The Pledge (The Pledge 1)

Eden nodded, curt and no-nonsense, a soldier to the bones.

I glanced back to Angelina. “You trust her, don’t you?”

Angelina didn’t turn her wide eyes away from me, and at first she didn’t respond at all. The delay worried me. I needed Angelina’s answer. But then her eyes sparkled, ever so slightly, as she gave me her response, a barely perceptible nod.

No one else could have possibly known how much meaning that single gesture held.

Eden was honorable. Angelina had told me so.

That was Angelina’s other ability, I recognized now. What I’d once thought was just a strange intuition on her part—a knack for knowing who could, and who could not, be trusted—I now understood was something more. Like her gift for healing.

We were the reason our parents worried so much, why they sheltered us and taught us to keep our unusual talents a secret. They’d known all along who, and what, we were.

I smiled again at my sister, satisfied that the arrangement was acceptable. I kissed her cheek, noting the sticky scent of candy on her breath, and wondered if she’d already gotten a treat from her new babysitter.

No wonder Angelina didn’t mind being left with Eden.

I turned to Max, taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, and then made my decision. “Okay. I’m ready.”

When we were out of earshot of my sister, he repeated, “You don’t have to do this, you know?” And I could hear the doubt traced through his words.

“Yes, I do. It’s the only way to ensure that my parents remain alive. You heard what Claude said, the queen promises not to harm them if I come to the palace.”

“What she didn’t promise was to release them,” Max argued, reminding me—again—that his grandmother had chosen her words carefully. “I still think you could get her to agree to meet elsewhere. The palace is her ground.”

“This is her country, Max. Everywhere is her ground. Do you think she wou Kthi harmords ldn’t outman us no matter where we agreed to meet? Besides, the farther from Angelina, the better.”

I pulled Max to a stop, using it as an excuse to touch his hand. Max didn’t seem to mind, and he drew me close as we slipped out of the stream of traffic in search of a quieter place where we could talk privately.

He looked down, watching as our fingers intertwined, and a thousand butterfly wings beat in the pit of my stomach. I could feel his breath against my cheek, and I wanted to turn toward it, to find his lips with mine. Even the feel of his hand touching mine was distracting, and I had to focus to remember why I’d wanted to get him alone in the first place.

In a lowered voice I finally asked, “Who is Xander?”

Max’s head snapped up. “What do you mean? He’s the leader of the revolutionaries.”

He couldn’t possibly imagine I would believe his lie, could he? Even without my sister to tell me otherwise, I knew better. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Max,” I insisted, pulling my hands from his and placing them on my hips. “I want to know why he can speak in the Royal tongue, same as you. Where is he from exactly? How does he know so much about the queen?”

He wavered then, and the denial that I’d sensed was coming remained where it was, suspended without voice. At last, he released an audible breath. “He’s from the palace, Charlie. Xander is my brother.”

“I should have told you sooner,” Max tried again once we were tucked safely within the shelter of the awaiting transport. He sat beside me, yet he felt miles away. “But there was never a good time. Besides, I’m not certain it even matters any longer.”

We were alone in back, just the two of us. At Max’s insistence, Xander, Claude, and Zafir rode in front. If we’d been speaking at a normal volume, they could have easily overheard what we said, but we weren’t. Max kept his voice low, a hushed plea. And mine remained stubbornly lodged within my throat.

It was my first time riding in a fuel-based vehicle, and it was like nothing I’d ever imagined. I felt as if I were floating on a cloud. It was smooth and glided like silk over the stone streets. Automobiles were rare, even on the streets of the Capitol, and people moved out of our way, standing on the sidewalks to watch in awe as we passed. This was an opportunity that someone born in my position was rarely afforded.

Then I remembered what my true position was and realized I was wrong. This was exactly the kind of luxury that someone of my status would be allowed.

I might never get used to that fact.

I turned my head to stare out the window, watching as we reached the concrete walls of the city, the vehicle slipping past the pedestrian lines at the checkpoint without even slowing down. Those who could afford the luxury of a motorized vehicle weren’t required to submit to the customary inspection and document checks that everyone else was. It was assumed that they were legal, above reproach.

It was a day for firsts, as I had never before seen the countryside, either. I was born and raised within the walls of the city. I’d heard stories of fields and forests and small country villages; I’d even Jthi ad even J seen drawings. But to experience it firsthand nearly stole my breath. It was very nearly as sweet as a first kiss.

My skin tingled as I thought about Max’s lips touching mine, reminding me that he was still sitting beside me.

The quiet within the cab of the transport was thick, and as much as I wanted to continue ignoring him, my curiosity was getting the best of me. Besides, I tried to console myself, he’d already apologized several times.