New Wings

Chapter 12

Levana-

Levana was used to dealing with scandal; that was inevitable in her position. Rarely did she successfully avoid the press or someone tailing her. The key was not giving them anything to talk about. So stone cold and proud, that was her appearance. The press never tried hard with her, because she never changed. There was never a wild moment with Levana. She was cunning, and certainly not predictable, but never wild. Never plain either. She was Levana, and there simply was no other way of describing her.

So when her father shoved the newspaper bearing Kai's face in the headlines, she had to leave the room to read it. Within the privacy of her penthouse suite she could really think, and really feel.

With a slim excuse she left the fuming mayor, seeking her sanctuary.

The second the door closed, everything switched. Clean nails cut into her skin, perfectly white teeth bit hard into each other as she grit hard. The newspaper crumbled under her fist.

Slow, easy breaths. That was her trick. After a few moments of nothing but her chest slowly rising and falling, the newspaper was opened to reveal Kai standing outside the county jail, looking incredibly suspicious. Even now it was hard to hate her fiance when he looked like that. The photographer had caught the perfect picture, with Kai's dark eyes peering over his shoulder to look back at the camera. Thick hair was thrown to the side of his face, and a ghost of a smile tugged his lips. Through the thick coat it was easy to see the sharp muscles of his lean figure. If it wasn't for his insufferable honesty and goodwill, marrying him might have its perks.

But the photo still would raise questions, regardless of how attractive he was. The crowd would be left in doubt, and it could be her undoing. Especially after the rally, and the unexpected death of that brat, the sister of the missing troublemaker. The newsie they called Cinder had openly challenged her and her father several times, and it had almost been a relief to hear he'd gone missing.

Who knows how Cinder would react when he found out about his sister's death. Things were certainly going to get a little messy around here. She narrowed her eyes at the paper spitefully before crumbling it into bits and shoving it down the trash. Levana had solved bigger problems in the past. This one would just take a little help.

As if on que, a knock sounded from the door. She scrambled to correct her posture and dress, which had pulled up to one side running here.

"Who is it?" She called, forcing her voice to remain cool, when in reality she was seething.

"The Le Courtier's, Madam. Here on urgent business." The butler sounded stiff and professional, but Levana could see right through him. Most of her family and acquaintances hated the couple, for several reasons. She, on the other hand, considered herself to be a dear friend of Mrs. Le Courtier.

"Show them in please!" Knowing they only ever came with good news, Levana felt her spirits lift a little.

Mr. Le Courtier entered first, his wife trailing behind.

"We need to ask a favor of you, Lady Levana." He certainly wasn't one for camaraderie. Levana could feel her smile fall off, replaced with a thin line of distaste.

"Richard, we know each other well enough to know that I don't handle favors. For anyone."

He nodded impatiently, tired of her game.

"Yes, unless there's something in it for you."

She smirked to hide her surprise. The Le Courtier's handled their business very privately. It was unheard of that they were offering something like this to her.

"And what would that be? There is little more I could want at the moment."

A complete, horrific lie. She wanted Cinder dead. She wanted to be mayor without her father getting in the way. She wanted the newsies controlled, the press abolished. She...she wanted Kai to fall for her.