The song I sang as I took the stage had a very different meaning through these new ears, knowing exactly where that song came from. Leah couldn’t help but miss my mother as she listened, able to hear the pain in her daughter’s voice. My voice hurt as I sang, but I went on all the same.

“I always blamed myself for the death of her mother.” Lilith mumbled through her coughing lungs as she watched Claudia dance with her own daughter. “I stifled that girl’s sexuality over my own selfish anger at our slave choosing not to leave with me. Maybe if I’d embraced her sooner, her first time having sex with a woman wouldn’t have been a gift from her step-mother.”

“But that was her idea too.” Cardinal smiled as he reminisced about his late wife. “She chose to stay not because of us, but because of those kids. In a way, she always belonged to those children she helped us raise. She would do anything for them, all three of them, including Claudia.”

“Especially Claudia. Because that was just the kind of woman she was. Loyal to those she loved.”

“It just so happened that she loved those three more than she ever loved herself. Enough to prove that she was willing to die for them just to bridge the gap between her daughters.”

“I’m sorry.” Leah interrupted, getting lost in the sounds of my song above all else. “I must have missed a step. I was listening to Candace’s song. I’ve been waiting to hear this.”

Lilith and Cardinal exchanged a knowing look at each other, one that made the both of them swell with guilt. Leah, for her part, was lost in those eyes.

Cardinal glanced towards Leah and then back at his ex-wife. “You don’t think?”

“No. I don’t.” Lilith crossed her arms. “Not unless she’s willing to prove it.”

“Prove what?” Leah swallowed nervously. “Is this an inside joke?”

“Something like that.” He smiled at his assistant. “Tell me. What would you do for that girl?”

“Candace?” Leah looked to the stage and blushed. “I’d do anything for her.”

“Prove it.” The old hag coughed. “Go on. If she wants to have sex, have sex with her.”

Her stomach was nothing but a pit of disgust at that point, even considering the possibility of it was too much for her, and not because she wasn’t willing to. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“And why not?” She pushed Leah for more. “Aria tells me that she wanted a three way with you both, why didn’t you do that for her?”

“Because I couldn’t. I’m not good enough. I couldn’t even cheat on my husband.” Lilith’s insults slowly became too much. “I’ve never had sex before.”

Cardinal’s eyes narrowed in on her as she said that. “You haven’t?”

“Nonsense. You were married.” Lilith laughed at her. “Even I had sex after I was married.”

“You got married so that you could have sex and have kids. Your daughter got married because she had sex and was going to have a kid.” Leah mumbled under her breath. “I’ve never had sex because I can’t risk having kids. I won’t bring a child into the world if it means she’s going to have to live like me.”

“Then you’ll never have kids.” Lilith scoffed at her, satisfied that she’d made her point. “And you’ll never have sex either.”

“Maybe not.” Leah lowered her gaze, picking up what drinks were left and finishing them quickly before Claudia returned. “But as long as I’m still around I’m going to try.”

“Try all you’d like. If you want to prove your loyalty now there’s only one thing you can do.”

“And what exactly is that, Ma’am?”

Lilith smirked unflinchingly. “Die for her.”

Leah’s heart sunk in her chest as she heard that, looking up from her empty glass just in time to shunt it to the side before the host couple returned to the family table just a few steps ahead of me.

“Mom. Dad. Can we have a word at the other end of the table?” Claudia coughed as she and her wife arrived, trying not to look at Leah. “Preferably alone?”

“Sure thing.” Cardinal smiled, helping his ex-wife to her feet. “Watts, if you could get my daughter’s cross back for her, that would be great. And if you could dispose of the man who took it, that’d be better, maybe even enough to convince me not to fire you.”

Leah’s heart broke as he suggested the possibility. “Yes, Sir. Thank you.”

She watched silently as the four of them relocated as far away from her as they could, noticing her other best friend from high school escorting the young mistress of the house upstairs in her arms, which Leah couldn’t help but sigh in seeing.

“Would you like to dance?” I asked my only remaining friend as I returned to her side. “Because I know I would.”

“There’s no point.” Leah responded with a broken voice. “You deserve a better dance partner anyways.”

“You’re wrong.” I shook my head in protest, continuing to pester her. “You’re the only person I have left, and you deserve everything for that.”

“I’m a pariah, Candace.” Leah said, gazing wistfully across the table at my father and his former wife. “None of those people out there are going to notice me like I’d always hoped. I’m nothing to you people.”

“You’re something to me.” I pleaded with her. “You’re everything to me.”

“Look at your sister and Zenna. They used to be my only friends.” Leah murmured through quivering lips. “I’m never going to have a family like they have. I’m never going to have a daughter of my own.”

“Please don’t say that.” I held back my nervous emotion, trying not to cry. “That hurts.”

“Candace.”

“You know how I feel about you.” Tears rolled back into my head as I forced them away. “Now, please. Dance with me.”

Leah sat there for a few moments before taking my hand and standing. “Okay.”

She escorted me to the floor, and we danced. The music went on, and the slaves came out to dance.

My brother had spent quite a lot of time, energy, money, and other resources to create a group of slave women that were worth a damn at a fancy ball like this one. But they rocked it.

I almost felt bad about what was going to happen to them at the end of the night. Almost. It was hard to care about the fate of anyone except for Chloe right now.

The biggest exception being Leah.

“Do you believe what you said to them at dinner?” She said as the two of us danced. “Do you actually believe that I love you more than your family?”

“Yes.” I held close to her as we danced. “It’s funny. At first I didn’t get it, but I understand what you mean to me now.”

“Candace.” Her voice shook with anxiety. “I’m sorry about the girl.”

“It’s okay.” I smiled, gently closing my eyes and going along with the dance. “I’m going to save her.”

“Not that girl.” She held me tight, gently embracing me. “The other girl.”

My crying eyes screwed tight as I leaned into her chest for support. “I keep seeing her everywhere.”

“She’s not real, Candace.” She assured me. “I’m sorry. But she’s dead.”

“Are you sure?” I looked up into hers with crying eyes. “Are you absolutely positively sure?”

“Yes.” She said without a shred of doubt in her voice. “I’m sure.”

“Please, Leah.” I begged her. “Please don’t leave me.”

“I would never leave you, Candace. I promise.” She smiled for the first time tonight. “I have nowhere else to go.”

“You know what I meant, Leah.” I held both of her hands in mine. “Please don’t die. I need you.”

“I’m not going to die.” She winked. “I’m not your mom.”

“Yes you are.” I smiled back, wiping away my tears. “Please be safe.”

“I’ll get your mother’s cross back for you.” Leah said, her eyes following the trail of a familiar slave across the ballroom. “Count on me.”

“Always.” I nodded, letting go of her hands. “I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you.” Leah hummed, returning my gesture. “How about you dance with her now?”

I turned to face my best friend, Aria Fairmont, who was a big part of the reason that I was in this mess in the first place.

“Um. What she said?” Came her nervous words as she extended her palm. “Care to dance?”

I thought it over for a moment before sighing, placing my hand in hers. “Sure thing.”

