Chapter Landon
Landon
Why would you do that?
Why wouldn’t I?
My father—If he’d seen you, he’ll—
I’m not scared of him. He’s a bully.
My voice and Kingston’s echoed in my head, mine containing all the bravado of an eleven-year-old boy born to be a Knight and believing he might slay a dragon.
What about you? I grabbed his shoulders, turning him to face me. What about what you need?
A voice cut through the trees.
Landon!
I spun around to find her. Mother?
She was beautiful, even in her fury. Even in fear. Her long, dark hair cascaded past her shoulders in curls, like ribbons of silk. They flew around her face as she rushed toward us. Frantic. Panicked.
Mother, what are you doing here?
What am I doing here? What are you doing here? If someone else had seen you—We have to go, now! Her nails dug into my arm. Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?
Mother, I—
Kingston stepped forward, speaking the way he always did to the adults in the room.
Mrs. Scott, please. Allow me to explain. He kept his voice steady. Whatever you saw, I take full responsibility—
I snapped my gaze to his. Kingston, stop it!
My mother’s eyes narrowed, piercing him with accusation and condemnation. You should be ashamed of yourself. When I tell your father about this—
No, please. You can’t.
Mother, it’s not—
She whirled to face me. He’s used his position of power and influence over you. He’s taken advantage, and he’ll toss you to the side when he has no use for you anymore. Leaving you and our family ruined.
When she yanked on my arm, I didn’t budge, and her nails tore through my skin. Blood welled from the cuts. Snaking down my forearm, it covered my wrists and coated my palms in crimson.
I sat beneath the lemon tree, staring at my splayed palms.
“Crimson palms…” I whispered.
Mind firmly back in the present, I remembered what she’d done.
She’d gone to Kingston’s father about what she’d seen and overheard. My outrage over his betrothal. Her belief that he’d lured me into bypassing his father’s will.
She’d expected Drake D’Arthur to be pleased, but he…
She’s going to die.
I found Kingston by the lake. My father had just come. He told me the news.
What Drake D’Arthur planned to do.
What? Confusion colored his expression. He hadn’t heard yet. Landon, what do you mean?
They’re going to kill her!
Who? Who is going to kill who, Landon?
His voice faded in my memory, but he said my name again. Clearer now that he stood right in front of me.
“Landon?”
I lifted my head and met his worried gaze.
My voice croaked, but I forced out the truth. “He took her.”
Kingston hung his head and stepped closer. “Yes, he—”
“Then, he killed her.”
He froze, confusion lining his features as he searched mine. “What? No, she’s alright. He just—”
“I remember it now, Kingston. She died because of me. Because I chose you.”
“What? No, Landon, I meant Ben—” Realization filled his gaze. “Wait, you remember?” He shook his head to clear it, reaching out a hand to me. “I promise, we can talk more about that as soon as possible, but right now, Landon, it’s Quinn.”
I was on my feet as soon as her name left his mouth, hand locked around his wrist as he pulled me upright.
He gripped my shoulder, with fear in his eyes like I’d never witnessed.
It reverberated in my throat as my memories blurred. “Your father took her?”
“No,” he rushed out. “No, it wasn’t—It was Ben. Landon, Ben took her. He stole a golf cart and tricked her into going. Morty found her in the Round Tableau. She’s alright, but—”
Whatever he said next, I barely heard it.
Blood rushed past my ears, the whoosh of it drowning everything else out as I thought through what he might’ve done. We’d left her unguarded.
“We need to go to her.”
Kingston nodded, his movements jerky and frantic. “Landon, my father, he’s coming. He’ll—”
But before I could respond, another voice interrupted.
“He’ll what, exactly?”
We spun around and faced his father.
Drake D’Arthur narrowed his eyes on us, head tilting as he assessed our positions. Kingston’s hand on my shoulder. My hand locked around his wrist.
He sneered in my direction, hatred spewing from his voice as he tightened the tie around his neck. “I hope I’m not interrupting anything, son.”