Chapter 56 

~Valeria ~ “I’m worried,” I tell Raphael, pacing from one side of the room to the other. “I know. Me too. But my father seems confident, which means he has a plan.” “They’re really going to let Astaroth in with his men?” “Yeah. He’s also bringing his family, which means, hopefully, if he’s not a complete monster, he won’t do anything crazy.” “It still doesn’t calm my nerves.” “I know. Let’s head down.” He kisses my head, and we make our way to the dining hall for lunch. At the top of the stairs, a crowd waits, tense and silent, for the enemy King’s arrival. Jade stands among them. When her eyes catch mine, she turns fully to face me. “I wanted to speak to you,” she says. “Oh. What?” I don’t hide my distaste. She pauses, as if she doesn’t know where to begin. Raphael stands behind me, caressing my back and waiting. “T—thank you for not letting me die. For not letting Grimm kill me,” she says. “That was your fault, you know?” “I know.” “The way you treat people can come back to bite you