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  She crossed the room at high speed, bounding toward me and my heart leapt.

  “I’ll keep quiet because I hear you have company, but I’m not going anywhere,” Felix promised through the earpiece.

  My gaze shifted up when Elle appeared behind me in the mirror’s reflection. She focused on my eyes a moment and I didn’t understand why.

  “Brown,” she quipped. “I like them much better this way.”

  It dawned on me that the last time she’d seen me, I was still wearing the red contacts that made passing as an Ianite possible.

  Until it wasn’t.

  I was just about to thank her, as odd as that felt, but she cut me off before I had the chance.

  “Your eyes may be gorgeous, but this?” she said, gesturing toward my hair. “This is all wrong.”

  Before I could protest, I was turned straight ahead to watch her from the mirror again. The ponytail was undone and she pushed my dark waves over my shoulder, running the brush through it until I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. Our gazes locked and I didn’t blink.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  That smile never left her. “Just trying to help,” she offered.

  Before letting her go, I snatched the brush from her hand, despite her tight grip.

  “I’ve been doing my own hair for quite some time now,” I hissed. “Pretty sure I can manage.”

  Her expression faltered, but only a little. Still, it was unnerving to think that she, a machine no less, had taken my words to heart, considering she didn’t actually have one.

  “I didn’t mean any harm,” she piped, giving me a look I equated to someone trying to save face.

  I didn’t take my eyes off her until she took a few steps back.

  “Well … I came because the prince asked me to have a word with you before your day gets started,” she explained, that chipper tone returning, but more solemn now. “There’s been a new development, and he thought the news might be better coming from me.”

  Once I finished securing my ponytail for a second time, I turned to face her, beyond curious as to what this was about.

  “I’m listening,” I said, knowing Felix was doing the same.

  “The others arrived last night to discuss matters with Prince Julian,” Elle began, but I cut her off immediately.

  “The others?”

  She nodded once. “Yes. The other princes,” she clarified. “As you may have noticed, the four are incredibly close, behaving more like brothers than friends. So, it was expected they’d come by to assist Prince Julian as he weighed his options.”

  My stomach churned with that word.

  Options.

  They’d sat around and discussed my fate, deciding whether I should live or die because, at some point in history, someone had decided to place this kind of power in their hands.

  It sickened me.

  Both fists tightened at my sides and I fought the urge to charge from the room in search of Julian, ready to pick a fight I knew I couldn’t win. Still, depending on what Elle said next, it might be worth a try.

  “Actually, they stayed overnight to make sure things went smoothly today,” she added.

  Remaining silent, I was suddenly aware of just how much power and authority dwelled under this one roof. This bit of info made me think better of the idea to read Julian the riot act.

  Not that I was all that set on such a suicide mission before finding out there was not only one prince here, but four.

  “So, after much deliberation,” she went on, “a conclusion was reached.”

  Bile rose in my throat. “And what conclusion is that exactly?” The words left my mouth bitterly.

  “Well, with so many witnessing the event last night, and with the lie told to cover his tracks with the two sentinels, it seems that the path of least resistance is to have you legally labeled as a Doll,” Elle concluded like it was nothing. “His Doll.”

  That sick feeling returned and I was grateful I’d already been sitting. This couldn’t happen. I had a job to do, one so many relied on me for, and I couldn’t be effective sporting that dreaded barcode on my arm. It was more than just the mark of an Ianite Master. For me, it was the kiss of death.

  I rarely allowed myself to think of how important my role was to the cause, for fear of venturing toward a place of arrogance or self-importance, but I was aware. The hard work my team and I dedicated our lives to had snowballed into an entire movement of humans finally taking back some of their power. And with Liv, Felix, O.C., Alex, Banks, Jonesy and Shay being selfless by nature, they only supported me being made the face of the operation.

  So now, to think I’d be marred as a supporter of the Ianite way of life … I could hardly breathe.

  “I need a minute,” I replied, struggling to hold in a rush of tears.

  Elle seemed confused when I placed my hands on her shoulders and removed her from the room. I hightailed it into the bathroom next and shut the door behind me. Right after, my eyes flooded and there was no stopping it.

  Had it not been for the faint static in my ear, I might’ve thought Felix had left me with how quiet he was. But then his voice returned, and the sound of it was even more comforting than before.

  “… Cori?” he called faintly.

  I couldn’t respond. Never in my life had I ever felt so powerless. My parents had managed to instill a sense of strength and hope in me, during a time when we humans had been made to feel weak and hopeless. I couldn’t understand how it all fell apart.

  “You’re not in this alone,” Fe assured me, but … how could he say that? I was completely alone here, on the verge of being marked as property. At the thought of it, I scoffed with disbelief.

  “We’ll find a way to bring you home,” he promised. “But, in the meantime … I think your options are incredibly limited.”

  With those words, my gaze lifted to the mirror above the sink. “What are you saying?” I asked, being mindful to keep my voice down. “I should just let this happen?”

  “What I’m saying is that you’ve got two ways out of this. Either you let them mark you, which doesn’t change who you are, or how we feel about you. Or,” he went on, “You can protest this, make such a fuss that they say to hell with it and turn you over to the magistrates.”

