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TWELVE
Eli
WHAT?!
"Marry me, Eli."
I shook my head in bewilderment. What did Noah just say to me? "Are you crazy? Why would you say that?"
"Look, you said you just need his power and influence. I have that, too. I am a Langston, after all," Noah said.
"Noah, our families are enemies because of me—"
"And this marriage might be a way for us to reconcile the Hales and the Langstons. I just need to convince Uncle Finch to give us the family blessing."
"No," I tried to reason out. "My family is mad at the Langstons, too. And how are you going to convince Simon Langston to protect the Hales when I am the very person who punched him in front of a lot of people? He will make my and my family's life a living hell. It's not gonna work out, Noah."
"Please don't do this, Eli," Noah pleaded.
"I don't have a choice, Noah. And why are you so against this? Why are you so against Hade?"
"I'm just worried about you, tha
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Sand Castle THIRTEEN
Hade He could stare at her sleeping face all day long. She looked so peaceful, like an angel in a deep slumber. Hade tucked her hair into her ear. She was sleeping peacefully in his arms that he has never felt so at ease in his whole life. Especially after his wife and the child died, he has been drowning in so many overwhelming options that he could never sleep a wink. But now, with Eli sleeping beside him on the warm, summer grass, everything is finally quiet inside him. He knows it's wrong to feel this way towards Eli, especially since it's only been two days since her sister died, but he just can't help it.Oh, how he longed to see her in those long three years. Hade felt Eli move. Her arm suddenly twitched, but her eyes were still closed. Her head moved as well. He was about to ignore those movements when Eli suddenly made a long groaning sound, like she was terrified of something. And then he felt he
Sand Castle FOURTEEN
Eli Everything happened so fast it got blurry. We heard Hade yell "Run! Ambush!" and Nik immediately held me by the hand and we ran. He was saying something but I couldn't process them anymore. Then I heard the shots. Nik immediately pulled me and covered my body with his as we both fell to the ground to take cover. When I came to, Nik was lying on the ground with blood on his right shoulder. I heard myself scream his name. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Hade not far from us. He was on the ground with his hands covering his head. I didn't have time to think of anything. Seeing my brother's body not far away from me, I started to get up to get closer to him. "Eli, don't!" I heard Hade scream. But by the time he said that, a rain of bullets came pouring on us. I instinctively dropped to the ground. The gunfires stopped after a while. "S-stay down, El," I heard Nik say that in his pained voice. I
Sand Castle FIFTEEN
Hade He remembers the very first time he saw her like it happened just yesterday. It was a small gathering back at the Hale manor. If he remembers it correctly, it was Sir Gregory Hale's birthday, and as a good friend to the Hales, his father attended the birthday banquet with him, his eldest brother, and his mother. He was fifteen at that time and on his second year in the Harvest. It was also his first time at the Hale manor. He only stepped foot outside in the garden for a couple of minutes, but when he was about to head back to the dining hall, he realized he forgot the way back. "It's that way," he heard someone say. He turned his head and saw a black-haired girl holding a ball. She's also wearing long sleeves and jogger pants. Her hair was tied up to a ponytail. Inside his mind, she's very pretty. The girl never walked towards him, she j
Sand Castle SIXTEEN
Eli I couldn't sleep. It's already past 2 a.m., but here I am lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling in my room. Well, Hade's room. It's the night before our wedding, but I just can't seem to find it in me to sleep. Is this supposed to be what they call wedding jitters? I tossed and turned around a lot more before I finally decided to get up. Tonight is supposed to be for relaxation and beauty sleep, but I don't think I'm gonna get either. Unless I do something about it. Wouldn't wanna look like a sleepless bride when I walk down in the aisle tomorrow. I marched down the hallway while I tie my robe. I was about to walk down the staircase when I heard some noises in the opposite hallway. Hade is staying in the room in that far end, is he also awake? I debated in my mind if I should go over and see if Hade's awake. Maybe invite him over for some midnight milk? And... maybe do that thing we did last time? I blu
Sand Castle SEVENTEEN
Eli I woke up on a hospital bed that morning. They asked me for my name and I gave it. I also asked for a call to the Vandenberg Residence, which was picked up by Lord Jacob. I explained everything to him, including the parts where I think I heard him having a conversation with my father. Of course, he denied it, but the sudden shift of his tone while he was talking to me on the phone was telling me something else. That was the moment I decided not to trust him or his family. There was no way I imagined everything last night. I asked the staff about how I got there, and they say they heard a long beeping sound from a pod outside the hospital. When they got outside, I was lying on the ground with no one around. Even Alexei didn't want to believe me. I thought he would have been thrilled of all people to know that our father could still be alive somewhere. He made me promise not to tell anyone in the family, as he's still current
Sand Castle EIGHTEEN
Eli I couldn't sleep my first night at the new house. I keep tossing around in this huge bed, but it just feels cold and empty, even though the fireplace was electronically on. I have to admit, I can't sleep partly because of what the butler told me earlier at dinner. I glanced at the castle-shaped clock hanging on the wall of the room in front of the bed. It's nearly midnight, but Hade is yet to come home. I wonder where he went. I wanted to talk to him about today. How it was not my intention to leave him hanging at the altar. Or crashing his pod. I wanted to apologize. So I decided to stay up and wait for him. I went down to the kitchen to get some cold coffee, and then I settled myself in the lounge room, where Winston said we will receive guests in the future. The whole mansion was awfully quiet and dimly lit, save for where I was currently sitting. It was a long cream-colored couch with a brown fuzzy rug u
Sand Castle NINETEEN
HadeThe midnight bells has just stopped ringing as Hade traced the hallway back to the banquet. His heart feels like exploding and he can't stop smiling. He feels like a five-year old happily skipping because he got to kiss his girl's cheeks.If only his mother did not interrupt. He was sure she saw what he did. Oh well, he'll save his mother's teasing for later.It was Eli's fifteenth birthday. Tonight, he's going to ask his father's blessing to ask the Hales for Eli's hand. They don't have to be married now, he knows Eli is still too young. And he just turned eighteen as well a few months ago. Besides, the house he planned as a wedding gift for her has just started building a few week ago.He wanted to ask her a year ago, when she entered the Harvest. But it was a bad time for everyone. Sir Greg has just died from battle, along with his brother Oliver. Both the Hales and the Vandenbergs wer
Sand Castle TWENTY
Eli It's not that I don't know the answer the Hade's question. It's just that I haven't ponder on it yet. Everything was the way I like it back at the boarding school. I was living the life I wanted. And then in a span of a month, my whole life turned upside down. I lost a sister, our home was bombed, my mom and two siblings got injured, and there's this whole Eye thing in my dreams that I'm not sure if I like it or not. And then I got engaged on the spot. Everything was happening so fast that I feel like if I stop to even breathe for just a second, then something bad would happen, and I fear every second for my family. My every day feels like I'm only fueled with adrenaline and the anxiety that I have to keep moving for the safety of my family. Maybe I've only realized it when Hade dropped me the question, but I've never really stopped for a moment to think about my feelings about the marriage or about... Hade.
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