CORRUPTED FILE [Lumina Chronicles Past Drafts]

Level Thirty-Seven

[MAGGIE'S PoV]

The pendant was beautiful, but heavy. A massive, rough-cut hunk of emerald on a web-thin gold chain. I held it and watched light reflect off the stone at odd angles as Cas clasped it behind my neck with shaky fingers. I hesitated to let go, sure the chain would snap under the emerald's weight the second I released it.

Cas met eyes in the mirror as he stepped out from behind me. "D-do you like it?" He asked hopefully. "It was made on relatively rort—er, short—notice but um... I thought you would appreciate something understated. And the green m-matches your eyes. I-if you don't like it, I can have something new made within a week! Just tell me what you'd prefer."

This was understated? I slowly released the stone, letting it hang weighty around my neck. Somehow, the chain held. "It's gorgeous. Really, I love it."

He released a long sigh and smiled genuinely back at me. "What a relief."

"You seem nervous." More nervous than usual, if that was even possible. "Getting cold feet?"

"N-no, no! Given my heritage, I don't think that's possible." He laughed once at his own joke, then glanced fearfully back towards me. "Are you? Getting cold feet?"

"Nope." I smiled. And even if I was, where could I go? Over the past few days, I'd noticed guards trailing me everywhere I went. And Amaranth called me for tea in her office every evening. Despite tomorrow being the last night of the ball, I wasn't going to be allowed to leave.

At the final masquerade tomorrow night, we would announce our engagement officially. Artificial as it was, Amaranth apparently wanted to pull out all the stops on making it believable. If I up and left the morning after along with all the other guests it would look a bit odd. And seeing as Kindle still hadn't acknowledged any of my letters, I had to start seriously considering that I may not have a place to return to.

The murder plan was out the window, so was any chance of escape. Maybe all of this really had been for nothing.

"The pendant really does match your eyes, I'm glad," Cas murmured, and I realized just how close he was standing. He was facing me now, doing that thing that indicated he was totally going to try kissing me again.

I politely took a step back, placing my hand over my mouth as I giggled. "What is the custom, then? Shall I get you a matching necklace with a garnet?"

He frowned. "Why do you keep avoiding me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not an idiot, Jacintha." There was an edge to his voice I'd never expected. I dropped my hand and met his gaze fully, trying to read the emotion there. "You say you like me, you agreed to marry me, but you don't want to kiss me?"

My face heated. "Cas..."

He paced away from me. "And please don't tell me you're trying to 'get over being in love with your best friend,' because I don't think I could handle that rejection twice."

Okay, now I was confused. But it's not like I could tell him the truth: Sorry, I'm not interested in you at all, I'm here to kill your mom but somehow she figured that out, so now I have to pretend to be engaged to you for... some reason. Honestly, no one tells me anything. Sorry sorry.

Instead, I made up a nice, pretty lie. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. In my family, the first kiss is sacred. It would mean a lot to me if you respect that and don't try to kiss me again until the moment we are married."

Cas stopped pacing and stared at me, and for a second I thought he was going to call me on my bull crap. But then a dopey smile spread across his face. "Why didn't you say that from the beginning?"