Page 45 of Goldsin

We find comfort in each other’s silent company—well, I find comfort in Julian’s. I’m far from silent. All I do is chatter about Valentine disagreeing with me buying another doll. I’ve tried telling him how the dolls I already have need friends—a big group of friends, so they never feel lonely—but he just shakes his head and changes the subject. Julian, on the other hand, agrees with his lack of words—or so I’m choosing to believe.

I don’t have many friends. The guards who work for the Harrows prefer to keep their families as far from this worldas possible, and the Harrow brothers are never around when I sneak up to their apartment. So to be finally sitting next to someone close to my age feels like a dream come true.

Between all my complaining, Julian turns to me and says, “I’ll buy you all the dolls in Magic Mouse Toys.”

My big eyes widen, giggles erupting at the exciting news. Magic Mouse Toys is the biggest toy store I’ve ever been in!

“Really? You promise?”

“I don’t need to.” He scoffs, seemingly offended.

“Okay then.” I nod, noticing how similar he is to Mr. Grumble from my book. Then I let out a gasp, the realization hitting me. “But we aren’t even friends! We need to be friends to give each other gifts.”

His brow arches as he watches me bite my lower lip in concentration. Then I slip my favorite black hair tie, embellished with a raven, off my wrist and onto Julian’s.

Valentine gave me the hair tie as a memento of my mother. He believes ravens share her personality.

“Here.” I clap my hands clean, satisfied with my ability to problem-solve quickly. “Now we’re forever friends.”

“Julian, I?—”

My words are cut off by the sound of snapping twigs and heavy breathing. Adrian appears in front of us, his face a mask of urgency.

“I’ve been searching everywhere for you. We need to leave now. Father needs us,” he says between breaths.

“Can’t it wait?” Julian snaps, his gaze still locked onmine, so he doesn’t notice the way Adrian’s face contorts when he looks at him.

If possible, Adrian’s dark eyes darken even more, eyebrows meeting in the middle and jaw clenched tightly. His nostrils flare as he catches long breaths from running to us.

“No. It’s urgent,” he insists. “Both of you need to come with me. And fucking cover her up, will you?”

“It’s nothing you haven’t seen before,” Julian says.

I shiver as my dignity takes the hit once again.

Julian tears his eyes away from mine, taking a step back to create more distance between us. Much as I want to feel relief at the interruption, I don’t know if I’ll be able to face Lucian Harrow tonight.

What could he possibly want from me?

Julian unties me in less than a second and slaps the blindfold onto my chest. I catch it before it falls and cover my nakedness. He’s looking everywhere else but at me, his eyes filled with uncertainty. But I can’t understand what for.

“Let’s go,” Adrian calls out, gesturing for us to follow him as he turns to leave.

Julian hesitates for a moment. Something flickers behind his eyes before he turns to follow his brother.

I stare after them, mind reeling from everything that just happened. The realization that Julian never took off the hair tie weighs heavily on me, adding another layer to the already complicated emotions swirling inside of me.

“Move that perky ass, Aurelia, or do you want me to put you over my shoulder again?” Julian calls back.

“What a gentleman,” I mutter, forcing my legs to move.

I follow the Harrow brothers through the dark forest as they exchange heated, hushed words with one another. I could try harder to listen to their conversation, but my thoughts are too consumed by other matters.

Julian is so close to putting all the pieces together. What if his father is five steps ahead of him? What if he knows about me?

We arrive at the place where Adrian parked his car. Julian came with Emeric tonight, so he’s driving back with us.

Adrian gets behind the wheel, leaving us alone for a fraction of a second. Before Julian can get in, I let the one question pestering my thoughts out.

---