You will marry Claude and become a member of the royal family.

I stared at Kaz, unable to process his words. Who would marry Claude? I would? "What are you saying right now?"

"It's exactly how it sounds," Kaz answered. "You will marry Claude and force a treaty between the royal and Levant family."

My mind reeled. How did it get to this? What was even happening? First, they killed my father, then they imprisoned me, and now they were saying I was to be married to Claude? For a type of peace treaty? Like how I'd supposedly gone to the academy as part of a peace treaty, but in reality, I was just a pawn for not only my father but apparently my so-called friends, too?

I didn't even know what to say. "We can't get married. Claude and I are only seventeen," I eventually said numbly, as if that was the most important thing to point out at the moment.

"Claude turned eighteen on the day of the ball," Kaz informed me. "And you'll be eighteen tomorrow."

Tomorrow? I hadn't even realized my birthday was so close. My father had never let Kieran or I celebrate our birthdays, so I never paid much attention to mine. But if it was tomorrow, then only four days had passed since I'd been locked up. It felt like much longer.

"...How do you know that my birthday is tomorrow?" I asked, again, knowing that I was focusing on the wrong thing here, but too stunned to think properly.

"Adora told us."

My heart sunk with the realization that Adora had been in on everything, too. I should have expected that, but it still hurt. I swallowed. "How would me marrying Claude create an alliance between our families? My family would never agree to one.

Kaz shook his head. "They don't have to agree to it. Only you do."

"And you're expecting me to agree to marry Claude? Just like that? After everything that's happened between us?" I responded, my voice rising in disbelief. "That's insane!"

Kaz's indifferent expression didn't change. "Let me rephrase that, then. You don't have to agree. The marriage is happening whether you agree to it or not."

My mouth fell open. "You can't force me to get married—"

"You don't have a choice."

I took a step toward him, clenching my teeth, my leg aching from where the bullet Kaz shot clipped me. "How do I not have a choice? This is my future you're talking about!"

"It's not just yours!" Kaz shouted back at me. "It's Claude's! It's mine! It's everyone's, Cleo! Your father was not the only Levant who is a threat. It's your entire family. You know that. And you know that the years of pain and war won't ever end until the Levant family name is erased from existence."

I faltered for a moment, so unused to the harsh way Kaz was speaking, especially when directed toward me. This wasn't Kaz. He would never speak like this to me...

But then my mind registered what he said and I froze. "Erased? You really are planning on killing everyone in my family?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes," he answered.

Anger flooded through me. "Why—"

"Don't ask me that, Cleo," Kaz snapped.

"My father..." My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard before continuing. "My father is one thing. I won't argue that. But not everyone is like him—"

"Everything won't end just by getting rid of your father. There are decades worth of offenses your family has built up," Kaz said, cutting me off again, eyes blazing. "Not only committed by your father. You don't know even a fraction of the vile things your grandfather did to me."

My hands shook, and I didn't respond, tears gathering in my eyes again. How could I say anything against that? No, I didn't know what my grandfather had done to Kaz. How could I know? But I knew that my grandfather had done terrible things, just as my father had done, and just as my mother had, too. Kaz was right, there. But was I wrong in thinking that they didn't deserve to be murdered for it? Was I wrong to think they deserved to be imprisoned and live out the rest of their lives repenting instead? Did murder justify murder?

Kaz and I would never share the same understanding. I knew that now. It wasn't even worth trying to argue and waste my breath. He killed my father after lying to my face. He killed my father, not even caring if he hurt me in the process— both physically and mentally. Nothing I could say to Kaz would change his mind.

"I want to see Claude," I said. "Where is he? I need to talk to him."

"I already told you that you're not allowed to see him."

I almost laughed, but instead, a hoarse cough came from my lips. The action made me grimace, the wound in my side throbbing. "I can't see him? And yet you're trying to force me to marry him? How does that make sense?" Then my voice dropped, my throat becoming constricted. "Why are you guys doing this to me? How..."

Kaz's lips twisted into a frown, and he moved toward me. "Cleo, I—"

"Don't touch me," I said, batting away Kaz's stretched-out hand. "I don't want to be around you. Please just leave me alone."

Kaz brought his hand to his chest, jaw tightening. "Then eat. And maybe you won't ever have to see me again."

"What do you—" I started, but he twisted on his heel and headed for the door, not waiting for my response. But before he could open the door himself, it swung inward, and someone barreled into the room.

My heart leaped into my throat at the sight of Felix's white hair. He didn't notice me at first, grabbing the front of Kaz's shirt, glaring daggers at him. "Where is she?"

A split second later, his attention shifted to me, blue eyes widening, and he shoved Kaz out of the way. He strode up to me and threw his arms around me, pulling me to his chest. "I finally found you," he exhaled.

I stood still for a second, frozen in shock, but as his arms tightened around me, I hugged him back even though it hurt my wounds, tears spilling down my cheeks. "Felix—"

"Cleo, I'm so sorry," he said quickly, his hold so strong it made it hard to breathe, his chin resting on the top of my head. "I tried to find you as quickly as I could."

