“What’s wrong?” Her face pinches with concern as she attempts to put her arms around me.
“Don’t,” I stammer, shrugging off her embrace. One of my hands finds its way to my chest, clenching onto my shirt like a lifeline, and the other braces against the door frame, like it’s preparing for an attack.
“It’s okay, Kal—” She catches herself. “Look at me. You’re fine. You’re safe. Everything is going to be okay.” Odeyssa is trying to offer me solace, but all it does is cause unwanted memoriesto reappear, transporting me back in time to when I had nightmares, and Kate would soothe me,reassure meeverything was alright, much like Odeyssa is attempting to do now.
Kate.
I haven’t allowed myself to think of her since I fled, keeping all those memories buried deep under the image of her lifeless body on that sterile floor. However, the feeling is all too familiar, and I fight with myself. One side wants to sink into it—the comfort—but the other recoils with disdain each time I attempt to.
“Just give me a second,” I grit out, my breath uneven. She hesitates, the weight of her stare pressing into me, before reluctantly stepping back. The distance she gives me is a mercy and a curse—exactly what my body needs and everything my mind rebels against.
When I finally manage to calm down, I look up to see Sintharion staring at me with curiosity, but he doesn’t voice whatever he’s thinking. Odeyssa stands off to the side, still eyeing me closely, probably to make sure I don’t suddenly make a run for it.
Which truthfully doesn’t seem like a bad idea right now.
The war inside me rages, clawing at my insides, as I smother every instinct screaming to turn back. But I press forward anyway, each step over the threshold forced. One foot, then the next.
Slow.
Cautious.
I don’t notice Odeyssa moving swiftly behind me, not until she shuts the door softly. Whipping around, my eyes widen once the last stream of moonlight disappears, but Odeyssa speaks before I can.
“We can’t leave it open, especially in the middle of the night.” Her words are laced with wariness, and although what she says makes sense, it does nothing to lift the anchor. If anything, itpushes it down farther.
“Now, if we’re done with the dramatics,” Sintharion comments on a long exhale, “right this way.”
Odeyssa tilts her head toward him, and I take that as my cue. He begins ascending the staircase in front of us, its twin paths curving outward on either side in a sweeping arc. Without pause, he takes the right. His steps are purposeful, as though he’s walked this path a hundred times. I keep a steady distance between us, but Odeyssa decides to walk with me side by side. Her actions pull at my heartstrings. She understands.
The railing is a lush shade of green—only the illuminating moonlight filtering in from the large circular window allows me to notice. It’s smooth beneath my palm, like worn silk. My hand glides along it as I climb, steadying myself on something that feels far too refined for a place this weathered. Reaching the top, neither of them stop, continuing left and down a hallway lined with doors and branching staircases.
We reach the end of the hall, and I pray this is our last stop. I’ve been up for what seems like years and running for what seems like an eternity.
Sintharion knocks softly on the last door, and that tells me this isnotour final stop.
“Enter,” a feminine voice sounds.
He turns the knob, Odeyssa following tight on his heels. I stay on the other side of the threshold, my feet not willing to take another step. Odeyssa turns to peer over her shoulder, confused why I’m not behind her. Not wanting to alert Sin, she shoots me a silent, reassuring look. Crescent moons indent my palms, my fingers pulsing with anxiety, the pressure only relieving the smallest amount of nausea.
I know I need to move, do something other than stand here like an idiot at the door. But despite my internal battle with myself, my feet stay rooted in place. If Sin turns around, I canonly imagine what would come out of his mouth. He’d probably assume I’m having another breakdown, categorize me as weak—assuming he hasn’t done that already. He probably has. He most likely wrote me off with the reaction I had just trying to enter the damn castle.
I take a deep, calming breath, pushing my fingernails deeper into my palm as my body fights against me while I step one foot into the room, then the other, until my hesitant steps come to a halt behind Odeyssa.
The bedroom holds breathtaking elegance and greenery, like we’ve been transported into a rainforest. A woman appears from a doorway on the left, exiting what looks like an adjoining chamber, keeping her eyes solely focused on Sintharion—not paying Odeyssa or me any mind. Her footsteps quiet against the soft, mossy floor, the smell of damp earth clinging to her as she moves. Her beauty is otherworldly. Her hair is bound in braids, coming together at the top of her head, forming a crown. It’s colored like the richest soil with hints of different shades of green and blue. A smile full of pure surprise and happiness spreads over her face—clearly she wasn’t expecting him to be the one knocking so late into the night.
“Sin, to what do I owe this visit?” As she speaks, my head cants. That voice is vaguely familiar.
“Hello, mother. I apologize for the intrusion at this hour. But I ran into an old friend and thought a visit was needed,” he states, stepping to the side and showcasing both Odeyssa and me. The woman’s mouth drops in shock, and her eyes grow as wide as saucers.
“Oh my. Odeyssa, is that you?”
Odeyssa beams. “It’s been a long time, Queen.”
“It really has. You’ve grown up quite lovely.”
“Me? It looks like you haven’t aged a day!” she chirps.
“You are too kind.”