“Guess I get to be your date to the party after all.” Aria bragged as we began to dance. “Lucky me.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.” I giggled. “Any idea what happens to you when Lilith dies?”

“I’m getting set free, right?” She looked at me like she thought it was obvious. “Isn’t that how it works?”

“Oh honey.” That made me more than a little bit concerned for her. “I’m so sorry.”

“What?” She swallowed nervously. “What happens to me when she dies?”

“I don’t know, Aria.” I spun her in my arms, but that wasn’t enough to get her to smile. “That’s up to Lilith.”

“What do you mean that’s up to Lilith?” She stammered. “How is that up to Lilith?”

“You’re property, Aria.” I frowned, holding her close while I could. “The estate will gather you like any of her other belongings and disperse you accordingly.”

“I get not being able to escape while she’s alive, but how?” She bit her lip, nervously glancing back and forth. “Won’t the FBI come to investigate her belongings and free me?”

“I don’t know, Aria. You and Lilith are the FBI moles here. Have they ever done that before?”

“Oh god.” The realization hit her. “One of her shitty kids are going to inherit me.”

“Keep it down.” I urged her. “People can hear you.”

“Fuck that.” She whispered back in a quieter voice. “I don’t want to belong to Claudia.”

“You and I both. But who you end up going to is up to your mistress, not me.”

“But you’re going to save Chloe, right?”

“Aria-”

“Please save Chloe. If it’s the last thing I do, please let me help you save her.”

“I don’t want you to go to Claudia.”

“I’ll go to Claudia if it helps. If I have to take Chloe’s place, I have to take her place.”

I stopped. “Are you sure?”

“I was the one that convinced her to leave you.” She nodded. “I’m sure.”

“Thank you, Aria. If you want to help, you can help. How do I save Chloe?”

“She’s here. There’s a cell in the slave quarters. That’s where Claudia is keeping her.” Aria nervously glanced across the dance floor again, trying to stay calm and quiet. “I didn’t see it happen, but I know she’s in there.”

“And you’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“Absolutely positively sure?”

“Yes.”

I spun her one last time, bending her over backwards and pressing my lips to hers for a kiss, before letting her twirl away. “I owe you a fuck later.”

“No you don’t.” Aria rolled her eyes at me, fingers pressed against her own lips. “Go get your girl. Please.”

“Thank you.” I gave her the happiest hug of my life. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Candace…”

And that made Aria blush.

“…I love you so much.”

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Empty. Quiet. Still.

There was no one in the slave quarters by the time I got there.

No signs of life from even beyond the door.

“Chloe?”

I shut the exit behind me, careful to make sure I wasn’t trapping myself inside.

“Are you in there?”

Peering around the corner, I turned towards the closed door to the cell and called out to her.

“Come on. Knock once if you’re in there.”

Nothing.

“Please?”

Nothing.

Maybe Aria was wrong.

“Okay.” I stuttered. “I don’t know if you’re in there, but if you are I just wanted to make sure you’re safe.”

I put my hand to the door and listened.

“You are safe, aren’t you?”

I could almost feel her hand pressed against the other side.

“I know you’ve given up hope.” I sighed, pressing my forehead against the door. “But please.”

Nothing. Still nothing.

“Fine. Be that way.” I sat up straight, clearing my throat. “You are a slave and I am a free woman. I don’t need your input. I’ll do what I want.”

I smirked, hoping for a response. “And if that happens to include you, you’ll just have to accept that.”

Nothing. Still nothing. I could tell she was in there. But she gave me nothing.

“Please don’t give up. Not like this. If you won’t fight her, at least fight me.” I called out to her one last time. “I know you’re in there, Chloe. Don’t let her be the one who finally defeats Sophia Cavalier. You deserve better than that.”

Crickets.

“Right. Well, even if you aren’t in there, and I’m just talking to an empty cell. I have something for you. And before you’re gone I need you to know that you heard it. You didn’t get to hear me sing out there after all.”

I swallowed nervously, trying to still my quickly beating heart. She had to be in there, right? Where else could she possibly be? Even if she wasn’t, I could pretend, couldn’t I?

“I can’t do this if you’re not in there, Chloe. I just want to sing for you, that’s all. Hell, if you don’t want to hear it, just say so. All I want is to know you’re okay.”

I waited for her to respond, but after a few more moments of silence, I just shook my head and smiled.

“I know right?” I giggled at myself. “What a loser.”

She didn’t need to know it, but I wrote a song for her. I wasn’t sure where the words came from, but I knew they came from somewhere intimate.

“That Candace Saint Clair girl. Always a loser.” I rolled my eyes at myself as I rose to my feet, hoping for anything from her at all. “Please say something. I just need to know that you’re alive.”

Chloe was silent. Trying to pretend she couldn’t hear me. But I knew better. I could hear that bell I’d given her, chiming ever so slightly as she breathed.

The lover inside of me wasn’t ready to admit that it was all over. All I wanted was to be with her again. She was there. We both knew she was there, she just didn’t want to speak to me.

“I love you, Chloe.” Everything I had left came out in that final moment. “Please don’t let me be the one to defeat you. If not for me, then for her, let Chloe be the one who finally defeats Sophia Cavalier.”

I shut the door behind me and turned back towards the ballroom. Part of me hoped she wasn’t in that cell. At least then I would have broken my own heart for nothing, instead of letting her break it for me.

“Where’s Leah?” I asked my father as I got back to the dinner table. “Is she not back yet?”

“Were you expecting her to come back?” Lilith snickered at me the moment I arrived. “Because I’m just surprised she hasn’t been shot yet.”

I did my best to ignore her, turning instead to my father. “Daddy?”

“Princess.” He gave me an almost concerned look, gesturing towards my seat at the table. “Think about it.”

With an almost insane level of anxiety welling up in my chest, I pulled out my chair, but before I could even sit down I spotted them.

The empty wine glasses.

Leah .

“No.” There had to be at least four or five empty drinks on the table, and I just knew that they were all hers. “Fuck.”

How could I let this happen?

“She’d be lucky if she can even hold a gun.” Lilith said through her own drink. “My money is on her shooting herself.”

My eyes darted up at her, red and full of rage. “Is this funny to you?”

“It’s my party.” She flipped her empty glass upside down. “Of course it’s funny to me.”

I scoffed. “You’re a piece of shit.”

“Of course I am.” She rolled her eyes. “Why do you think your father married me?”

“Are you really going to let her say things like that, dad?” I pointed at her. “This is Leah we’re talking about. She’s your assistant. She lives with you. Aren’t you afraid of what she’ll do to you in your sleep?”

“Afraid. Me?” My father snorted. “This is me we’re talking about. And not just that, this is Leah. She’s a tough girl.”

“So you do care?”

“Of course I care.”

“Then why won’t you stand up for her?”

“She doesn’t need me to.”

“Like hell she doesn’t.”

“She’s not family.”

“She’s family to me!!” I swept my arm across the table, sending a small army of champagne flutes shattering to the floor. “And if you won’t defend her, I will!!”

“Then do it.” Lilith stared straight at me and snarled. “And stop wasting our time.”

“Fine.” I shook my head in disgust. “You’re right.”