I didn't care if I was suffocating or that it hurt. His hug was warm and comforting, and I needed it more than I thought. I didn't want him to let go.

"You're not supposed to be in here," Kaz said sharply, pulling on Felix's shoulder. "Leave."

Felix lifted his head, turning back to Kaz. "Eat shit, Kaz. How could you lock Cleo up like this? What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Felix, I will not tell you again. Leave."

Felix released me, rounding on Kaz, standing at his full height. "Are you going to make me?"

Kaz narrowed his eyes. "If I have to."

Felix held Kaz's gaze, challenging him. "Try then. Just remember it's a crime to harm royalty— in case you forgot who I am."

I grabbed Felix's arm as Kaz scowled. I didn't want them to fight. "Felix."

Felix turned back to me, his eyebrows pinched together, a concerned expression on his face. His eyes scanned my body, and his mouth fell open. "What the? They left you like that? This whole time?"

Confused for a moment, I glanced down, remembering my greasy hair and wrinkled, destroyed dress. I hadn't even thought to ask for a change of clothing. And I'd never been offered a shower— only Nadir keeping my wounds clean.

A second later, Felix lifted the sweater he was wearing over his head, taking it off. He immediately pulled it over my head, over my stained dress, leaving him only in a black t-shirt. When he began to unbuckle the belt on his pants, I stopped him, startled. "Felix, wait. This is good enough. Your sweater is long on me."

He stared down at my thighs where the hem of his sweater reached and pursed his lips, looking ready to argue, but then he turned his back on me, facing Kaz again. "No one thought to bring her any clothing? Or let her bathe? What the hell is this? You're really treating her like a prisoner? Does Claude know about this?"

Felix's question about Claude made my heart skip a beat, and I looked at Kaz to judge his reaction. He didn't have much of one, only the same expression he'd had since he'd shot my father in front of me. One that made me not recognize him at all.

"Kaz, seriously, what is wrong with you?" Felix continued, crowding into Kaz's personal space, posture tense. "How could you do this to her? Say something, you bastard."

"This doesn't concern you, Felix."

"It doesn't?" Felix said angrily. "This is my fault, too! I should have never told you what I knew. I should have listened to Claude. I never thought you'd betray Cleo like this."

Kaz's expression grew darker. "It's too late for regrets. Now leave."

"No, you get out of here," Felix said, walking over to him and shoving his shoulder. "You don't deserve to show your face in front of Cleo."

Kaz's fingers twitched as if ready to fight with Felix, but before he could move, the Sway suddenly set in with full effect. Without any warning, I couldn't brace myself, and I fell to my knees immediately, too weak to resist it. Even Kaz staggered, throwing his arm out for balance. Felix took advantage of his imbalance, shoving on his chest, pushing him backward and out of the room. "Don't even try to interfere with what I do from now on," Felix told Kaz harshly. "That's an order from the royal family."

The Sway lifted as Felix slammed the door closed in Kaz's face. He held the handle for a moment, most likely waiting to see if Kaz would force his way back in. I expected Kaz to, but after a moment, all was still quiet.

Felix sighed, releasing the door handle. He came back over to me, rubbing the back of his neck. "Cleo, I owe you an apology."

"...Did you know, too?" I asked him, afraid of the answer. "That everyone planned on killing my father?"

Felix shook his head. "No, I didn't. Not exactly."

The relief almost made my knees give in. Felix didn't know. Not all of my friends had betrayed me. He hadn't.

"But Cleo... it is my fault that your father died," he said quietly.

The anxiety returned again in full force, knocking the breath out of me, and I stared at him with wide eyes. "What? What do you mean?"

"Claude warned me about Kaz, and I didn't listen to him," Felix admitted, lowering his gaze. "There was a reason why he left Kaz out of plans, and this was it. Claude knew that Kaz wouldn't hesitate to kill your father if Kaz believed Claude was in danger. That's why he didn't want Kaz to know where he'd be meeting your father that night. He wanted to prevent that from happening."

I thought back to when Claude had asked me to keep everything a secret from Kaz. Felix was saying that Claude had wanted to keep Kaz away for my father's safety? Not Kaz's safety, like Claude had said was the reason? But if that was true, then how had Kaz...

"But I disregarded Claude's words," Felix continued, putting a hand over his face. "I knew you'd be safe because Claude lied to you, too. But when Kaz came to me and pleaded with me to tell him where Claude was saying he had to protect you..." Felix trailed off, swallowing. "I was an idiot, Cleo. I told Kaz where Claude and your father would be. I should have known better. I should have listened to Claude. I'm the reason why your father died. I'm so sorry."

My initial response to his words confused me. Instead of feeling betrayed and hurt, the remorse Felix was displaying made my heart hurt. Why was Felix, of all people, apologizing for my father's death when my father had murdered his entire family? The irony was mind-numbing. It wasn't right. It wasn't right for Felix to feel guilt over my father's death. In fact, it was so wrong I felt sick.

"Felix," I began, putting my hand on his upper arm, feeling the heat of his skin under my touch— a warm welcome compared to the cold room. "Don't apologize. This wasn't your fault."

