Page 52 of Song of the Dragon Rider
I stared at her, my body rigid with tension, before I exploded. “Ido nothave a reputation to protect!” I bellowed. “I amnotthis ‘Cat’ person you insist I am! How can you all be soblind?!”
Angie frowned, and her expression shifted from exasperation to something more serious. “What are you saying?”
I shoved up the sleeve of my shirt and thrust my bare arm toward Angie. “Look! Look at my skin! You told me this Cat person hadwhat you calledtattooson her arm. Well?Do you see any?”
Angie’s lips parted slightly as she stared at my pristine, untouched skin. “…Well.”
“Exactly!” I declared triumphantly. “I haveneverhad marks on my skin! In Elaria, only criminals are marked! Why wouldI, a noblewoman, ever tarnish my own flesh?”
Angie’s brows furrowed. “Okay, but… that doesn’tproveanything. You could’ve had them removed before the accident.”
I groaned. “Youfoolishwoman, why would I do that? Why would I go from being some…somestunt personto acting as if I’ve never heard of such a thing?”
Angie stared at me, her eyes scanning my face as if seeing me for the first time. “Okay,” she said slowly. “Let’s say—for just one second—that Ibelieveyou. Then tell me what happened. How did you get here?”
I drew in a sharp breath. “I was on a boat. It was storming. I was there with my sister, Gianna, and our servants. And… the Third Prince.”
Angie arched a brow. “Third Prince?”
“Yes,thirdprince,” I said, rolling my eyes. “He is my sister’s lover, or whatever nonsense they claim. I was going to push Gianna overboard.”
Angie blinked. “Wow. Rude.”
I ignored her. “The storm worsened, and the waves became violent. Before I could do anything, I slipped. The wind took me, and I fell into the water. That’s when Isawher.”
“Who?” Angie cautiously asked.
I hesitated. “I thought she was a reflection at first. But now… I believe it washer—thisCatperson. I reached for her, but something pulled me down and I lost consciousness. When I woke, I was in that horrid room with tubes in my arm.”
Angie’s face paled, her fingers pressing against her temples. “So, wait—wait—you’re saying that my best friend Cat is now inyourworld? In Elaria?”
I lifted my chin. “That ispreciselywhat I am saying.”
Angie let out a strangled noise before pacing wildly. “Oh myGod!You mean to tell me that Cat—who haszeroexperience in this fantasy world of yours—is stuck there, andyou—who wouldn’t know a cell phone from a potato—are stuckhere?”
“Yes,” I said simply. “That is what I’ve beentryingto explain to you.”
Angie groaned and dragged her hands down her face. “This is insane. This issoinsane.”
I smirked. “Finally, you see reason.”
Angie stopped pacing and met my gaze. “Okay. Let’s say youaretelling the truth. That means we have to figure outhowyou two switched places.”
I sighed. “Yes,obviously.You are rather slow, aren’t you?”
Angie narrowed her eyes. “You reallyarea pain in the ass, aren’t you?”
With a smirk, I tilted my head and eyed Angie with a slow, assessing glance. “And yet, here you are, chasing after me like I’m the crown jewel you’ve misplaced. Are you sureyoudon’t have an attachment?”
Angie scoffed but didn’t deny it. “Come on, princess, let’s get out of here before Monica finds you again andactuallymurders you.”
I let out a dramatic sigh. “Very well. But I amnotgetting in that cursed metal beast again.”
Angie grinned and led me toward the exit. “Oh, yousoare.”
15
DAMIEN
