Series: Cobalt Empire Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 234
Estimated words: 226965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1135(@200wpm)___ 908(@250wpm)___ 757(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 226965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1135(@200wpm)___ 908(@250wpm)___ 757(@300wpm)
“For you, I would’ve knocked them all down already if I could.”
“I believe it.” I gaze up at the never-ending rows of books. “I want to leave all this torment behind, all the terrible things that’s etched fear into me, but it seems so…so hard.” I lock eyes with my most unburdened brother. “‘What’s past is prologue.’” He knows this is from The Tempest.
“Only if you let it be.” Eliot squeezes my shoulder. “And if we’re living in a Shakespearean tale, your story won’t be the tragedy, little brother. We won’t let it go dark.”
The potent sentiment carries me into the dining room. I take my seat near the seitan. Dad comes to my end of the table again, but this time, I’m not on edge.
“Opening remarks have commenced,” Mom says as she lowers in her chair.
I’m about to reach for my goblet, preparing for Eliot to bang a foot against the table. Then I solidify—because Beckett moves first. This…never happens. He stacks his bowl onto his dishes, shifts the silverware aside, and then with so much grace, he steps onto his chair. Then the table.
Beckett is standing on the table. Air knocks out of my lungs as his commanding eyes drop to mine, a smile inside them. “Ensemble.”
Together.
Audrey is quick to hop up on the table next. Her gaze falls keenly to me. “Ensemble.”
I scoot back as emotion barrels into my chest. This isn’t just the rallying cry of my family. This is a word spoken to me when I was a little kid. When I packed my bag to run away from home because I felt like I didn’t belong. They each, one by one, stood on the table and reminded me I always did.
Now we’re grown.
And I watch as Eliot climbs onto the surface, clattering the dishware and tipping over goblets. Towering as a grin glitters his eyes. “Ensemble.”
Then Tom flicks a lighter closed as he rises beside Eliot. He looks only at me. Nods to me. “Ensemble.”
Jane lifts her tulle skirt as she goes from chair to table. Spinning to stare down my end. To face me as her lips lift and her breezy voice fills my ears. “Ensemble.”
Charlie is the last of my siblings seated. Just like when we were kids, he’s the last to stand.
He snuffs a cigarette on his plate, then puts one foot on the chair, one on the table. Because he turns back around. And extends a hand to me. “Ensemble.” Together.
My eyes sting, and there is no question, no hesitation, no reluctance inside me. I grab my oldest brother’s hand—the brother I might always disagree with but will always love—and I rise with him.
“Toujours,” I promise. Always. My smile ignites my whole soul on fire. “Ensemble.”
62
HARRIET FISHER
By Friday, everything is happening at once. I almost believe I pulled a Dorothy, got swept up into a tornado, might’ve knocked myself out. Sure, I’m not in a magical land where witches ride in pink bubbles—and the lions I know aren’t cowardly—but I am in the Honors House.
Fairytales.
I think today I am slowly accepting that I might be living mine.
“It’s perfect you could move in so fast,” Kiki Kershaw says after showing me into my room. I try my best to lock eyes with her and not gawk at my new surroundings. “Most everyone is headed home for winter break. I’ll be in Cleveland on Monday, but there’s a few stragglers who always stay here for the holidays. Guy, among them. Do you have plans? I can let him know if you’ll be here.”
I’m blown over knowing that I was never going to be alone for the holidays this year. Even if Ben had chosen to be at the lake house.
“I’ll be in Philly.” I pause.
If I mention Ben, is it a braggy name-drop?
Fuck it. I’m name-dropping my boyfriend. “I’m spending the holidays with my boyfriend and his family. I’m dating Ben Cobalt so…” My face is red-hot, mostly because I’ve never publicly declared myself as taken, and it’s weird but also…I kind of love it. I love belonging to someone. I love how that someone is Ben.
I love that he also belongs to me.
Kiki nods into a laugh. “I knew it. I knew it. Wait, wait”—she raises a protective, serious hand—“he’s not still with Kappa Phi? I heard he dropped out, but you need to be very careful, Harriet. They will try to sleep with Honors House girls just to fulfill this ridiculous frat bet.”
Looks like the bet isn’t so secret after all. “I heard about that one.”
“You did?” She’s genuinely shocked but doesn’t ask who told me.
Though it might be obvious it’s Ben. The loyal parts of me are still vitally intact, and I’d never throw him under, even if this bus isn’t moving fast enough to kill.
I nod in confirmation. “But Ben isn’t in the frat. So he has no big ties to KPD anymore.”