I throw out Durvla’s name to the universe:Durvla,dreamwalk to me. Please. Please, Durvla.
I don’t even get the chance to get into a comfortable position before Sunlagh whisks me away.
CHAPTER 57
Carys
“Oh, Caaaaaaarys…”The singsong voice sounds distant, eerie, dreamlike. “Wake up, Princess.”
There’s a strange odor, coppery and unpleasant. I can’t quite put my finger on it, nor on the voice that speaks to me. I’m groggy, disoriented. My limbs are too heavy, my thoughts lethargic. Who’s speaking to me?
“Open your eyes, Princess.”
I swat at whoever is trying to wake me. I peel my eyelids open with much effort and it takes a moment for my vision to clear. “Lowri?”
The smile that the woman returns is nothing like Lowri’s. It’s vulpine, sinister. “Lowri… Eefa… Whichever you prefer,” she says.
“I don’t understand.”
The woman’s appearance changes. Her blue eyes turn green; her dark brown hair, honey blond. Her petite frame stretches until she’staller and more filled out, and suddenly I’m staring at Eefa. I swear under my breath and bolt upright. Beside me, there’s a whimper. As I propel myself back, my hand hits something warm and wet. I lift my hand to find it coated in crimson… The coppery stench overwhelms my senses… Blood. My heart drops into my roiling stomach.
My head whips toward where Ellynne had been sleeping beside me. She’s slumped back against the pillow, her breathing too shallow, her face paler than ever, and her eyes bulging. Her hands clutch at a wound in her stomach, blood pooling beneath her and soaking into my sheets.
A sob catches in my throat. “Ellynne!” I turn to Lowri, no, Eefa. “Did you do this to her?!” A bloody kitchen knife lays beside Ellynne. I need to do something. I need to call for help.
I jump out of bed and run to my bell, yanking on the rope. A weighty metal band of some sort is clamped around my left wrist. But I have other things to worry about.
“No one’s coming,” Eefa says.
I spin to face her, noting the amusement on her face. Thismustbe a nightmare.
My legs move on their own accord, running toward my door. I yank it open and bellow Callum’s name, but he’s nowhere in sight. I run back toward the bed, that coppery odor filling my nostrils again as coagulated blood coats my hands, my dress. The scent consumes my senses, and bile rises in my throat. I’m a sobbing mess as I press my hands to Ellynne’s wound.
She doesn’t even cry out. I have to save her. Even though this is a nightmare, I can’t let her die. “It’s going to be alright,” I manage to choke out through my sobs.
“Sweet Carys.” Her voice is gravelly and effortful. “It’s no use. I’m sorry… I didn’t know. Lowri… She’s…”
“Shh, you’re going to be alright.”
“I’m not.” Her lips tug up momentarily. “Listen,” she says as firmly as she can. She stares into my very soul. She wets her lips and takes another shallow breath, but no words make it past her lips.
The light goes out from olive green eyes that will never see again. “No… Ellynne, please no.” She’s all I have left. I press my hands to her face, willing her back to life. Her face is ghostly, and there’s just so much blood. My entire body is trembling.
My stomach heaves, threatening to evacuate all the wine I drank in the past… however long it’s been.
“Well …”
My head whips back to Eefa sitting casually on the edge of the bed. I’d forgotten she was still here.
“That was quite a heroic effort, if you ask me. Impressive for an entitled princess who acts like she’s better than everyone.”
Chest heaving, I gape at her, unsure of how to process anything. It’s all too much.
She shifts, turning her body so that her back is against my headboard, her arms behind her head as she lounges. “You know what’ll make this moment even more theatrical right now?” She pauses as though for dramatic effect. “A fire show!”
I can’t stop staring at her. Please let this nightmare end.
“Not impressed? Maybefireworkswould’ve been a better pun, but …” She shifts again and leans toward me, her face too close to mine. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
