Ruthless Ends (The Marionettes Book 4) by Katie Wismer

Author:Katie Wismer [Wismer, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ahimsa Press
Published: 2023-10-21T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Today will be one for the history books. Not just because Reid is taking the throne, but as far as I know, this is the first time a coronation has taken place in an estate other than the monarch’s own. And with how jam-packed Auclair is these days, it’ll probably be the coronation with the largest attendance to date.

There’s a different uniform for Marionettes on occasions like these, basically a fancier version of what we usually wear. The black material is nicer, thicker, looking more like a suit than athletic gear. The bodice is tight, the straps thinner, and I wriggle around, trying to shimmy it higher onto my chest, but it still rests lower on my boobs than I’d like, leaving little to the imagination. A long, thin skirt attaches at the waist to make it look more like a dress than a uniform, but the fabric is easy to tear away if need be, the standard formfitting pants beneath.

I check my phone for the hundredth time tonight, but no response from my friends. They’re coming in from the academy to attend the coronation, as a lot of the York kids are doing, and I asked a few hours ago if they wanted to swing by early to get ready together.

Anxiety buzzes along my skin at the sight of my blank screen. Not responding is unusual for them, especially Kirby. She usually texts back right away. Even Adrienne isn’t here yet, leaving me standing in the middle of her room, alone, wringing my hands and wondering if I should do something different with my hair. It’s down in loose curls, my eyeshadow smoky and my lipstick bloodred.

I tug the hoops out of my ears, the tightness in my chest growing, and replace them with small gold balls instead, and it finally occurs to me the anxiety isn’t all mine.

Reid.

Of course he’s nervous about tonight. He usually cuts the bond off from me when he’s feeling this way though, so if it’s spilling through, it must be really bad.

Forcing one foot in front of the other, I step into the hall and head for Reid’s room. As his partner, it’s customary for me to accompany him today, though it’ll be nothing like our pairing ceremony had been. Then, our partnership had been the focus. Tonight, I’m little more than an extension of the shadows, there to ensure his safety.

When I knock, the door immediately swings open, Reid standing on the other side in a suit dark as night, his hair disheveled as he runs a hand through it then readjusts the gold crown. It’s the last time he’ll wear this one.

“I was about to come get you,” he says.

I don’t know what makes me do it—the unrelenting static in the bond, maybe—but I take a step forward and wrap my arms around his waist. He folds into me like he can barely keep himself upright. I hold my breath so I won’t breathe in his scent. I try not

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