I experience every sensation that floods my body, reaching a point where it overflows like a brimming bucket of water, unable to contain it all. A cry escapes from my lips as Maxon’s teeth sink into my neck, creating an intense connection between us, fueled by the pull of my blood. It’s overwhelming, and yet somehow insufficient at the same time.
My vision turns white, and Maxon releases my neck, his mouth moving to mine, his hands sink into my hair, and he doesn’t just kiss me, he devours me. The taste of my own blood lingers on his lips, sending a surge of wild exhilaration through me. I can feel the soft strands of his hair slipping between my fingers as I hold on. The push and pull of our bodies is completely harmonized. Maxon lifts from me, his forearms on the bed on either side of my head, those eyes more silver than violet.
"Everly, I am completely and unequivocally yours," he declares, his words carrying a sense of unwavering commitment.
“A chroí,” I breathe.
Magic swirls around us like a tornado, whipping and lashing throughout the room. I faintly hear glass breaking, my nail digging into Maxon’s back, arching my neck. Sharp teeth glide over my throat, sending a scattering of goosebumps across my skin.
Then everything goes black.
Chapter thirty-five
Everly
The air is suddenly filled with a deafening crack of thunder, so loud it shakes the ground. My bare feet slip in the mud underneath me, as my mother’s tight grip on my hand pulls me along.
We run through the forest, lightning casting a stark, eerie light around us, and the sound of pounding hooves close behind. A chill spreads over me as I think about what would happen if they were to catch us.
I do my best to suppress my fear, but I feel like I am drowning in it. My mother veers to the left, pulling me with her. In one swift movement, she scoops me up and leaps over a fallen tree.
She spins, placing me on my feet, her face level with mine, “Listen to me, Everly. I want you to run. You run as fast as you can. Don’t stop. Don’t look back, just keep running.”
“Mother, please!” I cry, clawing at her arms. “Don’t leave me.”
She shakes me firmly to get my attention. “Everly, listen. You have to go.”
I stop crying and feel the warmth of my mother's gaze as I look into her moss green eyes. So many emotions flicker through them as she stares at me.
“I’m so sorry, Everly.”
The sounds of howls filled the night air, and the horses drew nearer. Mother spins around, drawing her sword. She slowly looks around, her eyes carefully scanning the area. Spinning back to me swiftly, she places a tender kiss on my forehead before whispering words in an old, forgotten language. Pulling back, her eyes fill with tears, and I feel the pressure of her hands on my chest as she pushes me away. I stumble backward, my hand instinctively reaching for her as I fall. I watch in horror as an arrow pierces her chest and blood instantly spreads across the front of her dress.
Then I’m falling.
The world around me slips away, and I fall through the ground. I fall for only a few seconds before I am suddenly laying in a grassy meadow, the sun's heat warming my skin. I feel the warmth of the tears coursing down my cheeks. Sobs wracking my small body. My clothes are wet and muddy, and my mother’s kiss still lingers on my skin. The longer I sit here, the more my memory begins to fade. Soon, I have no idea why I’m sitting in the middle of a grassy plain, or how I got here.
The world around me becomes engulfed in darkness. I sense my body being jostled around, and I’m lifted into the air for a moment before being cradled against a warm, solid chest.
“We can’t stay here. It’s not safe.”
The haze around me makes the sound of murmured voices barely audible. I can feel the soothing warmth of the furs as they cocoon around me. The gentle, rhythmic sound of the horse’s hooves beneath me lulls me into a peaceful state.
Chapter thirty-six
Everly
Istartle awake when the door to my chambers smashes open, my guards racing in the room.
“Princess, you must come with us.” Valric grabs my coat and ushers me from my bed. I look up into his worried purple orbs, my stomach twisting in fear.
“What’s happening? Where’s Mother and Father?” I ask.
Valric’s face is a mask of indifference when he looks down at me. With a heavy sigh, he kneels in front of me, gripping my shoulders. “They are meeting us at the escape tunnel. You remember where that is?”
I nod, biting my lip, as tears well in my eyes.
“Good girl. Malarch will take you.”
