“Now that both our guests of honor have arrived, we can begin the festivities.” She spoke each word with the confidence of someone whose every whim is catered to. Haden still fought to shrug off his guards, but stopped short, a new fear in his eyes. I followed his gaze to the head of the table, where his mother had picked up an imposing knife while she looked directly at me with a gleam in her eye. “Haden, do sit down. I’d hate for a vicious accident to happen to your fiancée.” Fiancée? When he was slow to move, she added, “She’s such a lovely, delicate young thing after all.” Her words, though polite and formal, were as effective as razor wire. The guards brought Haden to the table without further incident. He sat in the chair next to me but didn’t look at me, and suddenly I felt more alone than I had in the dungeon. Below the table, he reached for my hand. His fingers, strong and sure, wrapped around mine briefly, squeezing a short burst of comfort before he pulled back again.