“Now hold on.” My father grabbed me by the wrist, much like my sister had done earlier. “Your little friend is one thing, but you I do care about, quite a lot in fact.”

“I know what I’m doing, father.” I assured him, unable to wrangle my wrist from his hand. “I don’t need your help.”

“Like hell you don’t.” His grip only tightened. “Don’t think I don’t know what happened last night.”

God damn it, Leah. That was supposed to stay a secret. “She told you.”

“Of course she told me. You’re my daughter. I should be in the loop.”

“She promised me she wouldn’t tell you.”

“Then maybe she’s more loyal to me than to you, don’t you think?”

“Let me do this, dad.” My arm went limp in his clutch. “I can handle this.”

“I believe you. But a good father knows to leave nothing to chance.”

He smiled, reaching into his coat pocket and retrieving a gun. It was an old fashioned sort of thing. A revolver. It didn’t even look like it was in good shape, but before I could do much to protest he had already placed it into my right hand.

“You’re my princess.” He said as he released my other hand. “I don’t want you going out unarmed anymore.”

“I don’t use guns, Daddy. I don’t need them.” I tried to hand it back. “I don’t need this.”

“Then don’t use it.” He said, almost challenging me. “I’ve never had to use it.”

Taken aback, I examined the revolver. It was old, charred, refurbished. The original wooden handle burned to a crisp black. I cocked the hammer once then pushed it back in. It wouldn’t be subtle, but it would fire.

“Then why do you carry it?”

“To scare people.” He raised a drink in his hand. “If you don’t think you need to fire it, then don’t fire it.”

The image burned into my eyes as I stared at it. Too much. This was too much. I dropped it back onto the dinner table with a thud, backing away from the thing, never once looking away.

“No.” I refused. “I won’t play your game.”

“Then you’ll always be a loser.” My father left the gun sitting right there on the table. “You can’t win unless you play.”

“This isn’t a game.” I spun around, leaving him at my tail as I walked away. “Not to me.”

“And to think that you’ve always wanted her over Claudia.” Lilith said to him in a tsk tsk tone of voice. “Your girl’s a loser.”

Cardinal just snorted at that. “And yours is much better?”

“No.” She rolled her eyes. “But our boy is.”

“Our boy.” Cardinal actually liked the sound of that. “Maybe he is.”

“Give him a chance, Cardinal.” She urged him. “He might just surprise you.”

“He did do a wonderful job putting together tonight’s entertainment, now didn’t he?”

“I like to think so.”

“Too bad he’s a momma’s boy.”

“You’re a momma’s boy.” She teased. “I can’t believe you tried to hand your girl that gun.”

“Oh?” Cardinal hummed, finishing his drink. “And why’s that?”

Click . Lilith cocked back the hammer and pointed it straight at her ex-husband. “Because I know where this gun has been.”

He just smirked, setting his empty glass back down on the table as he leaned into it, almost daring her to pull the trigger. “And you don’t think the sky will smite you for trying to kill me with it?”

“Those scars mean nothing.” She said, her hands shaking as she kept it pointed at his disfigured face. “You’re not God, Cardinal.”

“Then prove it.” He smirked, leaning back in his seat. “Shoot me.”

Lilith almost bit through her lip trying to keep steady, pointing the gun at his head. Her hands couldn’t help but shake, but at this range it wouldn’t have mattered. Yet the gun found itself laying on the table just a few moments later, and instead of the sound of a gunshot, the ballroom was filled with the noise of an old hag’s horrendous fit of coughing.

And Cardinal Russo just pushed the hammer back in as he safely put the revolver away.

“Mistress!!” Lilith’s nurse was always only a whistle away. “Are you alright, Miss Mariam?!”

“Mouse girl.” He said as Aria rushed to Lilith’s side. “Fairmont.”

“Sir.” She swallowed nervously, on the verge of crying just from seeing him. “I didn’t realize.”

“There are actual doctors here tonight.” He stared her in the eyes. “Go get one.”

“Yes, Sir.” She nodded, taking a quick glance back at her mistress. “I’ll be right back.”

“And while you’re at it.” Cardinal added, grabbing Lilith by one hand and pulling back her sleeve to reveal Aria’s controller. “You can help me give your owner her birthday present.”

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“What the hell is this?”

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I followed the squirrel girl’s trail out of the foyer, but it wasn’t what I got.

“Leah?”

I couldn’t save Chloe while she and my father were around, but it would seem that she couldn’t quite get the job done without me at her side. Leah was here for one reason, to do her job. This was her last debt collecting job before she finally got to start as my father’s right hand woman, nothing else mattered to her.

She came to help retrieve my mother’s cross from the bully who’d stolen it from me. Nobody here liked her all that much, but she was used to that by now. Being the object of everyone’s ire was something she expected when she got here. She wasn’t about to let it bother her.

Or so I thought.

“What?” She turned to me with sad blue eyes, not too thrilled to be getting yelled at. “Did I do something wrong?”

I should have known better than to leave Leah alone at a party surrounded by alcohol and alcoholics all night. But like always, I put my friend in danger by neglecting to pay close enough attention to her safety.

As much as I wanted to yell at her for sneaking outside and getting drunk when she was supposed to be helping me find my stolen things, I knew it wasn’t her fault. Leah’s only human, I shouldn’t have expected so much from her.

“No, Leah.” I sighed, trying to ease her fears. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just worried about you.”

“But I’m not family.” Her eyes wandered away from me. “I shouldn’t even be here.”

“Don’t say that.” I had already told her how I felt. I just wasn’t sure if she was too drunk to remember it, or if she really didn’t believe me. “You are my family. You, Aria, Malcolm, Chloe. You’re my family.”

“I’m sorry, Candace.” She sniffled back tears as she drank them away. “I told your father what happened last night.”

“I thought you weren’t going to do that.” I frowned, taking the drink from her hands and tossing it aside. “What happened?”

“He did.” She longed after the champagne flute as it shattered against the side of the house. “You know I can’t keep a secret from him.”

“But I need you to, Leah. If you can’t keep a secret, I can’t ask you for help.”

“I’m sorry.” She shriveled in on herself. “I’m not strong enough to stand up to him.”

“Yes you are, Leah. You can do this.”

I grabbed her by both hands and looked her in the eyes, pulling her instinctive grasp away from the gun she always kept strapped to her hip, ready to fire at any moment. Especially now that her target was in sight.

“I’m sorry.” I heard a drunken snort from behind me. “Do you two need some time alone?”

“Can it, Mallick.” I snapped at him, spinning in place to face him for the second time in as many days. “Where the fuck have you been all night?”

“Got drunk and made my own fun once your sister insulted me. I had a really nice three way with some of the slaves here, a raggedy blonde and a stiff brunette. They were a really cute pair. just like that redhead of yours was. Maybe we could have a three way some day, what do you say?”

“I’d rather grind my penis off with a cheese grater than put it anywhere near yours.” I scoffed. “You disgust me.”

“I disgust everyone.” He scoffed straight back. “What do you want?”

“I don’t want much from you. Just give me my things back, and my friend and I will be on our way.”

“Nice try.” He rolled his eyes, more than a little bit drunk. “I know she’s after me.”

