Kaden | ✓

part twelve ♚ kaput

Everything fell apart fast.

I got rid of four girls by the next Monday. I'd been on two dates with Emmaline and had met with her in secret while the other girls--and just about everyone in my family--slept. For a while, things were going well. I had my list of Elite, and planned on announcing them that Saturday. Then, thirteen days from then, I would propose to Emmaline.

On Tuesday, we found out that Esther's mother had died in an accident. She went home. Later on in the day, word got around that I'd chosen the Elite. That night, Emmaline didn't meet me by our usual spot near the lake. She wouldn't look at me in the morning.

It got worse. On Wednesday, she came to breakfast with a bruise on the side of her face. It wasn't covered by her hair like she thought. There was what looked like the imprint of a hand on her arm, and little black ovals dotted her skin. Eadlyn and I, not caring about formalities, had rushed over and asked her what was wrong. She wouldn't talk. She kept looking away from us.

On Thursday, she came down to lunch with dried blood in her hair and a bandage covering part of her forehead. I asked her to meet with me after lunch. She never showed, and when I went to look for her in her room, she wasn't there. Her maids said she went out with a friend, but they didn't know where. I panicked to the point that Officer Leger offered to have all of the guards looking for her. After dinner, I cornered her before she could flee.

She was silent as I dragged her through the halls up to my room, taking a back way so that none of the other girls saw us. She trailed behind, only keeping up because of my grip on the wrist that wasn't bruised. In my room, I directed her onto the couch and shut and locked the door. I sat beside her. She wouldn't even look at me.

The silence dragged on for hours. Finally, I spoke. "Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I fell." Her voice was hoarse.

"Bullshit." I said. "Try again."

"I had an accident. I fell. Nothing's wrong, Kaden."

When she tried to stand, I forced her back down. "You're not getting out of this. Those bruises on your arm would not come from you just falling. What happened, Emmaline?"

"I tripped fell down the stairs. I hit my head and couldn't stand up, so a guard grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet. His grip was a little too tight."

"I already talked to Officer Leger to see if you'd fallen at all. He said that his guards would have immediately reported any Selected getting injured or tripping, and he said that none of them reported it or even told him." I reached for her hand. "Emmaline, I know someone's hurting you. Just tell me who."

She moved her hand. "I tripped and fell down the stairs. Nothing is wrong. You're worried for nothing."

"You haven't been meeting me at night. Earlier you disappeared for hours. You can't even look at me, for God's sake! I'm not worrying about nothing, Emmaline. You're not okay. You're in danger. I know one of these girls is mad because I'm not in love with her, and you're my favorite." When I realized that I was practically shouting, my voice grew softer. "I'm worried about you, Emmaline."

Finally--finally--she looked at me. A light was missing from her eyes. "I'm scared, Kaden." Tears filled her eyes, and she let out a sob. "They threatened to break my violin and to break me. They told me that if I didn't back away, they would hurt me. When you became concerned and kept pushing, they started doing this." She gestured to her face. "I don't think I can be here anymore." Her tears began to fall, and I held her tightly as she cried. Seeing her in so much pain made me ache in a way I hadn't since Ahren ran off to marry his princess and Mom nearly died.