Page 148 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

Pull your hand away, Maddy. Just let this go before you get too attached. You’ve got bigger problems, anyway.

I fail miserably, and by the time we arrive at his dorm room, I’m still clutching his hand as if it somehow belongs there. Which it doesn’t.

When we enter the main living quarters of the room, with our hands are still clasped, Finn is sitting at the table, eating what looks like an early lunch. His attention magnetizes to our interlocked hands and curiosity floods his features. Then his lips quirk as he glances at River. But when his attention wanders to me, apprehension floods his features.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” he asks, seeming too tentative for him.

River was so sure that he wasn’t involved in what happened to me. I want to believe that’s true, since I thought Finn was my friend, but I’m wary by nature.

He must sense what I’m thinking because he swiftly says, “I swear I didn’t know the society was going to do that. If I had, I would’ve stopped it.”

“Would you have even had the power to do that?” I wonder as I release River’s hand, but only to scratch my wrist. Anxiety is whispering through me over the subject.

His lips pull into a frown. “Well, I probably couldn’t have stopped them from trying, but if I had known, I would’ve come to you and warned you.”

I study him closely, searching for lies hidden in his eyes. But genuine honesty is flowing from every inch of him, so either he’s a fantastic liar, or he’s telling the truth.

“Fine, I believe you.” I sigh heavily, exhaustion flooding my body.

River pulls out a chair at the table. “Sit down. The doctor said you need to rest.”

Finn is mid-bite in his sandwich and pauses. “You saw a doctor?”

“Only because your brother was persistent.” I sink into the chair and lower my head into my hands. “Apparently, I have a concussion and have to take a few days off from training.” I pull a face, but my hands conceal it.

“Jesus, Mads,” Finn mutters. “I didn’t realize …” A shaky breath eases from his lips. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve been paying more attention, but I was distracted by something else.”

“It was an important something else.” River takes a seat beside me. “Something to do with you.”

I lift my head, my brows pulling together as I look at him. “What’s going on?”

River glances at Finn. I track his gaze just as Finn blows out the heaviest sigh. Then he slants forward and rests his arms on top of the table. He slips a ring off his finger then on again.

“The reason I was so distracted and didn’t realize what the society was up to was because I was digging into some stuff about you and that necklace.”

I perk up at that. “Did you find something out?”

“We both did,” River explains, trading a hesitant look with Finn before looking at me. “You remember how I was getting the necklace looked at by an appraiser?”

“Shit, I forgot about that.” I shake my head. “My mind is a little more messed up than I thought.”

“You have a concussion.” He lightly brushes his fingers across the side of my head. “Of course, your mind is going to struggle.”

He has a valid point.

“What did you find out?” I ask then direct my attention to Finn. “And you? What did you find out?”

Finn repeatedly continues to slip that ring on and off, a nervous fidget evidently.

“The necklace is genuine,” River finally answers, rotating in the chair to face me. “The appraiser confirmed it.”

“Okay.” I absorb what he says with a frown. “So, I’m guessing my aunt stole it or something?”

“Would she do that?” Finn asks, crossing his arms on the table.

“I don’t know. Stealing isn’t her thing.” I waver, resting back in the chair. “It’s my father’s thing. And sometimes my mother’s. My aunt was always the more stable one.” Or, well, that’s what I believed.

But with the text she sent me, I’m questioning everything I know.

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