The Vows We Never Chose

was

. The ring clattered from her finger

gant posture-but there was something colder now in her face, some

loser," Celia

at locked. "Y

said. "And not

in, his voice suddenly sharp. "We thought

ith a scoff. "You buried m

no, Grace said you vanished.

d stay intact. She used me," Celia said,

the warning. "Where have you

ecause I found a way to break the vow. And the mo

rned to stone. "

the roof that night? He jumpedbecause I forced his hand. I made him choo

t you're talking ab

ld Eliana I disappeared. That it was too late. You le

to Adrien. "

ce said e

omach

Not entirely. He's trapped in it too

Eliana said. "Tell

t's why I came. To give y

ok, and an old Devereux ledger Celia had hidden beneath the

cing sideways at her sister, expecting her to fade like a dream. But Celia moved

use-long-abandoned and cloake

. "No cameras. No listening devices.

o her. "So how

pened t

n. It has to be fulfilled every generation-or chaos follows. But if the

rowed. "How do yo

n by the Devereux elders. But if you lose... you forfeit everyt

through Eliana. "Wh

tried to run. That broke the rules. They called me a traitor, said

y you disappeared. You weren't

ded time. And now I

of wine, her phone resting in her lap. The picture on screen showed

sm

eted the

as headed. Let them believe t

ould not

e she wa

down at the Devereux estate. Adrien came out quie

me," he sa

t answer

" she admitted. "But I don't

s still clinging to someone else's legacy. My father's. My fami

d over at hi

nt to bur

eyes l

ies. No m

o do this trial, I need to understand every par

erything," he sai

ha

. Grace won't protect you. The elders will hunt you

held hi

d have picked a

anonymous letter ar

as a single

a-alive and stand

ack, in Adrien's

me has