argued.

Internally groaning, Reyna cautiously approached Hazel, careful to make her footsteps loud enough to be noticeable.

"Are you alright?" Reyna asked, then immediately winced. Of course Hazel wasn't alright, that's why she was crying. Three words in, and Reyna already felt like an idiot.

Hazel sniffed loudly, using her hand to wipe the tears from her eyes and face. She nodded unconvincingly.

"Well, that was a dumb question," Reyna smiled, hesitating before placing her hand on Hazel's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

There was a long pause, and thoughts raced through Reyna's head: she won't want to talk about it, she doesn't even know you, why do you think you could help someone else when you can't even help yourself—

"Just homesick, I think," said Hazel finally, her voice little more than a croak. Reyna nodded sympathetically, but she could tell that Hazel was lying. But whatever the issue, it had nothing to do with Reyna, so she didn't press.

Footsteps sounded from behind, and Reyna turned to find two guards slowly approaching. But not just any two guards; a burly, round-faced man and Jason Grace.

Jason paused upon seeing Reyna, the terror clear in his blue eyes. It almost made Reyna laugh, but it made her want to cry more.

The other guard carefully guided Hazel away from the window, most likely trying to avoid any suicidal actions, and led her down the hall, leaving Jason and Reyna alone.

"Hi," said Jason nervously.

Reyna couldn't help it; she laughed. "Hi? That's all you have to say? Vete a la mierda, Jason Grace."

Jason winced, obviously recognizing the phrase. It had been her favorite phrase growing up, and she used it several times in front of Jason. But she wasn't a kid anymore, and neither was he.

"I don't know what else to say," he said carefully, as if attempting to soothe a wild animal.

A cold fury settled into Reyna's veins. "No? How about an explanation? I've been here for weeks, Jason, and you haven't tried to contact me once! What do you think that tells me? Actually, no; I'm not interested in any explanations anymore, Officer Grace." Jason winced at the title.

"I was sent here only a couple of months ago," Jason started to explain, "and I had no idea it was you here."

"What about your sister?"

And Jason winced. Reyna had obviously found the right nerve, so she attacked it with every ounce of her. Fighting wasn't what I had in mind, her mind told her, but she ignored the voice.

"Have you even tried to talk to her?" Reyna continued.

"It's not like that, you have to know it's not like that! There are bigger things happening here, things that I don't fully understand. I was told not to make any contact with you or Thalia—"

"And you listened?"

He stared at her, the face of the boy Reyna once loved was now a stranger. All he knew of her was her name and her past, and that wasn't enough.

"I've spent the last several years searching for you," Reyna said, her voice slow and devoid of emotion, "and here you are, acting like the complete opposite of the person I knew. I don't blame you for leaving; I know you had no control over that. But Hylla and I were taken immediately after that. And even after all the times I ran away to look for you, there was no word from you. No letter, no message, nothing. And don't tell me you couldn't send anything. The boy who lived next door to me was taken, and he sent his family a letter two days later. I've spent the last several years looking for you, but you didn't want to be found."

Jason looked pained, as if Reyna had struck him with a blade. The scar above his lip was still the same as always, but everything else about him was so painfully different.

"You can't expect me to be the same person I was back then," Jason responded, careful not to raise his voice. "You've changed as well, Reyna, yet I haven't said anything about that."

"I changed because I had to. Go talk to Thalia, see what she's been up to for the past few years. Then you can talk to me about change."

His eyebrows came together, his face warped into confusion. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asks, his blue eyes staring intently into Reyna's.

"I mean, she ran away right after you were taken, and she was forced to make her own family. One that didn't include you. She spent her years running, Jason, because she was so scared that you had died."

The desire to cry hits Reyna suddenly. Her thumb finds her wrist, and she scrapes it there. The tears evaporate before being released.

"I was scared that you were dead," Reyna admitted, the confession falling to the carpeted floor between them. It laid there, like an abandoned child, desperate for any ounce of love or recognition. It was ugly and real and vulnerable.

Jason's face softened. "I never meant to put either of you through that. I'm sorry."

"But you're fine with running away from your past?"

The softness in his face was now sculptured from granite. "What about your dad, Reyna?"

Fury erupted, survival instincts wholly taking over, as Reyna lunged for Jason. There was no plan, just her relapsing to the ways she learned how to survive. Eliminate the pain before it eliminates you.

Her hand connected with his face, a punch grazing his left cheek. But Jason was quick to dodge, and take a step backwards. Reyna moved again, but something stopped her.

There was something at the other end of the hallway. A person stood there, shrouded by shadows that covered the entirety of their body as well as the majority of the hall. The shadows were creeping across the wall and floor towards her and Jason.

And once more, the survival instincts took over. Reyna shoved Jason backwards so that he staggered towards the window, and placed herself between him and the shadows.

The shadows were absent of all light, and they moved in tendrils toward her. The figure at the end of the hall was moving now, walking closer to where Reyna stood. The shadows followed the person, clinging to her like clothes.

Reyna frowned as recognition dawned over her. But it was too late to say anything. Jason's warning shout echoed in her ears as the first shadow tendril lashed out. Reyna gritted her teeth and prepared herself for pain, but she felt nothing as the shadow hit her head.

The world became completely still. Everything stopped moving, except for the shadow-cloaked figure. More and more shadows caressed Reyna's face, seeping inside her head, but she was rendered immobile.

Then, the pain came. And Reyna's world erupted into one of nightmares and memories.

She wasn't in the palace. No, she was in her childhood home, sitting at the dinner table with Hylla. They were watching their father destroy the house, tearing doors off their hinges and ripping up the furniture. Reyna and her sister jumped at every noise, but they did nothing. What could they do?

"Stop this," Hylla said suddenly, standing up. Her chair screeched loudly against the floor. "We said we were sorry for leaving, but we're back now!"

Their father had a crazed look in his eye, but it had been there for months now. Reyna stared at her older sister in shock, but Hylla was staring down the ghost of their father.

He picked up a chair and threw it at Hylla. The girl, who had been standing strong seconds ago, collapsed to the floor, a small trickle of blood running out of her forehead.

An unholy rage sparked inside Reyna's chest. Hylla was so strong, and she had protected Reyna from the worst of her father. Dead. No, no, she couldn't be dead; Hylla was alive, she had to be alive.

Survival instincts took over, and Reyna grabbed the closest weapon, a golden saber. Without thinking, she rammed it into her father's stomach, her throat hoarse from screaming. How long had she been screaming?

And her father vaporized right before Reyna's eyes.

Monster.

The word came from the shadows near the door. Reyna dropped the saber, and it hit the ground with a sharp clang.

Murderess.

She fell to her sister's side, and placed her fingers on Hylla's neck. A pulse thrummed there, and a sob tore itself out of Reyna.

Killer.

The shadows were advancing towards her and Hylla. There was nothing Reyna could do to stop them, and her heart was still pounding. Her head was reeling; had she just killed her father. There was no body, no evidence that he had been there at all.

Reyna covered Hylla with her own body as the shadows struck.

Then, came the pain.

• • •

author's note:

i told you this book would be updated within a month. and here it is! i hope you enjoyed the heavily revised first chapter of "waiting on you" and i promise that there's more to come.

do you like this version better? i truly hope that you do, as it is much more readable (i think). anyways, thank you so much for reading and for sticking with me and this book!