  My heart raced a mile a minute as I considered what Felix said, knowing he was completely right, but it didn’t make it easier to accept.

  “Do this, Cori. Accept the mark, choose to live, and we’ll figure out a way to bring you home,” he repeated.

  The idea of home made my heart ache, made me long to return to our elaborate bunker with no running water, shoddily rigged electricity, and limited resources. I’d choose that any day over … this. All the luxuries in the world meant nothing if you didn’t have your family.

  “Tell everyone I love them,” I choked out.

  “Don’t give up, Cori,” were Felix’s last words before I removed the com from my ear and tucked it inside my pocket when I stood.

  My steps toward the bedroom door were slow, but when I opened it, I wasn’t surprised to find Elle parked right outside. She stood beside the guards tasked to watch me through the night, and apparently again into the morning.

  She looked me over, her gaze lingering on mine as I imagined she took in the sight of my red-rimmed eyes and the same redness that spread across my nose and cheeks.

  “You’ve been crying,” she stated with what nearly sounded like sympathy. “Is something wrong? Is there anything I can—”

  Lifting my hand, I cut her off, ignoring her attempt at coddling. There was only one thing that mattered in this world I didn’t belong in now. These people didn’t care about my feelings or what I wanted. All they cared about was that I bent to their will, abandoning my own.

  So, as much as it pained me, that’s exactly what I did.

  “Tell him I accept,” I answered, my voice strained. “I’ll … accept the mark.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

&nbs
p; Julian

  Three men sat surrounding me, all staring at the large clock on the wall with the same stoic expression. The rhythmic ticking nearly drove me mad as we waited.

  Silas and Roman were known to bridle their thoughts on occasion, but for Levi to have been silent was perhaps the most unnerving part about the entire process. They’d stuck around for moral support, knowing this morning would be a challenge. I couldn’t express how grateful I was for that.

  There was little more than an hour before I was expected in my father’s office. Hence the reason this business had to be settled beforehand.

  Two representatives from the magistrate’s office had come and gone. Their business interrupted Dr. Driskel’s examination, but the pair were anxious to do their work and leave. It was clear they believed their visit took precedence over Corina’s health exam, which came as no surprise.

  Once they initiated the transaction, it didn’t take long. Within half an hour, the paperwork was complete, and it was all official according to Ianite law. There were legitimate court documents stating that Corina was mine.

  The lie I told the night before was suddenly realized.

  What had I just done?

  Why had this inexplicable need to save her life caused me to put my own on the line?

  The contract between Corina and I acted as a binding agreement, affirming that I had not only the right, but the responsibility to control her, leaving me with the task of somehow taming the untamable. She was defiant, uncooperative, and a nuisance who would likely be the cause of us both somehow spending our lives in a prison cell.

  Or worse.

  Owning a Doll wasn’t something I ever desired, mostly because there was a stigma attached to the relationship that never appealed to me. I had enough on my plate without the added obligation of keeping up with a human who made it clear she didn’t want to be kept. The trouble she caused last night served as evidence that the newest member of my household and I were a match made in Hell.

  This fact was only proven when Elle reported back, stating that news of becoming a marked woman had brought Corina to tears.

  Unlike so many others, she didn’t seem to want this—didn’t want to be taken care of, given everything her heart desired, didn’t want to be spoiled. Instead, I could only guess she preferred to live a lesser life, preferred to return to wherever it was she’d come from before our paths crossed.

  But there had to be more to it, and the only reason I could come up with for someone being so adverse to the lifestyle of a Doll …was that she’d left someone behind.

  Someone she cared about and wanted to get back to soon.

  Unfortunately for her, our circumstances made that impossible. Whether we liked it or not, we were bound to one another.

  I ventured upstairs when it came time for the tattoo to be placed, watching from the hallway where no one noticed. I expected there to be one last fight as her shoulder was marked, but was surprised. She sat in an almost catatonic state as a woman inked her skin and moved her body into awkward positions like a mannequin. When it was done, Corina’s dark stare settled on the tattoo in silence.

  To those of us who observed, the mark was merely a barcode. One that, when scanned, would reveal she was mine to whoever inquired. However, as I stared at that somber expression, I had the feeling it symbolized something much deeper in her eyes.

  Unable to watch her mourn in ways I may never understand, I returned to the parlor with the others and … here we sat.

  Elle, too, came to join us, leaving Dr. Driskel and Corina in the Blue Suite where he’d moved on to the next phase of his medical evaluation. I killed time braving through the sludge of social media. There were so many twisted versions of last night’s events, but that was to be expected when I’d gone out of my way to confuse the entire world, desperate to keep them from knowing the truth.

  That, after being duped by a human girl, I then went on to claim her just to spare her life.

  At the sound of hinges groaning against the doorframe, we all did an about face—us four and Elle. Our gazes landed on Dr. Driskel when he entered carrying a file beneath his arm.

  “Is she okay now?” Elle blurted.

