Page 134 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

I shake my head. “No, you need to keep an eye on Maddy. She shouldn’t be left alone right now.”

“Then we’ll call Lily to come over and keep an eye on her,” he says. When I open my mouth to protest, he stresses, “I’m not about to let you go to northside by yourself to deal with drug dealers—lords—whatever this Drew dude is. You’re a royal, and that puts you at risk.”

He has a point. But…

“Do you really want to bring Lily into this?” I question while crossing my arms.

“No, but at the end of the day, she might be brought into it anyway since she’s our sister. Plus, we know Eli has had his eye on her.” He gives a short pause. “Leaving her in the dark might make things worse.”

“True,” I mumble.

I consider this, but not for long, knowing I don’t have much time. “Fine, call Lily and have her come over.”

I just hope I’m not making a mistake with what I’m about to do. But if I can pull this off and save Noah and pay off Drew, then at least Maddy can finally cut ties with northside.

But what if Finn is on to something with what he discovered today? What if Maddy is an Everford? If so, then she’s in more danger than she even realizes.

What I do know, though, is that I’ll protect her no matter what.

That thought is frightening because of what it means about my feelings for her.

But I can’t worry about that yet. Eventually, though, my demising future will have to be dealt with, one way or another.

Maddison

Clumps of mud fall from my hair as I run my fingers through the matted strands. The shower water is overly hot as it cascades across my skin. But I like the burn. I like how it washes away the cold that chilled my body when I sat out in the rain, wondering if River would find me.

I’ve never felt so helpless in my entire life as when I sat in the woods with hardly any recollection of how I got there.

A lump wells in my throat as tears pool in my eyes. But I suck them back. I’m tougher than this.

I’ve been through worse.

Well, kind of.

To be honest, what happened is definitely on the top of my Shittiest Things That Have Ever Happened to Me List.

I breathe in and out as emotions overwhelm me.

“Stop it,” I whisper as I press my palms against the tile of River’s shower.

I’m frustrated with myself for being this weak. I’m stronger than this.

I dig my knuckles into the tile, scrapping the flesh as I struggle to remain calm. In the end, I lose the battle, and a choking sob escapes my lips. I bite down on my lip, stifling the scream wanting to burst from my mouth.

Eventually, I manage to mentally shove a wave of calmness through me. Although it could very well be a wave of shock. Then I finish washing, climb out of the shower, dry off, and put on River’s shirt that he left me along with a pair of his boxers. I head out to his bedroom, making my way straight for his bed. I want to check in on how things are going with Noah, but my eyelids start to lower the instant my body greets the mattress.

“Maddy?” Lily’s voice drifts through my sleepiness.

River told me before he left that he was having her come over to keep an eye on me, but this is the first time I’ve heard from her. I have been in the shower, though, for a while.

“Yeah?” I mumble as I curl into a ball and reach for the blanket.

“Do you need anything?” Worry is lacing her tone.

I want to reassure her that I’m okay, but all I can manage is a “No thanks” before I get the blankets over my head and plummet into dreamland…

“Maddy!” my aunt’s panicked voice cuts through the air like a razor. “Get out of the road! Run!”

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