He shook his head. "It is, I—"

"Kaz would have found a way to him no matter what," I interjected, knowing it was true. Kaz had been on a mission that night. And he wouldn't have stopped until he succeeded, no matter what. I knew that. I knew it the moment his bullet had pierced my leg. "I don't want you to feel guilty over this. It's not right. You should be happy he's dead."

Felix took my hand off his shoulder, holding it in his. "How can I be happy when you're in so much pain?"

I hadn't realized how much I was shaking until Felix hugged me again. More tears spilled from my eyes, and I wondered if I'd ever run out. How could Felix say that? Why did it hurt so much to hear it?

"You're you, Cleo," Felix said, pushing me back so I could look in his eyes. "I told you before. I care more about you and the present than your family and our past. When I say this, I mean it. I'm truly sorry for your loss."

I put my hand over my mouth, trying to hold back my sobs. Felix frowned, pulling me back to him and putting his hand on the back of my head, combing his fingers through my tangled hair. He didn't say anything else, only held me as I cried, comforting the daughter of the person who killed his family.

Eventually, I did run out of tears. And snot. Felix's shirt was a mess. I tried to give him his hoodie back, but he refused.

"I'm sorry," I said, sniffling.

"Don't be," Felix said, wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. "Your grieving more than the loss of your father. You need to let it out, Cleo. Do you want to talk about it?"

I hesitated, fiddling with my fingers. I knew I didn't want to talk about my father with him. Supportive or not, I couldn't ask for his sympathy. Not about that, at least. "To be honest, I already feel better just by having you here."

"I bet," he said.

I raised my eyebrows.

His eyes widened. "Oh, no, that wasn't meant to be some snarky, confident remark!"

I laughed, and it surprised me. I didn't feel like I would ever laugh again. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to. It made my stomach churn, and I pressed my lips into a straight line.

"Are you feeling guilty for laughing?" Felix asked, his expression turning soft.

"How did you know?" I responded, surprised.

"Because I know what it's like to experience a loss so devastating," he answered. "You don't want to move on without your loved ones. You don't know how you possibly could. But, Cleo, don't feel guilty for having feelings of happiness again. Our mental wounds will heal. It's only natural. There's no a too fast or too slow in healing, either. You can still be happy while being sad."

"You're going to make me cry again," I said, taking an even breath as another lump rose in my throat.

Felix grinned. "You can cry all you want, Cleo. And just so you know, I'm holding back an innuendo about what I just said for your sake."

"For my sake?" I responded, smiling and not holding it against myself.

"I think you have enough going on right now. No need to deal with my antics."

"I like your antics, Felix. You're the only thing familiar to me right now."

Felix's humor dropped, his lips twisting down. "So, Claude hasn't been to see you? What the hell is he doing?"

I cupped my elbow. "No, he hasn't."

"Was he in on Kaz's plan?" Felix wondered out loud, and my heart stuttered. "No. That can't be possible. He tried to stop Kaz from even seeing your father that night."

"I think it's possible Claude's original plan was to have my father killed, but he changed it after meeting me," I said. I could believe that. Claude had tried to keep Kaz away. I didn't think Claude wanted my father to die for my sake. "But Felix, why would Claude arrest me? I don't understand."

Felix folded his arms over his chest. "My guess is that he had to choose his duty as a king over you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Since your father has passed, he can't own up to his crimes himself. But with evidence, he could be charged posthumously," Felix explained. "The royal family court and officials still need to gather that evidence. But they'd have a hard time doing so if your family rallied all the hunters after what they will consider an unjust death, so they needed some way to make sure your family was charged with something to keep them from acting up."

"But I didn't even do anything."

Felix sighed, pacing the room. "You didn't need to. You're just a pawn in their eyes. They can charge you and use that charge to make their moves. I don't see why they have to lock you up here, though."

"But if that's all they want, then why is Kaz saying I have to marry Claude?"

Felix's head whipped in my direction. "What?"

"Kaz told me I have to marry Claude as a peace treaty between our families," I said. "You didn't know?"

Felix's eyes narrowed. "He's forcing you into marriage?"

"I don't know if it's Claude," I said quickly. "I haven't been able to talk to him."

Felix scowled. "That jerk. No matter how much the courts pressure him, how can he do this to you? That's it. I was going to be a good person for once, but I changed my mind."

"What do you mean by that...?" I asked, my eyes following Felix as walked back over to me.

A slight smirk crossed his face. "How about we start planning a way to break you out of here?"

Where have I been? Good question. My keyboard broke (again, and if you read all my stories you'll know this is the FOURTH time, and Apple refuses to fix it bc the warranty is now expired). It's so hard to write when your T key doesn't work, falls off, E and I stick and write 2-3 more than they should.... but, I'm just complaining. I really want to get back to the schedule of updating once a week, but I need to get my life together a little bit.

PS. I can't do the chapter titles anymore because my canvas pro expired. I didn't realize it was a pro font 😭

But in less upsetting news (for me LOL), my friend Scarlozet drew this illustration of Cleo for me for my birthday!! It's so beautiful.