“No one’s out to kill you, Xander.” I sighed, twirling around to show that I’m unarmed. “Just give the money back, and you get to walk away.”

“No.” He shook his head, taking another drink from the tray his slave was presenting him. “There ain’t no way.”

“Last chance, Xander.” I repeated myself. “Give us the money, and return my things.”

“I spent the money.” He turned to his slave, swiping the tray out of her hands completely, before grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close to him. “And I’ll be damned if I’m forced to give back anything I’ve taken. If you want them, you’ll pry them off of her cold dead body.”

“Not if I have anything to do about it.” Leah stepped out from behind me, fit as a fiddle, a very poorly tuned fiddle. “If anyone’s going to die, it’s you.”

Xander squinted at her. “Say’s Daddy’s dog.”

Leah just smirked at that. “Arf.”

I blinked once and was stunned by the speed at which they both moved. Xander had his hand on the gun at his waist, but before he could draw it, Leah had hers pointed right at his head from mid range.

The distance looked to be a good twenty or so feet, so it was unlikely she’d miss under most circumstances, but her shaking fingers weren’t helping my confidence. I never should have taken my eyes off of her.

“Are you sure you’re not too drunk to fight?” He looked her in the eyes and tilted his head. “You seem awfully tired.”

“Ask Candace.” She put her finger on the trigger. “She’ll tell you who’s the top dog.”

“It’s her.” I answered without prompting. “Now don’t make me sick her on you.”

Tense silence rang throughout the courtyard as Xander turned his gaze onto me. He knew this was how it was going to go down. He’d been using Lucy to tempt Leah all night, trying to get her drunk. And because I hadn’t been paying attention.

“Okay.” He smiled, and I spotted the device in his hand just a moment too late. “Let’s play fetch instead.”

I watched his slave’s terrified eyes explode into tears as she was shoved forward, frozen like a deer in the headlights, nothing more than a meatshield to keep her master from getting shot. That was the look of a girl who knew she was about to die.

Leah pointed her gun straight at the poor little squirrel, unable to get a clean shot on the target behind her, drunken hands trembling like I’d never seen them tremble. She couldn’t kill this girl, but Xander could.

The light on her collar bled crimson, and the courtyard echoed with a siren of pained wails from a dying woman, quickly being shocked to death. She collapsed to the ground in agony, but by the time she’d fallen to her knees, her master had a gun in his hand and as clear a shot on Leah as she did on him.

Dying eyes locked with mine, screaming for help. Adrenaline hit with the force of a truck, and before I knew what was happening I was lunging headfirst like a wild cat, slamming into the oncoming force of death in an attempt to save the girl before she became roadkill.

He slammed onto his back beneath me, toppling over under my weight. The gun harmlessly clattered to the ground beside us, but his remote torture device did not. I thoughtlessly mauled him with my claws, already painted red like blood, piercing against him until I’d pried the device from his fingers and coated mine in a new shade of crimson.

Desperately, I clamored towards the girl, my bloodied hands hammering down on the button. The blaring red light ceased in an instant, searing the world around her in a bright white glow. My fingers trembled, caught in limbo for as long as it took to see her finally gasp for breath, her body shaking with pain and terror.

Then out of the corner of my eye I spotted him, scrambling towards his discarded firearm in an attempt to save his own life by taking us down first. I choked, feeling him wrap one arm around my throat from behind and pulling me upright. As one last fit of fury I thrashed against him, but I wasn’t able to break free of his clutches before he had the barrel of his gun once again pressed against my head.

Just like last night, he had me right where he wanted me.

“Don’t move or angel piss gets it.” He screamed at Leah, forcing my hands to retract away as he dug the barrel into my temple. “If I’m going to die, I’m taking her with me.”

The field froze, suddenly locked in a standstill. Leah’s sights locked onto us, pointing her own firearm as straight as she could, unable to get Xander without also killing me. I’d saved the girl, but all I’d done was trade one bargaining chip for another, and I’d traded down no less.

“Okay.” I uttered in as calm a voice as I could while choking, deciding it wasn’t worth it to take this prick down if it was going to get myself and the people I cared about killed. “Leah, put your gun away.”

She looked at me like I was insane. “But, Candace-”

“Do as I say, now.” I snapped at her, staring deeply into her eyes. “Trust me.”

And she wordlessly put the still armed handgun away.

“You win, Xander.” I said, almost mocking him for his victory. “State your terms.”

“All I want is some peace and quiet.” He slowly quit breaking my neck with how hard he was pressing the gun to my head. “And if I have to keep you as leverage for the rest of your life, I will.”

“Deal.” I spat dispassionately. “But only on one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“I get my things back.” My eyes locked with Lucy’s, watching her slowly but surely rise to her feet. “And I get to wear her collar.”

“You can’t.” He scoffed at me. “The collars aren’t removable.”

“They are if she’s dead.” I smiled, hand overturned to show Lucy the controller to her collar, still firmly in my grasp. “You just have to kill her first.”

Silence pierced the horizon for a moment as I watched her eyes begin to tear up, and I could hear the gears in Xander’s head behind me well enough to know what he was about to do.

Pull the gun away from my head, and point it at hers. “With pleasure.”

“No, actually.” I gave the terrified little doll my sincerest grin, winking with my one evil blue eye. “The pleasure’s all mine.”

“Wait, no!!” She pleaded, her voice trembling with terror. “Please…”

…But her master didn’t seem to give a shit. “Bite me-”

And just as he was about to pull the trigger, I turned in his arms and gave him a mischievous stare out of the corner of my eyes. “Yes, Sir.”

Teeth sunk into the skin of his wrist, biting into the tendons and forcing his fingers apart, the pistol falling from his grasp once again. But this time it ended up in my hands, and without harming any further hair on his poor slave’s head, I had the barrel of his own gun pointed straight at his heart.

I spat blood from his veins right in his face, my finger on the trigger. “And that is why I’m not the one in bondage.”

He looked at me in disbelief, grinding his teeth together. “Well played, second place.”

“Last chance, Xander.” Snarled the ferocious wild cat that had overtaken me, ready to revel in bloodshed as I armed the pistol’s chamber, making sure it was cocked and ready to fire. “Give me back what you stole.”

“Or what?” He looked at me with the deadest eyes I’d seen in years. “You’ll shoot me?”

I froze as he said that, finally realizing what I was doing. I didn’t just have a gun in my hands, I was about to kill someone with it.

And that quickly terrified me.

“No.” I heard my friend answer for me. “But I will.”

“No, Leah. If you shoot him, it’s the same as if I shoot him.” The gun shook in my hands as Leah reached for hers, and in a moment of desperation I called out to stop her. The pistol dropped to the ground at his feet as I rose to stand over him, resolved not to play this kind of game. “Just search him, find my things, and send him somewhere to be punished.”

“Whatever you say, boss.” She actually smirked at me as I took charge, making her way to him, gun in hand. “I’m on it.”

“What, that’s it?” He shouted at me, almost appalled to watch me just walk away. “I almost shot you, stole your mommy’s jewelry, raped the girl you love, and you’re not going to kill me yourself?”

