Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(48)

“I'm fine with that. I think the people here are growing fond of me.”

“I'll stay with her,” Theodore says.

“Bethany?” I ask, unsure which side of this she wants to be on.

Her lips pinch. “I want to go. I really do, but I think I should stay behind this time.”

“Jack?”

“I'm going, of course.”

His response surprises me. I thought he'd want to stay behind and protect Annabelle. I'm glad he's going to be with us, though. “That's great. We will put a group together, then. We head out for the attack in a week.”





Chapter Thirty-Seven





Katherine's finally come! She's walking straight toward me with a male tarnished at her side. He looks to be just a year or two older than her, and his tattoos don't glow at all. Her tattoos glow deep red, the color they were when Zade was captured. She must not go anywhere public with the wrong color. The law officers would take her as soon as they saw her.

I wrap her in a hug. “I've missed you so much. It's so good to finally see you.”

“Even better to see you.”

I release her. “Who is your friend? I don't believe we've been introduced.”

“This is Charles. We are… that is to say, we were going to be married.”

“Married! I didn't even know you were serious about anyone.” I shake Charles’s hand as he steps forward. “You had better take excellent care of her.”

“Wouldn't dream of doing anything else.”

Suddenly, I turn back to Katherine. “Wait, you said were. Why were?”

She clenches her jaw before a neutral expression takes over. “There's too much going on right now. What with the rebellion, Zade being captured, and people being taken and killed. Not to mention there's no one who we could find to perform the ceremony.”

“Oh, Katherine.” I wrap her in another hug. “I swear sometimes this is the stupidest place on the entire planet. I'm done with all these Chardonians getting in the way of important things, especially love.”

She gives a half grin. “I knew you'd understand. Where's Serena? She's met Charles before but didn't really get a chance to know him. And then we can talk about how we can help with the rebellion you're taking part in.”

“I'm so happy you're here!” I start toward the cave opening. “Serena's inside, probably with someone that has all sorts of concerns and wants her to fix them.”

“She's changed since I first met her.”

“You're telling me.”

The view darkens as we enter the cave.

“What's a tarnished doing here?” someone calls out.

Lands. I finally get their trust in me, and we're going to have to go through it all again with Katherine. She'd better not have to almost die for someone to earn her trust. “She's here to help.”

“How can a tarnished possibly help?”

“This tarnished can do more things with clothes than you could ever think of.”

“Clothes? Truly? We're supposed to be happy about something less than a shadow to help us with a bunch of silly clothes?”

Heat boils in me, but before I can snap a reply, Katherine puts a hand on my arm. She gives them a withering look. “I can camouflage you so you can hide in a forest or get close to a house or party. I can make slots for you to easily carry weapons. I can disguise you so you look like you fit with any group, including the upper class. I can keep you alive with a bunch of silly clothes.”

I want to tell her how majorly impressed I am but not in front of everyone

Those gathered aren't so easily swayed, though. It's enough that the hassling stops, but they still keep a close eye on her, watching her every move. I hurry to get her out of sight, toward the cavern Serena is staying in.

“Sorry,” I tell Katherine. “They're very mistrustful.”

“I know what you went through to gain their trust. Ridiculous rumors. I had been hoping they'd be more open to me since I'm a Chardonian woman just like many of them, just like Serena and Cynthia. Seems it was wrong to hope.”

“Give them time. They should come around without anything drastic having to happen. You're much less abrasive and blunt than I am. People like you.”

She bites her lip. “Maybe, yet there's too many things dependent on a good relationship here. If they can't trust me, I can't give them my full help.”

“I wish we could change it faster for you,” I say.

“Posh. For now, I'll still help how I can without interfering too much. I'll send clothes at least.” She turns to Serena. “And this whole debacle has turned me rude. Serena, do you remember Charles?”

She smiles. “I do, yes.”

“We are trying to find a way to be married.”

Serena squeals with delight. We spend the next hour lost in a world of love and weddings. Only, no matter how long we're distracted, there's still the real world out there waiting to destroy us.





***





Once she's had a chance to talk with everyone she wanted to, I bring Katherine to my room to chat. I wish Jack was here to introduce her to, but he's away getting more food. It's just as well. There's much to discuss without introducing her to a man I'm not certain how I feel toward exactly.