A Shade of Kiev 2 by Bella Forrest Page A

times like this.
    I felt him sigh against my neck.
    “When we were frivolous children? No.”
    I reached for one of his large hands and held it in mine. I stretched out his palm, spreading out his long fingers, and stared at it.
    “I liked you better then.”
    There was a pause. He reached around my midriff and flipped me over so that I was facing him. Propping his head up on the pillow, he looked down at me, his hand resting on my thigh. His face was stern, eyes intense as ever.
    “I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve with this conversation. Just promise not to leave me again. All right?”
    I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest.
    He planted a kiss on my forehead and extinguished the bedside light.
    Give it up, Mona. He’s too far gone.
    As you will be soon.

Chapter 17: Kiev
    H elina and Erik appeared on the beach soon after the ship disappeared from view. The three witches stood by their side.
    “What the hell was that?” I bellowed.
    I ran up to them and gripped Erik’s shoulders, shaking him.
    “I trusted you,” I shouted, blood spraying on his face as I broke down coughing.
    Helina looked down at me worriedly. Erik kept his expression stiff. Neither answered my question.
    “Tell me!” I gasped, coughing still consuming my dry throat.
    Their arms wrapped through mine as they lifted me up to support me. I broke away from them and fell back to my knees, refusing to move anywhere until I had answers.
    “I’m sorry, Kiev,” Helina whispered, bending down to place a gentle hand on my back. “It was for your own good.”
    “What?”
    “You can’t have a foot on both islands. You can’t be loyal to two opposing sides.”
    “What are you talking—”
    “You’re either with us, or you’re with him,” Erik said. “We decided to make the decision for you. Once you’ve calmed down, you’ll realize it was easier this way. Would you choose Matteo over your brother and sister?”
    “Are you two insane? Who says I have to choose either one?”
    Erik and Helina exchanged glances.
    “It’s the rules,” Helina muttered.
    “Rules? Whose rules?” I roared.
    “You’ll find out soon enough,” Erik said.
    “Are you not Lord and Lady of these thugs?”
    They responded with more silence.
    Their nonsensical speak and refusal to acknowledge their atrocious act drove me to the brink of reason. I reached out and grabbed Erik’s foot, knocking him to the floor. Climbing onto him, I brought a fist down against his face.
    “No, Kiev! Stop it!” Helina cried. “Don’t take it out on your brother.”
    Helina and the three witches all grabbed me at once, hauling me off Erik.
    “Then who am I to take it out on?” I glared up at my sister. Had she been a man, I would have punched her too.
    “I’m sorry, Kiev,” Erik said, getting back to his feet, wiping blood from his nose. “I know this is rough.”
    They both bent down and attempted to lift me to my feet again. I shoved them away and staggered to my feet without their help. I raced back to The Black Bell and locked myself in my cabin.
    I didn’t speak a word to anyone for the whole journey. Helina knocked on my door at one point, but I ignored her.
    What would drive them to do this?
    The question repeated over and over again in my head as I tried to make sense of their insane decision. I wondered if the witches had anything to do with it.
    By the look on Celice’s face, it appeared that she hadn’t been informed of the plan beforehand. She appeared frustrated and angry that her scheme to escape alone with me had yet again been foiled. If anything, it would have been her two elder sisters behind it.
    But why? What rules?
    When we arrived back at The Shade, this time it was no surprise to me when my headache and coughing vanished. I raced out of the ship before I could bump into my siblings and ran straight to my room, the horrors of the night still playing fresh in my mind.
    The more I thought about the events of the evening, the more