“Nope.” I said without a shred of doubt. “I don’t need to.”

Xander scoffed, lunging towards the gun I’d left at his feet, even more enraged that I’d just tossed it aside instead. He could see the gun Leah had pointed at him before he could do anything about it though, so he was holding it harmlessly above his own head before he could ever get the chance to point it at me, trying not to get himself killed.

“Put the gun away and fork them over, Mallick.” Leah smirked, keeping herself between Xander and I. “Don’t make me use my hands.”

“Never.” He snarled. “Go ahead, take me. You won’t find anything.”

Hidden behind that shell was an angry but terrified man, knowing he was at the end of his rope at long last. There was nothing he could do. He knew. I knew it. His slave knew it.

“M-Miss?” The unloved slave woman stepped out from her master’s side, walking directly towards me. “Is this it?”

My eyes sparkled as she nervously pulled her hand from the pocket of her hoodie, holding within it one half of a brilliant purple heart, trembling in her hands as she extended it towards me.

“Yeah.” I smiled happily as I accepted it from her. “That’s it.”

“Wait.” Leah blinked in confusion as she turned her body towards me accusingly, keeping her gun firmly pointed at our little prisoner. “I thought you said he stole your mother’s cross.”

“And I thought you were going to keep this all a secret from my father.” I mumbled back at her, my eyes drifting downwards. “He did steal my mother’s cross.”

“And the necklace Chloe made you?” She scoffed, her eyes going wide in disbelief. “You didn’t tell me about that, what else did they steal?”

“Nothing important enough that you needed to know, or my father for that matter.” I bit my lip nervously, not wanting to have this conversation right now. “Can we talk about this when we don’t have an armed asshole at gunpoint?”

“No. Because you have an ulterior motive for coming here, your father needs to know. And I can’t just walk away to take this prick to the facility if it means that you’re going to try and bust that girl out when you know you’re not supposed to.”

“I know I asked this before, but-” Xander rolled his eyes at us both, still holding his hands up. “Do you two need a minute?”

Leah just snarled at it. “Shut your trap, asshole.”

“See, it’s much funnier when I say it.” He giggled, winking at me from a distance. “I’m just saying it seems like this is something you two should have worked out before you came out here.”

“I won’t kill you, but I will punch teeth out, so quiet.” I snapped at him. “Where’s my mother’s cross?”

Xander, ever the joker, just pinched his lips shut and shook his head. But his slave did eventually answer for him.

“It’s right here, Ma’am.” She mumbled nervously, now quite a few more steps away from me than she had been. “I’m wearing it.”

It actually made me kind of angry to see that cross around the neck of someone who didn’t deserve it. “Get that off, now.”

“Candace.” Leah tapped her foot impatiently. “I don’t like being left in the dark, it makes me feel uneasy.”

“I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want you to try and stop me.”

“Stop you from what, rescuing Chloe?”

“I can’t tell you, Leah. I’m sorry.”

“And why not?”

“Because if I could trust you to keep a secret, I would.”

“So you don’t trust me all of a sudden?”

“It’s not that.”

“No, it’s not that. You haven’t trusted me from the start, or else you would have told me what’s going on.”

“Leah, look. I know you’re drunk, but-”

“Of course I’m drunk!!” She screamed, her eyes tearing up in bitter self hatred. “I’ve done nothing but sacrifice myself for you and your family, and this is the thanks I get. Being dragged out here to do your dirty work for you while you go behind my back to try and get away with something you know I can’t let you do, when all I’m trying to do is protect you!!”

“I swear it’s not like that, Leah.” I reached out, stepping towards her with open arms. “I’m not trying to use you.”

“Like hell you’re not trying to use me.” She sniffled. “Look what you did to Chloe. And Aria. And Riley. All you do is trick people into loving you so that you can use them. I thought I was different. I thought I was special. I thought I was better. But I was wrong, wasn’t I?!”

“No.” I pleaded with her, slowly beginning to feel the tears in my eyes. “You’re the one person I can always count on.”

“Except I’m not.” In bitter agony I watched her lower her gun, drunken hands trembling with uncertainty. “And to think I believed you when you told me I was family.”

“You are family.” Words slipped from my lips more scared now than they ever had before, stumbling blindly towards my broken guardian, afraid that I was about to lose her. “Please, Leah. Please believe me.”

Leah listened, but she didn’t quite seem to be hearing my words, and within seconds I had a gun pointed at me.

“Leah.” Stuck in place, I stared down the barrel, sure I was about to die alone. “I’m sorry.”

It just wasn’t Leah’s gun that was pointed at me.

And I watched in horror as he smirked at me. “Game over, St, Clair.”

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“Here you are, Ma’am.” Aria held the small black case to her owner, greeted from the table by Lilith and her ex-husband, her wrist still firmly within his grasp. “I told Dr. Renee to be on standby. She’s waiting in the sitting room.”

“She’s always been a little bit shy.” Lilith rolled her eyes, smiling at Cardinal as she accepted the gift he’d brought her. “What’s this?”

“Just what I said it was.” He smiled eagerly, finally letting go of the old hag’s hand. “A present.”

“I haven’t gotten anything from you in over twenty-five years.” She smirked, setting the box in her lap. “Must be my lucky day.”

He smiled innocently. “It is your birthday after all.”

“My last birthday.” She winked. “Which means this had better be worth it.”

“Trust me, it is.”

Lilith looked to him with sullen skepticism for a few moments before turning back to the small black parcel, slowly and carefully opening it up to see what’s inside. She only looked at it for about half a second before she recognized it, forcefully clasping the box shut before anyone else could see what it was.

“This is-”

“I know.”

“You’re giving me-”

“I know.”

“Cardinal-”

“I know.”

The two of them went back and forth for a few moments before she snuck one last peek inside of the box, just to confirm she wasn’t hallucinating. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“Because I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I didn’t give it to someone.” He grinned proudly, giving her a wink. “You did create it after all.”

“I can’t believe you.” She coughed out in ardent frustration. “Twenty-five years and all of a sudden, you trust me with this.”

“See, that’s the thing. I don’t trust you with that.”

“Then why give it to me?!”

“Because I don’t trust you with it.” He gave her an evil look. “And you don’t trust yourself with it either.”

“What do you expect me to do with this?!”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?!”

“Take a little initiative in your own actions before you die, Lily. Maybe have one last adventure. Cause some chaos. Do something that’ll hurt me. My life isn’t fun without a little bit of a challenge.”

“I am dying, Cardinal. I don’t have time to play your games anymore. Take this and give it to someone else.”

“But if I put it on you, I get to watch you show your skin. You use it, or you give it away when you die. Either way, it’ll tell me what you value most. I get to find where your allegiances lie.”

“And if I destroy it instead?”

“You can’t destroy it, Lily. If you could, you would have destroyed that tape when you had it.”

“You bastard.” She shook her head in disgust. “You sick fucking bastard.”

“Don’t look at me.” He frowned, giving her a look that could only mean death. “You were the one who threw our daughter aside.”

“I would never.”

“Don’t lie to me, Lily. You were the one that told her she wasn’t your daughter anymore.”

Lilith’s heart twisted in her chest. “And where did you hear that?”

