Shadow Queen Read Online Free

you?”
                  Double crap.  “Uh, yeah.  Maze needs to return them.”
                  Sure enough, Cas dropped my hand and successfully crossed the room to get the books making the sweat bead on the back of my neck.  I felt my eyes burn with wanting to case for evidence of my deceit at Cas' feet that were a mere inch from the bed post and the edge of the bed.
                  I croaked out a “Thanks”.
                  He gave me a strange glance and looked back across the room like he might see someone or something there.  Like a very still Valkyrie/Hunter/Traitor boy under my bed waiting for him to leave. I was going to dry heave if he didn’t leave soon.
                  And what would I do when he did leave?   Go back?
                  I couldn’t leave the guy under my bed or in.my.room.  Cas would kill him .
                  I would just have to come back.
                  Twenty minutes later I had Cas busy checking the kitchen for my dinner and Maze at my back making our way to my room.  I opened the door remissively and immediately pushed my eyes downward to check under the bed first.  I didn’t have the need to bend my head down because there Lee was, laying across my bed, reading one of my personal books, located in my bottom drawer and holding one of my knives I was certain was my #1 that would have been hidden under my pillow.
                  Maze was in a bit of hysterics at seeing my confessed tale to be true.  She watched Lee with an expression she usually only wore for girl talk in private.  It shouted something along the lines of disbelief at what she really knew about Lee. She never really believed me about Lee's time at my court.  She always rolled her eyes and treated it like a fairy tale. 
                  “Seems my princess will never escape the love advice of the girls of Hertfordshire.  I hope he lives up to Mr. Darcy's image.” Lee dropped the book by my pillow, curled my knife under his hand, and slid off the bed.  “I need your help Anastacia and now you’ve involved your friend.”
                  Maze huffed breaking the silence between the two of us.  “You considered me a friend once.”
                  “Still do.  Just know that I know where your loyalties lie in the safety of where my job lies sometimes.”
                  I could have expanded on the duel meaning of the word “lie”, but I didn’t.  I wanted to know why he was here and get him out fast.
                  “Start talking,” I pressed.
                  "Once one's good opinion is lost, it’s lost forever."
                  I got his point, but it couldn't be helped.  This isn't a storybook and he is not my dance partner and for the record, the only character he could play would be Mr. Wickham.  But he didn't want to hear that.
                  I led off with a plea of only his name.  I wanted to end this conversation and get him OUT.  "Lee!"
                  "You two really do know each other," Maze professed from the door like she was guarding it.
                  With a second glance at my book he reminisced down memory lane when he said with little feeling, “I need your promise that when I stand before others and ask you for something that you will say no, no matter the consequences.”
                  At first I wanted to laugh, but relaying the words back to myself made me feel it meant something darker was at work.
                  “Why do you need me to promise this?” I said and then added, “For you.”
                  “If you are presented with no alternative Anastacia, your survival is the most important factor in the greater scheme.  Just promise me you will choose you.”  Lee's fists were balled tight