Page 68 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

They continue to argue, but I barely hear them as my legs wobble. This is so high—too high. And yes, I suffer from acrophobia. For a good reason, too. When I was younger, my father and his brother—my uncle—thought it would be hilarious to dangle me over the edge of a tower they used to go to near the canal to deal drugs. It was stories high, and I don’t know what the purpose of it was. All I know is that one day, when I was about six, I wanted to see where they went when they took off, so I snuck after them. When they caught me, they forced me to climb up the rusty ladder that stretches to the top of the tower. Then they dangled me over the edge, upside down, to teach me a lesson about sneaking around.

I’m honestly not even sure why I followed them. I hate my uncle, and although I wasn’t aware that I did back then, I despise my father.

“Maddy?” River’s worried voice slices through my memories.

When I blink back to reality, Finn and River are staring at me with concern.

“Huh?” I have no idea what’s going on.

“You’re shaking,” Finn states, and I become painfully aware that his arm is still draped around my shoulders.

I instinctively duck out from underneath it, but the move puts me closer to a window. I freeze and let out a groan as vertigo slams through me.

“Hey.” River steps forward and captures my hand. “Tell us what’s wrong so we can try to help?”

“I’m afraid of heights,” I moan as the elevator slows to a stop. “I just need to get off this thing.”

Like the gates of heaven have opened up, the elevator doors glide open at that moment.

River walks forward, pulling me with him as he exits the elevator. Finn trails after us with his hands stuffed into his pockets and his gaze straying to mine and River’s interlocked fingers.

“You okay?” he asks, meeting my gaze.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” I catch my breath then stand up straight. “I just didn’t realize we would go up that high.”

River squeezes my hand. “You don’t need to be sorry for anything.” He lets go of my hand then and starts forward.

Finn steps up beside me. “You, Maddison Averly, are becoming a real mystery to me.”

My head tilts to the side. “Why’s that?”

He lifts a shoulder. “You just are.” With that, he whisks by me.

I turn to follow him when I finally acknowledge my surroundings.

“Holy effing hell,” I whisper under my breath as I take in the spacious room I’m standing in. Thick gray columns line the dark walls, and the beamed ceiling is trimmed with coiled metal lights. Filling up the room is a series of leather sofas, a few tables, along with sculptures, paintings, and a fountain. The floor is as shiny as the elevators but much darker with splashes of silver.

“This is where you guys live?” I gape at everything in awe as I follow Finn and River through the door and down a wide hallway lined with shelves of books.

“Sometimes,” Finn replies as he carelessly tosses his keys onto a table that’s at the end of the hallway.

“Sometimes,” I mouth. I mean, I knew they were wealthy, but this is a whole level of rich that I can’t even comprehend.

I do not belong here. I should turn back, but I’m too curious now to see the rest of the place. Plus, turning back means going into the elevator.

Once we reach the end of the hallway, we make a turn and the space opens up into a living area with one wall entirely made of windows—yeah, I’m totally going to avoid going over there.

“I need to take a shower,” River announces as he starts toward another hallway.

“So do I,” Finn states but doesn’t head in the direction of where River is wandering. Instead, he comes to a stop and faces me, his eyes roving over me.

“What?” I ask almost defensively.

“I was just wondering if you wanted to take a shower, too. You can use the one in Lily’s room.” The corners of his lips curl upward. “Although, if you want to take one with me, I’d be perfectly okay with that.”

“Finn, Jesus Christ,” River calls out disapprovingly as he stops in the middle of the hallway. “Stop hitting on her.”

Finn breezes at me. “He’s just jealous because he wishes he could.”

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