The Mask and the Chains
The cold marble floor was unforgiving, but exhaustion had finally pulled Tessa under sometime before dawn. When her eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw wasn’t the ornate ceiling of her suite…
It was Blake.
He was standing just right in front of bed— or rather, on the floor where she had fallen asleep last night wrapped up in a blanket, still putting on the clothes she had on since last night. He never bothered to knock, not even clearing his throat, hadn’t done anything to make her notice his presence. His presence felt like a ghost appearing from the thin air.
“You’re awake.” His tone was flat, and his face unreadable. “Get up. We have an official event tonight. You’ll be dressed up by Adrian. Don’t make me repeat myself.”
Tessa staggered herself upri
