The Pact 

~ ZARA ~

An hour later, all that adrenaline and insecurity were easing to be replaced with physical exhaustion.

Emory still hadn't returned from whatever meeting David had called her to. I was still arguing with myself about how important it was that he'd called for her instead of me. Reminding myself that he needed attention to be on her and Lizbeth, that we had concerns about Emory's place in all this. That she'd been used to help identify the men who'd hurt others in the palace…

But even though I knew it was all true, my heart twisted with the thought that she was getting more time with him than I was.

I just prayed it wasn't time alone.

I had to push that thought away, because it conjured images of Emory being ushered into his private library like I had been.

I had to trust him. I had to believe him that… that these other interactions were nothing like ours.

I had to.