Disguised Vengeance

Chapter 26

A young man stood in a dark room with his back against the stone walls. His blue eyes flickered wildly as they reflected the flame from a lone candle.

Bitter vengeance and forbidden love threatened to consume him. He gripped his father's sword with all the strength in his arm, moulding the hilt into the shape of his palm.

He had made his decision.

With his head lifted to the ceiling, he let loose a silent scream. His pain was deafening.

***

In another corner of the castle a girl jumped awake. She thought she heard screaming. Straining her ears to listen, the only sound she recognized was the quiet rustling of leaves outside her window.

Still, Catherine couldn't shake the feeling of dread. She wanted to rush to Jase's room. She always felt safe with him.

As the winner of the tournament and the princess's escort to the ball, Jase had been given temporary residence in the palace. He was only two corridors away from her.

He's probably sleeping.

She chided herself silently.

With effort, Catherine forced herself back into bed and buried her face in the mountain of pillows. Despite the warmth and the softness of her bed, sleep eluded her. Catherine laid on her back and looked up at the canopy of her bed.

She relished the silence. In a few hours, her sister, Calla, would be commanding an army of maids to prepare them for the ball that evening. They would be grabbing at her, brushing her hair, drawing on her face, rubbing at her skin...

Despite the annoying preparation process, Catherine was excited for the evening, though she would never admit it to her father.

She didn't like dancing, but she had taken a liking to the man she would be dancing with.

***

The crowd stared silently as their princess descended down the flight of stairs leading to the centre of the ballroom.

Catherine stepped gracefully, holding her dress with both hands. She fought the urge to slide down the bannister. In her opinion, it would make for a much more dramatic entrance. Unfortunately, her parents disagreed.

The men in the room admired her beauty; the women envied her elegant confidence. Somewhere amidst the crowd, Calla congratulated herself on her handiwork while Cade laughed silently at his sister's poofy dress.

Catherine tired to relax under their gaze. She forced herself to think of vegetarian crocodiles. It was a ridiculous coping mechanism Chris invented on her 14th birthday to help her stay calm and collected while under the scrutiny of crowds.

Her eyes instinctively searched the crowd for her best friend. She knew she wouldn't find him. Chris had left a day ago to hunt down the Haters along with Amice, much to Calla's annoyance.

She scanned the room again for another pair of eyes. Ocean blue ones.

They were looking at her intently from the bottom of the staircase. Unreadable, unwavering, unrelenting.

That man was all questions and no answers.

Catherine was determined to get answers. She'd beat it out of him if she had to.

***

Jase admired her the way a knight admired a sword. With respect.

A blue dress with a silk bodice and a wide neckline hugged her feminine curves. The dancing candlelights casted a warm shadow on her cheekbones and collarbones, enhancing her angles and softening curves.