Jostling back and forth, I tried moving my hands, but they wouldn’t budge. Everything was thick and slow, a muddy mess.

My eyes were closed. I tried to open them, but they weren’t working. For a moment I panicked, until I realized I was wearing a blindfold.

Cold floor. Hum of an engine. Okay, I was in a vehicle of some kind.

I had clothes on. I didn’t remember getting dressed.

I tried to move and toppled over to the side. My feet were bound as well. I groaned, and at least I didn’t have a gag in my mouth.

What the hell had happened?

I remembered leaving the dinner. I remembered going into my room and taking off my dress. Why did I take off my dress?

I got into the shower. That’s right, I was showering.

Everything after that was a total blur.

I stretched again, trying to get upright, and groaned. My head was dizzy and painful, like an awful hangover mixed with vertigo.

“Don’t move,” a voice said in clear English. “Chloroform is a nasty drug. You’re probably feeling pretty awful right now.”

I knew that voice but couldn’t place it. I wanted to reply, but my tongue felt heavy and my words came out like a jumbled groan.

“Yes, that’s right,” the voice said. “You can’t really speak, either. It’ll come back though.”

I rolled onto my side and was jolted suddenly as the vehicle went over a bump. I groaned at a pain in my elbow.

“Not a comfortable trip, I’m sure. Sorry about that. We couldn’t take any chances with you, though. You’re our biggest prize since this whole stupid war started.”

I felt someone grab me and slowly sit me up. I tried speaking again. “Who are you?” I managed to say very slowly.

“You know who I am,” he responded. “Think carefully, dear.”

It hit me. Nicolai Corvin.

“Why?” I asked him.

He laughed. “How could you possibly understand the answer to that question, you American whore?”

“No,” I said. “Please.” I wanted to say more, but I just couldn’t form the words.

“The thing is, I’m not really Nicolai Corvin. The real Corvin was some asshole lord from my home village. I worked as a footman in his estate. One day I found the bastard dead as a doornail, and so I robbed all of his papers and his jewels and his seals, and then I took off. I became Nicolai Corvin on that day, and nobody mourned the real one. Nobody gave a shit.”

“Who?” I groaned.

“My real name is Freddy,” he said. “A little anticlimactic, right? No special name, because I’m not a special man. I’m a vehicle of the revolution. We are going to destroy the monarchy and bring freedom to Starkland.”

He was a rebel. This man, this imposter, had really been working for the rebel army the whole time.

“Assassin,” I said. “You sent him.”

“I did,” he agreed. “I really only wanted him to kill Trip, but when I got word that you were with him, well, I couldn’t pass up the chance. The king killed while fucking his American whore? Too perfect. Shame it didn’t work out.”

“He’s better than you.”

I felt a blinding pain as Corvin, or Freddy, or whoever he was, hit me in the side of the face.

“Maybe,” he said calmly, “but I’d watch your mouth.”

I groaned and fell over. Corvin helped me back up. “Where are we going?” I asked him.

“You’ll find out in a moment. But for now, know this: Rescue isn’t coming. We have you and we aren’t letting you go. Your precious king might ransom you, but in the end you’ll be the reason he falls.” I felt his lips close against my ear. “Think about that.”

I wanted to retch and vomit. I was terrified, disgusted, and in so much pain, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how I’d let Trip down.

This was my fault. I’d let Corvin grab me. I was stupid enough to get involved in a foreign king’s affairs, and that made him vulnerable. I was Trip’s weakness, and the rebels were only taking advantage of that weakness.

The remainder of the drive went in silence. Finally, the vehicle stopped, and I heard a door roll open. Someone helped me out of it, pushing me roughly.

I stumbled forward, dizzy but feeling better. My mind was slowly coming back to me, and with it came the overwhelming fear.

I had been kidnapped by violent men, and they planned on using me against Trip. These men had done horrible things already, and I knew they wouldn’t hesitate to do those horrible things to some foreigner girl.

There was nothing to protect me, save for Trip finding me important. But what if he had gotten over me already? Would he sacrifice his country and his kingship just to save me?

I felt someone take my arm and I stumbled forward. “Not much farther,” Corvin said.

A door opened. I walked forward. Another door. We were inside somewhere. Our footsteps echoed. Corvin’s hand was tight on my arm. More walking, more hallways, more doors. Finally, we stopped.

“Sit,” he commanded.

Slowly, I sat back. There was a chair behind me.

I felt more ropes getting added to me. I was getting tied to the chair.

Finally, Corvin, or whoever, finished. I couldn’t move an inch. Once I was bound, he pulled off my blindfold.

Light flooded me. I blinked it back and slowly the room came into focus.

It was relatively large and steel. It looked like it was in a warehouse or something like that, maybe an old factory. It was industrial either way.

And Nicolai Corvin was grinning at me from a few feet away. He stepped forward. “Now, Bryce my darling, my beautiful foreign toy, it’s time to play.”

Fear spiked. I opened my mouth to scream, but Corvin’s fist shut me up. I toppled backward, and the world went black again.