39. Princess Davina
Chapter 39
Princess Davina
“It’s amazing how someone can break your heart
and you can still love them with all the little pieces.”
— Ella Harper
I wake with a gasp, my body heavy and aching, as if I’ve been crushed beneath a massive weight.
My eyes flutter open, adjusting to the dim light filtering through the curtains. The room is silent, the air heavy with an unsettling stillness. Forcing myself to move, I sit up slowly, my head throbbing with a dull, persistent ache.
Closing my eyes, I try to gather my thoughts.
The last moments before I blacked out play in my mind like a fragmented dream, and the memory of my first kiss flickers through.
I glance around, my eyes darting to every corner of the room, searching for any sign of Cole.
He isn’t there.
My dress is bunched up around my thighs, and the rumpled, twisted bed sheets clearly show that we kissed.
But there’s no trace of Cole.
Did I fall asleep on him?
Did I actually fall asleep on him?
I must have—he probably left because of it.
A faint scent of him lingers in the air as my fingers brush against the cool sheets where he had been.
I swing my legs over the side of the bed and push myself to stand, my legs wobbly and unsteady. As my feet touch the cool floor, the room tilts slightly, and I reach for the edge of the bed to steady myself.
Letting out a deep breath, I try to steady my nerves, and start towards the door. I clutch the banister of the staircase, making my way downstairs to find him.
Just as I reach the bottom, I jump when Juliet suddenly appears before me. “For heaven’s sake!” I clap a hand over my erratic heart. “You scared me.”
Juliet laughs; it’s a bright, infectious sound that makes me chuckle despite my nerves. “Sorry about that!” she says, still giggling. “I didn’t mean to give you a scare.”
I wave off her apology, still trying to calm my racing heart. “It’s alright. I guess I’m just a bit on edge today.”
Her brown eyes soften with concern as she studies me. “You look like you could use a cup of tea. How about I put the kettle on?”
I nod, grateful for the gesture. “That sounds perfect. I’m actually looking for Cole, though. Have you seen him?”
She shakes her head. “I haven’t seen him. He might be in his office.”
“Thanks, Juliet. I’ll check there.”
She starts heading toward the kitchen, her cheerful demeanor endearing. “No problem at all. I’ll get that tea brewing for you. If you need anything else, just holler.”
I give her a grateful smile before turning and heading down the hallway toward Cole’s room.
I knock before I call out, “Cole, it’s me. Can I come in?” I wait, listening for any sound from inside the room. “Cole?” I call again, a bit louder this time. As I lean against the doorframe, a wave of dizziness washes over me.
No. Please, not again.
Rafe’s voice calls out from behind me. “You won’t find him in there, Princess.”
“Where is he?” I ask, turning to face him.
“He’s in Lorelda’s shithole.”
A knot forms in my stomach at the mention of her name. “Why is he going there today?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He needs to wrap her around his little finger. Lorelda needs to think she can trust him. It’s all about the plan.”
Right. The plan.
Unease wraps around my chest, an icy fear gripping me. What if my other power won’t come, or won’t help? What if this plan fails? The thought of letting him down is suddenly unbearable.
“I hope it all works out,” I sigh. “For the sake of getting back his sister back.”
With a pensive stare, he slips a cigarette from behind his ear and takes a lighter from his pocket, sparking the end and blowing a ring of smoke. “His sister, and his fiancée.”
Fiancée?
The words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me numb and hollow. I don’t hear another single word as I stagger back, my stomach churning as nausea rises. I barely manage to make it upstairs before I double over and vomit.
I slam the door shut behind me with a force that makes it rattle in its frame. My lungs are seizing, my breath coming in ragged gasps as my heartbeat pounds so loudly it drowns out everything else.
“Davina,” Rafe calls out. “—don’t know what’s wrong—don’t panic—coming in now.”
“No, you don’t!” I shout back.
“I know the door isn’t locked. I’m coming?—”
Something inside me snaps, anger flowing through my system like poison. I can’t contain the fury that rages within me.
The room starts to tremble.
“Shit, Princess I—fine, okay, don’t throw the door at me. I’ll wait downstairs.”
My stomach twists in agony.
Fiancée.
Disbelief sinks deep into my gut, rising and choking me.
I lose the battle to my emotions, wetness coasting down my face, the tears hot against my skin.
I feel like such a fool.
Was this all just a trap?
Every moment now seems tainted by doubt and betrayal. I feel lost and used, the lines between truth and manipulation blurring.
I run downstairs, ignoring Rafe, my lungs screaming for air.
And there he is.
Cole stands right in front of me, his expression a mix of confusion and panic.
I can’t bear to look into his eyes.
I can’t breathe.
I need air.
I run, exiting the palace like it’s on fire.