Page 80 of Lies That Blemish
The truth? My gut sank.‘She told them what my father did?’
‘Yes. And they still follow her to safety.’
Relief settled over me. If I did die here, or worse, had to live in the situation forever, at least my people would follow Valor, and Kohen’s father was vindicated. It was good news.
‘I should go.’I didn’t want Maxim to get upset, and I still had to read the letter Whitney had furiously scribbled. I drained the tub and dried off quickly.
‘Aisling, they are trying to find a way to rescue you both. Don’t give up hope.’
I tried to feel any level of excitement about that, but I couldn’t. I knew Kohen hadn’t seen any reality in which I was free from Maxim and alive.
‘Okay,’I said and then paused before shutting down the bond. ‘Tell Kohen I love him and that if they can’t rescue us, it’s okay. Tell him to move on and just… be happy,’I said as a tear fell down my cheek. I imagined Kohen married to Anika with children and no drama. That was probably what he needed.
‘Aisling—’
‘Goodbye, Liana.’I shut down the bond.
“Almost done in there?” Maxim asked.
“Yeah, I just have to go to the bathroom,” I told him, and grabbed my dirty clothes, slipping them back on as I stepped into the smaller toilet room, shutting the door behind me and pulling out Whitney’s note. There was no time to dwell on my sadness about the future I might have had with Kohen. The second I read the first line, that all washed out of my head. The handwriting was shaky, but the words were powerful.
I’m takingmy sister tonight. I’ve been planning our escape for weeks, but now that I’ve seen you and your sister, I will take her with me, too. I cannot bear to see an innocent child used as a pawn in a war game. I will kill Ricov, and we will all fleeto Amersea and plead for sanctuary. I’m assuming since I have the heir of the empress, they will grant it. I wish I could do more for you, but with Maxim’s new power to control people, I cannot get close to him. I’m sorry. You’re on your own. May God bless you and keep you, and may you take comfort in knowing your sister will be safe.
- W
Tears rolleddown my face onto the page and I nodded, smiling. The Luskins believed in one God, one being who looked down on everyone and guided them, and at this moment, it was a comforting idea to me. To know that my sister would be taken away from here was the only thing I could ever hope for.
A loud bang came at the door, and I jumped in alarm, crumpling up the note quickly and dropping it into the toilet, flushing it down.
“What are you doing in there?” Maxim’s voice was right outside the door, which meant he’d breached the other bathroom door. I’d been so caught up in reading the letter that I didn’t hear it. I made sure the note had flushed and then wiped my cheeks, opening the door and coming face to face with him.
“Relieving myself,” I said flatly.
He skeptically ran his gaze all over me before resting on my shirt. “Why didn’t you change?”
He was standing before me shirtless, in low-slung pajama pants. In another world, I’d say his body was fit and attractive, but I was so repulsed by the obvious evil in him I felt sick just looking at him.
“I feel more comfortable in my clothes.”
He rolled his eyes, and I felt his power—my power—slide over me. One second, I was standing with my arms at my side, and the next, I was pulling my t-shirt over my head and standingbefore him in my bra. “You bastard,” I spat as he made me reach for the button of my pants.
He grinned. “You should have worn the clothes I so graciously had made for you.”
I unzipped my pants and watched as he let his gaze linger over my underwear while I dropped my trousers to the floor.
I felt a wild rage rise up inside of me. Smoke began to simmer off the skin on my arms.
“Stop it,” he growled, and I pushed against his command. I was standing in my bra and underwear against my will, and all I could think about was ripping his head from his body.
The smoke didn’t stop, and Maxim’s eyes widened. “Stop!” He lashed out, and I felt the power like a physical slap. The smoke fell away, leaving me breathless, and Maxim gave me his back. “Get dressed and come to bed. Tomorrow, we wed, and I become ruler of Amersea.”
My stomach tied into knots. Based on Whitney’s letter, it was probably best to keep Maxim calm, and in this room. If she had some big plan to escape tonight, the best thing I could do was make sure Maxim was asleep.
“Okay,” I said quietly, and then picked up the pajamas and put them on. I walked out of the bedroom to find him watching me in a way that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I spied a couch against the far wall and began walking toward it. “I’ll sleep there,” I said, but my legs glued to the hardwood floor halfway there.
“You’ll sleep with me in the bed,” he commanded. My body turned against my will, and I began to walk towards the bed. I stared at him, trying to stifle my panic.