  Wringing her hands together at her midriff, she stepped closer, unable to hide her concern for our guest. Having been the one to witness Corina’s tears when being told she’d be a Doll, and then her despair after being marked, Elle’s own emotions were heightened.

  We didn’t get much female company around here, so it shouldn’t have surprised me that she’d taken to Corina so quickly, sympathized with her beyond my own comprehension.

  Dr. Driskel’s expression hadn’t changed since entering the room. He remained stone-faced and the mounting tension prompted Elle to pace.

  “Well, to start, the patient is … coping,” he huffed with an accent similar to Levi’s weaving through his sentence. It was heavy and boasting the traits of the old-world, synonymous with the Western Quadrant.

  “Is she speaking yet?” Elle piped.

  Doctor Driskel shook his head. “No.”

  Disheartened, Elle settled down again. My brothers sat, listening just like I did.

  “For the most part, her vitals appear to be relatively normal, but she’s extremely malnourished,” Driskel informed us.

  Elle passed a knowing glance my way when the doctor reiterated the very thing she stated upon Corina’s arrival.

  “But other than that, she’s healthy?” I asked, getting a strange readout from the doctor’s response. There seemed to be something he wasn’t saying.

  Dr. Driskel took a seat.

  “When you selected Corina for purchase, were any health concerns brought to your attention?” he asked.

  Seeing as how there was no selection or purchase, I could only respond one way.

  “I wasn’t made aware of any.”

  That answer seemed to be what he expected. “Well, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but after conducting a quick scan, I detected a strange anomaly in her brain waves.”

  I didn’t know what that meant. He’d come in with a peculiar metal box that contained a device I recognized as one used when donors had fallen ill, but I had no clue what sort of data it provided.

  Driskel cleared his throat. “Well, it seems your Doll suffers from a condition known as epilepsy. It means she’s prone to convulsions,” he clarified.

  Human ailments weren’t common knowledge, so he didn’t seem surprised by my obvious confusion.

  “My best guess is this information was intentionally withheld from you,” the doctor noted, “considering the strict selection process involved in the purchase of a Doll.”

  He was completely right about that. From what I heard, it wasn’t uncommon for a woman to be rejected for something as simple as having too many visible scars. I could only imagine a condition like this was one that would warrant a prompt disposal without thought.

  I stared at him, feeling tension spread across my brow.

  “This isn’t uncommon,” the doctor said next. “If I had to guess, she and her Madam are aware that flaws among Dolls are simply not tolerated.”

  I said absolutely nothing, taking a moment to let the doctor’s prognosis and his theory settle.

  “By law,” Driskel continued, “the purchase of a defective Doll whose seller failed to disclose her flaws to you at the time of selection means you’re free to dispose of her.”

  Levi, who’d been silent all this time, seemed to come alive with this realization, and I knew exactly what he was thinking. He saw this as a way out. I could easily use Driskel’s excuse to rid myself of the girl who’d been a thorn in my side nearly from the moment our paths first crossed. And while I should have jumped at this opportunity … it didn’t even feel like an option.

  When I didn’t show signs I’d take the bait, Levi’s brow knitted together as confusion set in.

  Elle passed a frantic glance my way before stepping forward.

  “But … but epilepsy isn
’t even terminal,” she piped, pleading Corina’s case. “Getting rid of her is a bit drastic. Don’t you think, Your Highness?”

  For whatever reason, she’d taken a liking to Corina already, and seemed determined to defend her, even if the affection wasn’t mutual.

  I turned from Elle and addressed Driskel again. “What about long term?” I asked. “Is this something that will worsen with time?”

  “That’s not likely. Chances are, she’s dealt with this from childhood already, so the spells aren’t likely to increase or decrease in frequency.”

  This put a spin on our dilemma I hadn’t foreseen. Already, I was dreading the burden of caring for a human. And now … she would have special needs beyond the usual.

  “The decision is yours,” Driskel reiterated. “If you’d like, I can take care of this right away. One simple injection and she’d be out of your hair. From there, my orderlies waiting outside can load her body into the van for disposal,” he added with a sinister smile. “It would be like she never happened.”

  Elle was completely still beside me and I knew Driskel’s dark statement hadn’t sat well with her. I shielded her from a lot, so she hadn’t been tainted by much of the harsh realities of our world. She was compassionate almost to a fault, almost childlike. So, it went without saying, she only tolerated the doctor’s crassness because she knew those were the rules and I wouldn’t have it any other way. One of her primary charges was to respect our guests.

  Silas stood and took slow steps toward the window, folding both arms as he stared across the lawn. His expression wasn’t visible as he stood with his back to me, but I was well-versed in reading him. The doctor’s suggestion hadn’t seemed to be sitting well with him either. He’d been strangely optimistic where Corina had been concerned. In the few instances where someone suggested I rid myself of her, he staunchly disagreed.

  “So, what will it be?” Driskel inquired, his intense glare stayed trained on me.

  From the start, I hadn’t done any of the ‘right’ things when it came to Corina—from putting my neck on the line to save hers, lying for her. While I had no idea what the full scope of this condition would be, I couldn’t bring myself to take the easy way out now.