Carlo. A shiver bolted down my spine. All I could think about was how he had been so excited about this Gathering. How he had promised me that he would see me as soon as he arrived. I had been deeply hurt when I had thought he’d pretended not to know me, completely deceived when Domenico cozied up to Kris. But those feelings were nothing compared to what I was feeling right now.

I don’t know how long I sat sagged on the floor, nor did I care. My mind drove me into despair as it kept on swimming through what-ifs. Two amazing guys had been robbed from me because of stupid car accidents: Bryan and now Carlo. I wasn’t just crying over Carlo but for Bryan too. I hadn’t gotten much sleep while in my jail cell, and it finally all caught up to me. My eyesight blurred and everything became fuzzy. Still, I couldn’t be bothered to get into bed or change. The darkness took hold of me as I succumbed to a deep slumber. Right before my last string of consciousness was taken away, I heard someone yelling, “Holy Zeus, Montgomery!”

Waking up, I smelled something burning. My eyes fluttered open and I could see the last of the sunset through the window.

How had I gotten into bed? And what was that smell?

I took the fact that there was no smoke surrounding me as a good sign.

Carlo. I pushed up into a sitting position as I took a deep breath before grief overtook me again.

“You’re finally awake.” A voice scattered my thoughts. Vlad was sitting on a dark-purple velvet couch in the corner of the quiet room. There was compassion mixed with worry in his expression. I wondered if he knew what had happened to Carlo.

“Wide awake. Do I have you to thank for getting me from there”—I pointed at the spot near the door—“to here?”

“Adrian carried you to bed,” Vlad said, yet his voice didn’t sound happy.

“Adrian? Wait, why are you guys even here?”

“Kris called. She doesn’t want you to be alone.”

Something was clearly wrong with me. I kept passing out and then there was this constant nausea. Maybe I should go to the Court Hospital to get checked out. A loud voice interrupted my train of thought.

“Sleeping Beauty’s awake!”

Adrian stood in my bedroom doorway with a tray in his hands.

“Geez, Zeus!” I couldn’t believe what I was seeing: Adrian Ambrosia was wearing an apron! My mom’s pink apron to be precise. She always wore it around the house and evidently, had even brought it to Court.

“You’re the one burning down the kitchen.”

Adrian put the tray on the bed. “There was just a small incident, that’s all.” He pinched his thumb and index finger to show me how small.

“And these are the results from your incident?”