Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
He finished the rest of the leg, eating everything down to the bone. Juice dripped from his lips, and he didn’t bother to wipe his mouth even though the linen was right on the table. “Because Rutherford was in charge—and I had to bide my time. Now that you’re of age, it’s time.”
“I think we should wait until Ivory returns. She can marry Maddox. No one has to die.” It was all a ploy to stall, to spare myself from marrying a woman I didn’t even know. Ivory was already married, but that fact didn’t matter right now.
“Who knows when she’ll return.”
“You could send men to find her, just the way you did with me.”
“Remember how that worked out? All of them are dead—because of you.”
I felt like shit about that, but I also felt worse that he was willing to send an army after me but not his daughter.
“You’re going to the Capital next week. Break it off with the girl.”
I stared at my full plate, unsure what to do. There was no way I was ending things with Effie. But I didn’t know how to get out of this either. I could just be a dick to Elizabeth so she wouldn’t accept my marriage proposal. That was the only solution I could think of. “Father…there’s something I’ve been meaning to discuss with you.”
He grabbed his next piece of meat and ate with his hands.
“I understand the lottery serves a greater purpose to us all. But that solution is temporary, and over the course of time, it’s costly. Lottery winners are selected every two weeks, so over the course of decades, that’s a lot of people that are leaving Delacroix.”
“If you’re worried about population control, we’ve got too many people as it is.”
“I’m more concerned about the morality of the situation.”
He stopped eating and gave me his direct stare.
“Necrosis is an enemy always sitting just on the horizon. They haven’t provoked us yet, but they could defeat everyone at the bottom of the cliffs at some point, and then we’ll be next—”
“Your imagination is running wild right now.”
“It’s not my imagination. It’s a possibility. And if that happens, we won’t be able to fight them.”
“We’ll be long dead and gone if that ever happens.”
“But what about my children? And their children?” The man I’d admired most of my life looked totally different to me now. He was truly selfish. Was truly indifferent to the plights of other people. A ruler should care more about his citizens than himself.
“I live in the moment, Ryker. Not the past. Not the future.”
Roughly translated, I don’t give a shit about anybody but my wine and my whores. “I think it’s something we should be concerned about. I think if we unite all our forces, there’s a chance we can defeat Necrosis—”
“Where is all this hogwash coming from?” He pivoted in the chair and stared at me head on. “You’re fucking a girl who wins the lottery, and now your world view is upside down. Is that the woman staying in your quarters?”
Shit.
“Because if it is, I’ll push her throat down on my blade.”
“It’s not.” I blurted out the answer with confidence and held his gaze like my life depended on it. “Knowing someone who won the lottery did make me question everything. I wasn’t able to save her, but the impression she left on me was eternal. I’m just suggesting an alternate course of action, because what we’re doing right now is buying us time, not fixing the problem.”
He seemed to believe me because he faced forward again. “No.”
I knew my father would be unresponsive to the suggestion, but I didn’t anticipate his coldness. I didn’t suspect it would unveil his true character, the character that had always been there but I’d never noticed. Or didn’t want to notice. “Father—”
“When we were stuck down there and the Rolfes ruled the Kingdoms, do you think they gave a damn about us?”
His gaze was so sharp it scratched my eyeballs.
“They let us suffer. Let all of us suffer. So you’re damn right I’ll do the same. I’m not going to risk my life and everything I’ve worked so hard for to march on an enemy that can’t even touch me. They can all be damned for all I care.”
I pulled my shirt off and tossed it aside. My boots were kicked off next, my breeches afterward. Walking through my bedchamber, I ripped everything off as I went along, not even noticing Effie at the dining table.
“What happened?”
My glass of wine was still where I’d left it, so I downed the rest of it before I took a seat. “Just a bunch of bullshit.”
Her eyes softened with pity. She looked even more beautiful when she did that, empathetic. “I’m sorry.”
“He wants me to go to the Capital next week. That’s when I’ll get you settled into your new place.”