Cardinal just laughed at this, knowing just how obvious the answer was. “Where do you think?”

“I underestimated you.” She just smiled. “Here I thought I’d gotten away.”

“You never got away from me, Lilith. You knew that.”

“Yet you never came for me.”

“I never needed to.”

“I ran away from our son and our daughter and I reported you to the FBI for years and years. Why did you never put a stop to it all?”

“For the same reason I never stopped your assistant when she stole that tape. Nothing was ever going to come of it.”

“You knew I’d disown her when I saw it.”

“And I knew you’d never report her to the FBI for fear of everyone seeing that you were related to that monster.” He tipped his drink back, emptying yet another champagne flute. “But there’s more to it than that.”

She sighed. “There always is with you.”

“Even if I was wrong. Even if you turned out to be a better person than I knew you to be. There was never anything you could do.”

“I could have told them everything.” She snarled angrily. “Raping our kids. Keeping slaves. All of the people you’ve killed. Everything you did to your own family. Your wives. Your kids. Your siblings. Your parents.”

“And they would have done nothing about it. You know just as well as I do that the FBI works for me.” He stood up from his seat, looming over her. “The mafia works for me. The police work for me. Everyone who’s anyone works for me. In every nook and cranny, every crack you try to see the light, I have people there to snuff it out. The chief of staff of the FBI, mine. The governor of Florida, mine. The junior senator, mine. The state attorney general, mine. The secretary of homeland security, mine.”

Cardinal couldn’t help but smile at the look on her face as he rattled them off. “Those are just some of the big names, Lily. What about those two supreme court justices, local and federal? The state representative for the fourth district of Seattle? The unnamed wife beater who works at Fort Knox? The delivery driver who lives ten blocks from the state courthouse? The Chief Communications Officer at Argon Entertainment? The CEO of Baskin Robbins?”

“Baskin Robbins?” She raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Where do you think your son took his little sister for ice cream when he found her crying in the living room after getting her first real taste of what life was like?” He smirked. “Yeah. That’s right.”

“But the CEO?”

“Go big or go home, right?”

“And you did all of this because you think you’re going to live forever?”

“No.” Cardinal took his ex-wife by the hand, forcing her to her feet and pulling her in. “It’s so that my children can rule the world.”

“And who pray tell is going to rule the world when you’re gone?”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to find out tonight, now isn’t it?”

“I can’t argue with you there.”

“Dance with me, Lilith.” He smiled eagerly, spinning her in his arms. “Just like we used to.”

And she smiled at him for that. “I thought you’d never ask.”

At long last, my father took his dying enemy of an ex-wife to the floor for one last dance together, and as the two of them began to spin gracefully in the center of the ballroom, that’s when there were gunshots.

Bang…

…Bang.

Two of them.

And almost no one in the entire ballroom seemed even remotely bothered by that.

Claudia put her dance to a halt within her wife’s arms. “What was that?”

Almost no one.

“Does it matter?” Josie looked upon her with disappointed eyes. “Can’t we keep dancing?”

“Two gunshots just went off outside of our house, Josie.”

“It’s just Leah.” She whined back. “And I don’t mean to sound selfish or anything, but I really would like to have this with you, Claudia.”

“Josie-”

“Will you please just dance with me?” She smiled hopefully. “Please?”

And her smile was infectious to the point of no return, feeling her wife’s lips quickly pressed against her own. “Yes. A million times, yes.”

The women of the house smiled and went on their way, continuing to dance in each other’s arms like they hadn’t in a long time.

But there was at least one person willing to run out and see what was going on.

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Tears flew from my eyes as I stood there, both hands clasped over my mouth in absolute terror.

Shaken, but still alive and untouched, I rushed to her side. My eyes were still burned with the image of the flash of light coming straight from that gun, but I was still in one piece. Leah was not so lucky.

“No…” I dropped to my knees beside her, my heart beating out of my chest. “Leah…”

There was no response for a few moments, as she leaned back against the wall of the house behind her, eyes drifting open towards me. “I’m okay. I promise.”

“No you’re not.” I gagged as I looked at her, lost as to how I was supposed to help her with this. “I’m sorry, Leah.”

“Please, no.” She coughed loudly, squealing with pain as she lost control of her arm, dropping her gun to the ground at her fault. “It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is!!” I screamed, insistent that this was all because of me and my arrogance. “Why, Leah, why?!”

She just smiled at me, leaning her head back as she grinned. “Why what, kiddo?”

“That bullet was for me and you know it.” I sobbed, biting down on my tongue to keep from breaking out into a fit of wails. “Why would you do this for me?!”

“Because.” She said, as if there was no question as to what the answer was going to be. “You’re my family.”

Xander Mallick was on the ground across from us with a hole in his chest, slowly drifting in and out of consciousness, and Leah was propped up against the wall with a bullet firmly embedded into her right shoulder. The wound was bleeding red onto her gorgeous grey dress, one that wasn’t even hers, and it was getting bigger.

“Holy shit.” I heard from behind me before I heard Aria’s distinctive pitter patter, finding her way to Leah’s side, kneeling over her wound. “What happened?”

“What do you think happened?!” I practically screamed at her. “She’s been shot!!”

“Candace.” Even in this state, Leah scolded me. “Be nice.”

“I’m so sorry, Leah.” I grabbed her other hand and held it to my chest, unsure how to help. “What do we do?”

“Contrary to popular belief, gunshots to the shoulder are actually a lot deadlier than they seem on TV.” Aria managed to say as she slipped on a pair of medical gloves, beginning to peel back Leah’s clothes to try and stop the bleeding. “I’ll do what I can now, but if we don’t get her to a hospital soon, at best she’ll lose an arm.”

“Don’t want that.” Leah tried to stay positive. “And at worst?”

“You’ll die.”

“What do I do?!” I murmured instinctively, sniffling through clenched teeth as I sat there in utter despair. “Mom!! Help me!! What do I do?!”

“Nobody cares about me in there, Candace. They aren’t coming out here, they’re too used to this.” Leah didn’t have time to tease or correct me even if she wanted to, and she didn’t. “I know this is hard, but I need you to go get your father.”

“Why?” I squeezed her left hand and she squeezed. “What’s he going to do?”

“Please, Candace.” She uttered a pained whine through her teeth. “Trust me.”

I reluctantly pulled myself away from her. She was right, I needed my father’s help. I thought I had been ready for this, but I wasn’t. Now my best friend had a hole in her torso and I had no clue how to help her.

“Okay.” I straightened myself back up, turning back inside to go get help. “Don’t die.”

“I’m me, remember?” She winked, coughing into her own hand. “You can’t get rid of me even if you tried.”

I choked on my own tears as I sprinted away from her. Leave it to her to always make me smile. “I’ll be right back.”

It was amazing that neither of them had died. I thought for sure seeing the flash had signalled a surefire death, but just when I thought there was nothing left for me, she saved my life.

Leah took a bullet to save my life. She was ready to get herself killed just to protect me. I owed her everything for that.

