The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 188

Liora’s POV

“I wonder when they’ll lift the lockdown.” Pressing her forehead to the glass, Mia traced her finger wistfully across the frosty windowpane and sighed before limping back to her bunk. She flopped down with a huff and picked up the book she’d been reading, only to toss it aside again exactly two seconds later and roll onto her back with her arms stretched out wide. “I’m so bored!”

“Take a nap or something,” I suggested.

“I tried, but I can’t sleep with you walking around like that, making the floorboards creak!”

Mia was right; I’d been pacing all morning and most of last night. I couldn’t rest, not when I couldn’t think about anything except for those two girls who were still missing.

For all we knew, they were long gone by now. Dead. Probably eaten by the rogues. Or worse—they were being tormented, held captive, used for their bodies. We had no way of knowing, but none of the possibilities were good.

And I knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was all my fault.

Last night, I had received a mindlink from my father—the first since he had left to return to the palace.

“Liora?” he had said. “Liora, are you alright? I heard the news.”

I had opened my eyes abruptly in the dark room. Mia had been sleeping beside me, mouth open, snoring loudly from laying on her back. She still had to keep her ankle elevated, so she couldn’t roll over, and the noise was keeping me awake.

“I’m fine,” I replied. “But those other girls—”

“I know. I heard they were taken.”

I passed my hands over my face. “I tried to save Bella, Dad. I forgot I couldn’t shift, but… It didn’t matter anyway. The rogue just shoved me aside like I was in the way. I swear it was specifically looking for her.”

There was a long silence. I feared my father had something come up and wouldn’t answer at all. But finally, his voice came back through the mindlink. It was deeper and more worried than before.

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