Living Like a Mouse? How About a Lion?

Done with it!

Does he really think I'm just going to let that slide?

Without even thinking, I grabbed the nearest object—a decorative vase, heavy and ornate—and hurled it with every ounce of frustration in my body.

It soared through the air, making a graceful arc, before shattering into pieces at Callisto's feet, just as he was about to disappear into the shadows.

"Callisto!" I shouted, voice echoing across the garden. He froze mid-step.

Gotcha.

He turned slowly, his eyes locking onto mine, the sharp glint of amusement creeping into his expression. That smug look was back—the one that said he was enjoying this way too much.

"Oh?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained. "What's this, Penelope? A tantrum?"

I stalked forward, my heart pounding in my chest, but I wasn't about to back down now. If he wanted to see what I could do, well, I'd show him. "You think I'm still playing at being noble?" I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let me make something very clear—I'm done. I'm done with all of it."

I could feel the fire in my chest rising, every step bringing me closer to where he stood, the pieces of the vase crunching under my feet. "You walk in here, drop a severed head like it's some sort of party trick, and then have the nerve to act like you're the only one sick of this charade?"

I was practically in his face now, my words spilling out faster than I could control them. "If you think for one second that I'm going to just sit back and let you waltz off with your 'I'm-too-good-for-this' attitude, think again. Because if anyone's sick of pretending, it's me."

Callisto's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second. Just a second. But it was enough. I had his attention now.

Good.

"Really?" His voice was cool, controlled. "And what, exactly, are you going to do about it, Penelope?"

I didn't hesitate. "I'm going to show you that I'm done playing the noble game. And when you finally realize that your little prince act is as hollow as the rest of them, you'll know where to find me."

His eyes flickered, curiosity sharpening his gaze. "Is that so?"

I stepped even closer, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him. "Oh, it's so." I held his gaze, unflinching. "And when you're done playing the Crown Prince, when you're done pretending to care about any of this, you can come to me. Because I won't be a puppet in this world any longer."

The silence stretched between us, thick with tension. I half expected him to laugh, or to dismiss me like everyone else had always done. But Callisto wasn't everyone else.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he gave a low chuckle. "You've got some fire in you, I'll give you that."

Fire? 

He hasn't seen anything yet.

"You have no idea," I shot back, turning away from him. I didn't need to prove myself further tonight. I'd said what I needed to say. And if he was smart—which, annoyingly, I knew he was—he'd be thinking about my words long after I left.

I didn't bother looking back as I made my way toward the castle. This time, I was the one leaving him behind.

Let him think about that.

The cool night air was bracing as I walked away, my heart still hammering in my chest. I couldn't help but smile to myself. If he thought I was just another noble, playing her part in this ridiculous game, he was in for a rude awakening.