Page 141 of Chasing Ruin
My breath shudders out of me in a broken exhale. Relief. Fragile. Temporary. But enough to keep me from completely unraveling.
The woman finally turns.
She is pale. Unnaturally so. Like she hasn’t seen the sun in ages.
She looks young. Around my age.
Something about that is deeply, deeply wrong.
She reaches to the side of my cell, fingers brushing against something I hadn’t noticed before.
A small tag, tucked just out of my immediate view.
She lifts it, eyes scanning whatever’s written there. “Double princess,” she murmurs, almost to herself. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Her voice is soft. Smooth. Almost enchanting.
My stomach twists.
She crouches in front of me now. Close enough that she’s within arm’s reach. But she doesn’t seem concerned.
Her face is calm. Serene even. There’s something almost gentle in her gaze.
“I’m Mistress,” she says quietly. “What’s your name?”
Mistress. The word sends a chill down my spine.
My mind stutters. Does the card not say it? My name?
“Cha—Charlotte,” I manage.
She nods slowly. Pensive yet calm.
“Who’s your father?” she asks. “It says you’re a double princess.”
My throat tightens. There’s no safe answer. No right answer.
My eyes flick to Theo. He’s still slumped forward, unmoving, while the girl works silently on his wounds.
Then I look back at her. “Depends,” I say, my voice steadier than I feel.
Her head tilts slightly. “On?”
A shiver crawls up my spine. “Why you want to know.”
She frowns faintly. “Based on the cut your man is wearing,” she says calmly, “you’re a Wardens princess. He’s clearly not your brother.” Her gaze flickers briefly to Theo. “…based on what he just told you.”
My stomach drops.
“So is Savage your father?” She’s piecing it together. Too much. Too quickly.
I shake my head.
“It’ll be easier if you just tell me, Charlotte.”
My breathing picks up. I don’t know what she wants. I don’t know what she’ll do with the information.
But what does it change? Nothing.
“H-Hell’s Army’s president,” I whisper. “Hellfire. Although, I didn’t know. Not until a few minutes ago.”
