Chapter 195 The Distance Between

• Finn
• Kieran leads the charge to the heavy, beaten-copper gate at the top of the winding, shell-strewn path. I do my damnedest not to choke on my heart, which seems to have taken up permanent residence in my throat. I also give myself the gift of not looking at Elian. Even in just my peripheral vision, I can see him looking back and forth between my face at the gate, primed to attempt to guess which of the eligible young men inside forced me to open up to him.
• I don’t know why I’m wasting the energy. No matter what happens in there, Xander and I will not be the same as we were before, and Elian will spot that from a mile away. All I can do is hope the rest of the courtiers can be fooled.