For some girls, age eighteen is the magical age of freedom and independence. For Aerys, turning eighteen means an arranged marriage to a man she's never met before, leaving the only home she's ever known, and accidentally discovering things she never knew about the world, about her family, and about herself, things that have been lurking beneath the surface all along. However, each new discovery brings new questions with it, and the answers could lead in some very dangerous directions. She and her fiancé, Dmitri, must decide whether or not to find the answers to these questions and what to do with the knowledge they gain. To change the game instead of living by others' rules, they must look beyond what they see.

Look Beyond What You See

"What in blazes is this?!" a British male voice demands loudly, dragging me out of an unusually restful slumber. Do I want to know who that is? Doesn t matter. I m awake now, and I ll have to fact him eventually.

Wesley stands in the doorway to my chamber, irate and glaring at me.

"Whatever do you mean?" I inquire sleepily as I try to stretch, only to be prevented by a warm, restraining weight around my middle. Something behind me stirs--Dmitri. That s what.

"What the…OH. Father, I swear, this isn t…what it looks like," Dmitri adds, startled awake. Don t bother, Dmitri. It s too late.

"Not what it looks like?!" Wesley storms over to the bed and yanks Dmitri out of it by one arm, causing his son to yelp. I wish I could melt away into the mattress. "Fie, boy, you d best have a better explanation than that for turning up in your fiancée s bed the morning after the ball celebrating your engagement. Couldn t wait until the actual wedding, could you, eh lad?"

Chapter 23 Discovered