After the confrontation with Mark, I expected to be approached by Nicholas, so I wasn’t shocked when he called me away from the dining room at lunchtime to speak with me privately.

He started walking away from the dining room and I fell in step beside him. Eventually, in an empty

hallway, he turned to face me. A frown was firm on his face.

Mark told me that you and Julian started investigating the underground organization again, despite my

explicit instruction not to.”

“That’s correct,” I said. Maybe I should have denied it. I knew Nicholas only had my best interest at

heart, but that didn’t mean I could roll over to his every whim. He didn’t know all the facts. Maybe it was

time I told him the full truth, I wasn’t sure.

My answer made Nicholas’s face even more severe. This, I imagined, was the face he used to look down those that opposed him politically. It would be intimidating, if I had even an inkling of fear against

him.

“You have to stop, Piper. You must give this up and let it go. You are endangering yourself. I cannot allow that.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t matter if I’m in danger. It’s worth it, if it helps bring them down.”

“If you would listen

can’t convince me otherwise, Nicholas, I’m sorry.”

said, voice sharp. “What you are doing

is already in trouble.

do you

around my own waist, offering myself as much

fear, he would see my side of things. I doubted it – he’d always been a stickler for the rules – but there was always a chance the threat to Elva could change

and growing stronger all the time,” I said. “How long will it be before the underground organization

closer to me so that he was only a mere few inches away. “I can

how long, Nicholas? While we’re under your roof? But what happens to us when we

on our own?”

a way. I’ll –”

your own life. Can’t you see that exposing the organization is

rest

to accept that,” Nicholas said. He had returned to authoritative prince–mode. Making plans and statements. I knew he meant what he said,

him, but I had to crack his fantasy to help him see he couldn’t protect us

how well–meaning he

help me,” I said. “Three years ago, when the organization targeted my

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