The second gunshot was her. She was just quick enough to retaliate before either of us could get shot again, and I was willing to bet that if she hadn’t been drunk that maniac would be dead. But instead he was laying on the ground in even worse shape than she was, struggling to breathe with a bullet in his lung. His life could be saved, I was sure of it, but only if I could save her first.

Click .

I had one foot through the door by the time I heard the sound of another gun, like a red flag going off inside of my brain. With my fingers around the handle I froze, able to feel the barrel pointed at me from behind.

In. Out. In. Out. Breathing nervously, I turned around to face it, looking the new gunman in the face.

“Don’t move.” Her hands shook, but were leagues stiller than I could have managed in a situation like hers. “Or I’ll shoot.”

Kneeling beside the dying boy, his slave pointed her owner’s gun straight at me. She had teary eyes, wet with pain and rage, suffering.

“Lucy.” I smiled kindly, trying to calm her down. “What name did your master give you, Barbie?”

“Don’t call me that!!” She clearly didn’t like the name. “Don’t move.”

“Oh please.” I muttered reactively, trying not to mock her. “You know you can’t kill me, Lucy.”

She just growled, growing angrier and angrier. “I can and I will.”

“Not while I have this.”

My other hand slowly slid into view, my fingers still curled around the controller to the metal band around her neck. She’d already almost died by it once tonight, she didn’t want to feel that again.

“We could both kill each other with one finger, Lucy.” I frowned, making sure my thumb was on the button. “And I don’t want you to die.”

“You don’t care about me.” She murmured. “You just care about yourself.”

“I care about a lot of things, Lucy. You don’t have to put up with him anymore.”

“If he dies I’ll just be killed!!”

“And it’ll be the same if he lives.”

I looked at the bloodied body of Xander Mallick, still barely breathing on the ground beside her. If I got my way, he’d be saved and punished, and that poor girl would never have to see him again. She didn’t have to be there for that.

“But only if we catch you.”

She lowered the gun as I spoke. I could see her gasp ever so slightly, glancing down at her master and then back at me, expectantly. Waiting for me to tell her what to do.

“Well, what are you waiting for?” I said it like it was an order. “Run.”

Slowly, she pointed the gun instead in self-defence, rising to her feet. Without a moment to waste I slipped back inside, shutting the door behind me as soon as I was safe. Every second counted, and as much as it pained me, I didn’t have time to help her. Not right now.

Slaves littered the ballroom, clearly quite on edge in comparison to the rich carefree escorts they were being forced to dance with, but focused on their own safety all the same. It wasn’t like they could do anything to help if they wanted to.

Not only was my sister still dancing without a care in the world, suddenly her parents were as well. There was no way that all of these guests managed to go without hearing the gunshots, they had just ignored them.

To hell with them though. My father might not care about Leah, but he cared about me. That was more than enough.

“Daddy.” I murmured as I approached him, desperate for his urgent attention. “I need your help.”

“Let me guess.” He smirked, having a wonderful time trying to speak while dancing. “Didn’t go as expected.”

“I screwed it up, okay?” I bit back my pride and admitted my own failure. “I need you to help me take care of it.”

“Just let him die.” He said without hesitation, rolling his eyes. “We’ll get someone to clean it up, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“I don’t care about him, dad.” I stomped, grabbing my father by the arm to get his attention. “It’s Leah.”

The dancing stopped. “What about her?”

“She’s been shot, dad.” I rubbed away the tears in my eyes. “She needs your help.”

My father’s carefree gaze took on a more serious expression as he slowed down, those cruel eyes of his looking me over. I was undamaged, but Leah was not. But before he could say anything at all, Lilith interrupted.

“Of course.” She said without a hint of surprise in her voice. “I’ve been saying all night that she was going to get herself killed.”

“And what would you know?” I snapped at her, eyes full of anger. “You’ve never cared about anyone but yourself.”

“That’s not true.”

Bang.

Another gunshot went off from right outside, this one striking a bit more concern in the hearts of many of the guests, not ready to deal with an ongoing threat.

“What was that?” I heard my sister say, finally unable to take it anymore. “What’s going on?”

“You’ll be fine, sweetie.” Lilith groaned at her, still firmly grasping her ex-husband’s arm. “Let it be.”

“No.” Claudia shook her head furiously, stepping away from the arms of her wife and their two slaves, Autumn and Darcey, now clinging to Josephine. “Everyone keeps telling me to calm down and relax, but every time I leave it up to someone else, something goes wrong. There are now gunshots outside of my home, what the hell is happening?”

“It’s Leah.” I blurted out, snarling at my sister and her mother. “She’s outside. She’s been shot.”

Claudia’s eyes went wide with concern, staring at Lilith in disgust as she began to hurry away from us, running towards the front door.

“It’ll be okay, Princess.” My father reassured me with a smile, straightening his suit out to keep up appearances. “I’ll take care of everything.”

I smiled back as he walked away, a weight lifted from my shoulders. “Thank you.”

He ran after my sister towards the scene of the crime, passing the stage up front and heading through the foyer. The guests were beginning to panic just a little bit, seeing their host and her father head outside towards the gunshots, but they waited on Lilith to do anything about it.

“Alright, fine.” Lilith groaned, rolling her eyes and giving up. “Lead the way.”

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By the time I’d returned with help, the nervous slave girl was already long gone.

And Xander Mallick had no head.

“She killed him.” I murmured under my breath, staring at the dead body in shock. I had a pretty good idea what that last gunshot had been about. “She actually killed him.”

There was no time to marvel at the sight of it. Shake it off and move on.

“Leah-” I crouched at her side again, squeezing her free hand once more. “I brought help, just like you asked.”

Lilith’s doctor was already examining Leah’s wounds by the time we’d gotten to her, and was currently busy dressing the wound to keep her from bleeding out.

“You’ve never been shot before in your life, Mrs. Watts.” My father remarked as he stood over her. “What went wrong here?”

Claudia gagged as she looked at the scene at her feet, locking eyes with the wounded Leah. “How did this happen?”

“It was my fault.” My voice shook with shame. “If I had just killed him when I was ahead, he wouldn’t have had the chance to shoot me.”

“Shoot you?” Lilith coughed, wiping her mouth with her handkerchief. “He shot you?”

“He tried.” I pointed at Leah’s wound. “Please. She saved my life.”

“You took a bullet for her?” My sister asked with surprise in her eyes. “Why would you do that?”

Everyone looked to Leah in accusation, waiting on her words. For her part, she looked like a ghost already.

“I don’t know.” She mumbled as her eyes drifted closed. “Because I love her?”

“Wait, no.” I cursed under my breath as she fell unconscious, barely able to hold on to my own sanity without losing it. “Please don’t leave me like mom did. I need you.”

“She’ll live.” My father grabbed me by the arm and violently pulled me away from her. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Dr. Renee gave my father a stern look. “We need to get her to a hospital.”

“The facility is close.”

“Then we’ll take her to the facility.”

“How long until an ambulance can be here?”

“No need.” She assured him. “My van is equipped for this, I just need a couple extra hands to help get her there.”

My heart ached as I heard a distinct lack of volunteers, desperately wanting to help her. But I couldn’t.

“Go with her, Aria.” Lilith relented, instructing her slave to leave with Leah. “Follow their instructions and make sure the girl is safe.”

