Page 7 of Desperately Yours

Her mother took over, detailing the efforts on the other side and what it felt like to hear her little girl’s voice. I forced back my tears because in my memory, it was different. Leila had to stand on me to get closer to them. My every thought went towardher rescue. If I wasn’t going to make it, I planned to be sure she would. Not once in my life had I faced my mortality like that. My body shifted like it had every intention of fleeing, but I forced myself to stay, even though I felt like I was bursting out of my own skin.

“And you, Michaela? They didn’t hear from you at first. Were you worse off than little Leila?”

As if living the moment again, my mouth went dry. I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t pull myself from the memories that threatened to collapse on me like the cavern of dirt.

Leila answered for me. “She was so cold. I was scared. She talked with me in the beginning. Told me stories and helped me sleep. But at the end, she stopped talking and got so cold.”

I had to leave. I couldn’t endure another second. The weight of the combined stare of the entire country would not relent. Like a caged animal, my heart pounded in my chest. There was no escape. My vision blurred and swayed. No way out. Palms sweaty, I wiped them on my pants, but it didn’t help. I was trapped again. Suffocating under the scrutiny of thousands. I wouldn’t survive this, not again, not—

A short whistle split the silence as they waited on my answer. My head popped up as I searched the immediate area. I knew that whistle. It was the same one that called me across gym class, across the campus quad, and every time he climbed the tree outside my window. Within seconds, I found him, just outside the halo of light that surrounded me. For the millionth time, I found strength and solace in his eyes.

I thought I was alone, but once again, Fitz came for me.

“It was bad, Roxie.” My confidence returned knowing I wasn’t alone. “The doctors say I had a few hours more before there was serious or even irreparable damage done. I’m incredibly grateful to the team who rescued me. I owe them my life.”

“Yes,” Roxie’s smile broadened like a cat who’d just unlocked the canary’s cage. “Speaking of that team. Prince Leonidas led the charge, didn’t he?” It wasn’t a question, not really. She sat up straighter and searched the immediate crowd. “In fact, he’s here tonight. Prince Leonidas, why don’t you come join us on stage?”

Fitz

Iknew it was a mistake to watch the interview in person, but I had to see Coco. My mother’s warning echoed in my ears. Under no circumstances was I allowed to go on camera. I waved Roxanne’s invitation away, graciously pulling back into the shadows another step.

“Oh, he’s shy,” she spoke to the camera like the audience could respond. “Isn’t that precious?”

“Come on, Your Highness.” I didn’t know who said it, but once they did, at least ten other voices echoed the sentiment, leaving me positively flummoxed.

“Ladies, won’t you invite our prince to join us?” Roxanne asked. “I think we’re missing some key elements to the story.”

“No, thank you,” I said, voice slightly raised to carry. “They’re the stars. I couldn’t possibly—”

“Not another word, Your Highness. I simply won’t continue without you.”

Internally, I groaned. But if I looked at it logically, Mother was hoping to avoid a scandal or too much gossip, and fighting the spotlight any longer would surely give her both.

Girding my strength, I took a step forward and the room went wild with applause. I jogged the remaining space and took the empty chair next to Michaela. Obviously, this was Roxanne’s intent from the start. While negotiating the terms of the interview, it was expressly stated that I wouldn’t appear on the show, and yet, she’d set out a chair.

“Thank you for joining us, Your Highness.” Roxanne smiled in her triumph. “Such an unexpected surprise.”

“Pleasure is all mine,” I lied. At least I was closer to Michaela than I’d been since her rescue.

“Speaking of this incident, you were particularly invested, weren’t you, Your Highness?”

I stared at Roxanne for at least five seconds without saying a word. “Well, I would be worried about your monarchy if I wasn’t. A visiting American and a sick Nolcovian child were swallowed by a sinkhole after an unprecedented massive earthquake.” I tried to lighten the mood. “Did you expect me to go on holiday instead?”

A modest chuckle rolled through the crowd, but Roxanne remained undeterred. “No, but I also wouldn’t expect you to stay near the site around-the-clock for days.” I’d considered this angle and prepared to give my rebuttal. However, Roxanne didn’t give me the chance. Roxanne twisted in her chair to speak to someone in the crew. “Kyrell, will you play that clip for us?” She spoke to the camera directly. “This is never before seenfootage recorded on that fateful day by one of our viewers. I think it will put a whole new light on the situation.”

Clip? I turned to watch a monitor flicker to life near one of the cameras. While our screen was small, I knew the viewers at home were watching in all its fullness. A cell phone recording, taken the day we pulled Michaela and Leila from the cave in. Nervous, I glanced at Coco for reassurance, but her wide-eyed stare told me she felt the same way. The only difference between us was she was probably worried because she didn’t know what to expect on the video.

But I felt the clench of dread take hold, because I knew exactly what we were going to watch. It was the sort of thing that would put a target on her head.

Mother’s threat rolled through my mind.

I swear she will cease to exist.

Michaela

Fitz looked ready to pass out. This had to be bigger than the interview. Bigger than whatever they were going to show us. He didn’t rattle easily and yet he was shook.

Voices on the recording brought my head around.