Page 139 of Song of the Heart Scale
“You have to go?” Angie asked softly.
“I—”
I looked between them. The wild-eyed, dirt-smudged version of myself. Prince Damien, standing like some stoic pillar of fate. And Angie, her arms folded tightly across her chest, like if she let go, something would break.
“This world is insane,” I said. “There are no attendants. No gowns. No proper titles.”
“No dragons,” Cat added.
“Exactly.”
I swallowed hard. “But... I’ve grown rather fond of your kingdom of chaos,” I murmured, my gaze sliding to Angie.
She tried to smile. And failed.
“I don’t belong here,” I added quickly, before I could hesitate. “You know I don’t.”
Angie nodded once. It was small. Devastating.
Cat reached out and handed me something—a small vial of silvery liquid.
“To steady you before you pass through. Just drink it at the lake. Malachar gave it to me.”
I took it. “Is… is he staying?” I pointed to Prince Damien.
Cat nodded. “He is. There’s also… uh, some things you should know before you go,” she said. “Maeve, she was… the absolute best. She really helped me pretend to be you while I was there. A lot happened. You can ask the new emperor, Royal Prince Bai when you get there and he’ll tell you what happened in excruciating detail. But you should know that Maeve died a hero. She died for me.”
I stood there frozen, absorbing the rapid-fire flow of information. “She…died?”
Cat nodded again. “Also, your dad? He’s a piece of shit. The moment Gianna told him I wasn’t you, the two of them teamed up to make my life hell. Gianna is beyond evil, and your father is not far behind. Be careful of them when you return. I spent some of your hidden money, but most of it is still intact at the beach house. I had the warlock, Garrick place a protective ward on the house to protect it.”
I swallowed deeply, realizing just how much Cat had gone through while I was here… putting make-up on vapid, petty influencers.
“And Jacob… he’s great,” Cat finished. “Protect him. He still thinks I’m you and protected me the whole time. He’s a great brother.”
For the first time in my life, I was rendered speechless. I always had something snide to say, but for once, I had nothing. This was surely an abbreviated version, and I wondered if I would ever learn all that Cat had endured while pretending to be me.
“Now go! You don’t have much time!” Cat hurried me toward the door. “Angie, take her to the lake. That’s where the portal is. The lake where I did my stunt.”
I turned, my trembling hand on the doorknob. “Cat… thank you.” I grabbed the old hoodie Angie always left hanging by the door, knowing the night air was cold and not wanting to freeze. And also, to take a piece of her with me after I was gone.
Outside, the rain had eased into a fine mist as Angie drove me, gripping the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip. The drive to the lake was longer than I remembered. Or maybe it just felt that way. Neither of us spoke much.
Occasionally, I glanced over at her. Her face was set in a grimace. “You don’t have to look like you're delivering me to the gallows,” I finally said.
She gave a weak chuckle. “Feels like I am.”
With every mile that slipped behind us, the harder it became to breathe. I stared out the window and tried to memorize everything—the lampposts, billboards, and the eerie glow of the city at night, trying to soak in all the things I’d come to know. And, if I was honest with myself, the person I’d begun to become here.
Angie parked near the edge of the lake. Sparkling mist clung to the trees and the thin strip of water shimmered faintly beyond them.
I got out and wrapped the hoodie tighter around myself. “This is it.”
Angie didn’t answer.
We walked together toward the water in silence. Once we reached the edge, I turned to her.
“You’ve been... tolerable,” I said.
