The Edge (Book 5 of The Claiming Series)

Chapter Seven

Everyone is gaping at me when I turn my gaze back to them. Just then, my stomach starts feeling queasy. I put my hand on my forehead when I start to feel lightheaded immediately after. I've been getting this way when situations become overwhelming like they did during the press conference the day before Eli and the others returned. "I'm going to go lie down in my room for a bit before the court meeting." I look at Angel. "Please don't let him do anything rash to Oliver without my approval as well."

She nods. "Sure."

Angel and I have had an understanding for quite some time ever since she accepted me as Eli's girlfriend. Now, I have complete faith in her that she won't let her son get carried away with his temper.

"Eris, Ruth, can you both walk with me?" I ask.

Lily stops them from taking a step by jumping in front of me. "What's wrong with you?" The scowl on her face is nothing like the Lily I knew before we took her to the farm.

"Excuse me?"

"This looks even worse now. You're acting like the fact that this guy is in love with you means absolutely nothing."

"It's unfortunate," I say, taking a step back. "But he admitted that he knows I love Eli, and he seemed to accept that."

"Do you?"

"Huh?"

Lily steps closer and pokes me in the collar bone with her finger. "Do you love my brother?"

I bat her hand away from me. "Of course, I do. Stop questioning me over this. I spent three months wondering if he was dead or alive, and if my baby would be the only piece of him I'd have left."

Lily crosses her arms over her chest. "I still don't believe that baby's his. When I was three months pregnant, I was way bigger than that."

I throw my hands up and let them fall back down to my sides. "Well, excuse me for not meeting everyone's pregnancy expectations! You heard what my doctor said, and whether you believe it or not is not my problem."

Eris grabs my shoulders from behind and spins me around. "Come on, let's go."

Ruth was behind me, too, but she walks past me toward Lily. I hear her voice as Eris ushers me down the corridor back toward the entrance hall.

"You need to leave her alone," Ruth says to her sister in a hiss. "She's been a wreck without Eli, but the kingdom has never been better, so shut up and get over yourself."

"Since when were you guys friends?"

"Don't worry about it. I don't care if you're upset that she's queen and you're not, but stop picking on her. She has enough on her plate."

I don't hear what Lily or Ruth say after that. When Eris and I reach the stairs of the entrance hall, I hear Ruth jogging to catch up to us. "Sorry," she says to me.

"Thanks for sticking up for me back there. You really didn't need to."

We start to climb the stairs together. Ruth sighs. "My sister's been snippy with everyone since she came back. I think she's remembering that if she hadn't gone to the farm, she'd be queen by now. Maybe seeing you as queen instead of her rubs her the wrong way... especially since you're the one who sent her there."

I stop midway up the steps. "I never thought about that."

Ruth shrugs and touches my arm to keep me going. "You saved her, really. Who knows what would have happened to her if she'd been here when the ColdBloods killed my father? They probably would have taken her or killed her since she was known to be next in line. And then there's the obvious... she was pregnant, and she wasn't married to the father, which wouldn't have gone over well with Mom or Dad at the time, especially since she was promised to that other guy."