#Chapter 8 A gift from the king

I closed my eyes, bracing for pain or more yelling. I heard a loud crack and a shriek of pain as I tried to get my heart to calm down. Candido’s scent filled my nose as I buried my face in the fabric of the back of his suit and breathed. Candido was here. I was safe. I would always be safe if he was here. When I opened my eyes, a security officer of Team Gamma was standing between Candido and Bella. She was crumpled on the ground, holding her wrist and wailing in agony. Tears rolled down her face as she gasped and shuddered on the ground. The officer turned his head just slightly, never turning his gaze from Bella. “Will that be sufficient, Your Majesty?” Bella shuddered and lifted her head. She glared at me through the curtain of her hair that was still a bit wet from the wine she’d spilled on herself. My mother’s necklace glinted in the low light as it swung, and she heaved. “I’m going to make your life a living hell, Hedy!” She shrieked. “For n