“Are you sure, Ma’am?” Aria asked with a worried look on her face. “What about you?”

“I’ll be fine.” Lilith smiled, gently taking Claudia’s hand with hers. “I have my daughter here to take care of me.”

Seeing this surprised me. “I thought you hated Leah?”

“And I thought I wasn’t your daughter anymore.” Claudia said as she squeezed her mom’s hand. “I thought Candace was your new daughter.”

“If Candace can forgive you for what you did to her mom, so can I.” Lilith said as she squeezed back. “Besides, you were right. If anyone needs a mother there to look over her, it’s you. Candace already has one.”

“No she doesn’t.” Claudia said with a low growl, unable to look at either of us. “I killed her, remember?”

“Don’t say that, sweetheart.” Lilith extended a hand upwards towards her daughter, holding her hand to Claudia’s cheek. “I’m not talking about her.”

My hand clutched the chains around my neck, unable to find my mother’s cross. I had been so close to having it back, but I almost got myself killed in the process. All Leah wanted was to help me get it back, and I nearly lost her. “Mom…”

“Candace.” My father snapped me out of it. “Help me get her to safety.”

I shook free of my insecurities for the time being, supporting Leah’s left side as my father supported the side with her injury, helping her into the transport vehicle.

“Make sure she makes it through this alive.” My father snapped at the doctor. “If she dies on your watch I’ll strip you and your entire staff of your licenses.”

“Yes, Sir.” Dr. Renee said as she climbed into the back with her patient, closing the door behind her.

“And you.” My father turned to Aria. “Start the car.”

“Just a sec, Sir.” She smiled before stepping in front of me, whispering her goodbyes. “I promised Chloe I’d dance with her if no one else came along. Promise to do that for me?”

“Promise.” I said as I embraced her one last time. “Thank you.”

All that was left were family matters.

“Sorry that I have to leave so soon.” He said, standing beside the passenger seat. “I wish I could have stayed to see tonight’s conclusion.”

“It’s okay, dad.” I blushed. “Thank you for helping me with Leah.”

“Anything for you, Princess. As long as you’re safe.”

“I can’t do this, dad. I can’t be your heiress.”

“You’re the only person who can be my heiress, Candace. I won’t take no for an answer.” He said as he reached into his jacket. “And neither will you.”

My father held a gun towards me, forcing it into my clutch.

“Daddy.” I held it in my shaking hand. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“Because you’re my heiress, Princess. I want you to have the power of an heiress.” My father gave me one last hug and kiss goodbye. “It’s yours now. Do what you want, and don’t take no for an answer. We own the world, you and I. Not them. Us.”

I stared at it, menacing back at me. “I’m not going to need your help, father. I can lead this family on my own.”

“Maybe someday, Princess.” He smirked. “But not today.”

I fished for a place to slot the gun into my purse, retrieving the tape that my sister had created to help fake Chloe’s death. He wanted it on his desk before the night was over, so now was as good a time as ever to give it to him.

“Here.” I held it out for him to take. “Here’s the footage of Chloe’s death. I picked it up while I was sneaking around. I was hoping she’d be here, but this was all I could find.”

“I don’t need it.” He held his palm out to stop me, refusing to take it. “If you say she’s dead, I’ll believe you.”

No matter how much I insisted on giving it to him, he wouldn’t budge. “I thought you wanted proof.”

“That is proof.” He grinned, pushing it back into my chest. “Take it. You might want to keep her last moment’s for yourself.”

Blushing, I looked into my father’s eyes as he left, and he winked at me. Dad was always a step ahead of me, and I both loved and hated him for that. He was just a little bit like Chloe, always playing games, always a challenge.

Finally, only about fifteen minutes after she’d been shot, Leah was on her way to the hospital. I watched them go by as they drove away, hoping that she and Aria would be fine in my father’s hands, before it was eventually time to go back inside.

I stepped back onto my stage, the foyer, overlooking all of the guests still enjoying themselves long since the sun had set on us all. Now that my father and his assistant were gone, there was only one thing left to do.

And only one woman standing in my way.

“Before I’m finished for the night.” I said to anyone left in the ballroom who could hear me. “I would like to encore with a song that hopefully you haven’t heard just yet.”

“What are you planning on doing, sweetie?” Lilith called to me from the floor ahead. “Sing things better?”

“If I have to.” I responded from the head of the room, smiling nervously. “Yes.”

“Let her sing.” I heard my sister from the crowd, once again holding her wife by the shoulders. “I want to hear it.”

I blushed, happily rolling my eyes at her. There was no backing out of it now. I had to sing.

“I wrote this song myself. And I would like to dedicate it to someone very special to me.”

It was all mine. Every word, sound, and syllable were all mine. I’d never had the confidence to sing to her like this, and I still didn’t. I’d always feared rejection from her, like she’d expected from me. There was only one way to win her heart back, and it was opening mine up to her. I couldn’t pretend she wasn’t special anymore.

So I sang my heart out, and the band began to play, doing their best to find music to accompany my dumb little song. Something I wrote just for her.

My eyes gazed towards the chandelier, caught on the thought of getting to dance with her under those low lights. What I wouldn’t give to be here with her right now. The band was loud, blocking out the sound of everything else throughout the house, above and below. All I had to do was sing louder.

Hopefully she could hear my voice.

“I asked if you wanted to go.”

“I told you to make me your home.”

“But even when our fate seemed unknown.”

“I’ve never stopped thinking of you as my own.”

“Ask again and I know what I’ll say.”

“Forever regret letting you walk away?”

“Not today.”

“You’re here to stay.”

“We’ve both changed a lot since back then-”

“And even though life is cruel now and again-”

“The answer is no~”

“I won’t let you go~”

“There’s one thing I want you to know.”

“I’m ready to make you my home.”

“So you’ll just have to pardon my tone.”

“I can’t stand the thought of you dying alone.”

“I know I’m not easy to bear.”

“But I want this life to be one we can share.”

“You’ll be free~”

“When you’re with me~”

“We’re stronger than we’ve ever been-”

“So even if this means beginning again-

“The answer is no~”

“I won’t let you go~”

Those were the words I wanted Chloe to hear, and this time they came out easier. More heart. More emotion. More love.

Crying eyes drifted back to the sight of my sister and her lover dancing under the lights above, happily embracing each other with a kiss that burned with passion, earning the attention of the entire ballroom around them, admiring the two women and their love.

Then there was a loud sound from above.

And in the blink of an eye, those glistening lights of that perfectly beautiful chandelier high in the sky atop us came spinning towards us like shooting stars as the whole thing came crashing down onto the ballroom below.

It collapsed with a volcanic sound of glass shattering and metal snapping, landing right on top of where Claudia and Josephine had previously danced their hearts out.

But before anyone could question what had happened, a familiar little face came sliding safely down the cable which the fixture had been supported by. The one face I wanted to see.

I locked eyes with her at once, those pretty hazel lights of hers shining right back at me as she smiled, giving me nothing else but a finger against her lip telling me to hush as she winked.

And I couldn’t help but smile back as I saw her.

“Chloe.”