Fuck!
He thumped his head against the granite, unable to dislodge the images. Spikes of pain splintered his heart and skull, swelling the agony of a loss that had never quite healed.
As an empath, he could never forget living his sister’s terror and fear as she took her final breath, and his eyes burned behind his closed lids.
Even as oblivion claimed him, the memories didn’t fade. They never would…
* * *
Late noon sunlight nearly blinded Leya as she reformed on a paved pathway, the sticky heat dense and heavy. She swayed, a little disoriented.
A hand steadied her. “Are you okay, my lady?”
Okay? She glared at the man, Lykon, her arm squashing the bundled outerwear to her chest. “As if any of you care.”
Eyes, the colors of a green and lilac nebula, set in a bronze, striking face, appeared a little startled. “I apologize for any inconvenience, my lady. But it is safer for you here. Come, let’s see you settled.” He strode past her.
Fed up with testosterone-filled men telling her what to do, Leya glowered at the tall pale blue and green trees on one side, then she took in the striking shrubbery in the elegant rockery gardens on the other side. In the distance, a shimmering gray-blue body of water with a hint of pink surrounded the landmass.
No wonder he stalked off without her. Where the heck could she run to in this new world?
The intense humidity getting to her, she swiped her damp brow. God, she was thirsty. She wheeled around, and her jaw nearly smacked her chest.
A short distance from her, an enormous, crescent-shaped, caramel-colored castle soared skyward with tall, russet-spired towers and imposing crenelated battlements. Deep blue vines with tiny leaves crept over the walls and the railing of the top-floor balcony like veins of drying blood.
Shaking off the macabre thought, Leya stomped down the paved path, snaking through elegantly trimmed shrubs of pale blue and orange interspersed with barely there green. Frowning, she slowed her steps, her attention drawn to the plants again, their exhausted appearance tugging at her. Gently, she caressed a damp and droopy leaf. No, not pale, but faded.
From the intense heat?
“My lady?” Lykon prompted, dragging her attention to him. “Let us not tarry. I have recon to do. Your safety is essential.”
She straightened. “This is a castle. You mean to say the rebels can easily break in here and grab me?”
“Unlikely, but those determined enough would try to find a way with a little black spell.”
She blinked. Oh, shit. After everything she’d been through, that didn’t sound good.
“Don’t be afraid. Everyone will protect you once they know who you are. But for now, it’s best to let Ren explain things once he gets here.”
So, she was to keep quiet about who she was.
Feeling like she was walking a tightrope, Leya followed him into the castle, admiring its deep cream flooring and cool, caramel stone walls. Lykon turned right, into a lengthy, sunlit passage.
“Remember what I said,” he reminded her softly.
Yeah, lips zipped.
Moments later, she stepped into an enormous kitchen, the air permeated with the savory smell of food amidst the soft rumble of voices and the clinking of pans and dishes. Cupboards in light teak-like wood flowed along the walls, a large working island taking up space opposite it. And a long table that could easily seat a dozen people faced the glass doors, overlooking the back garden.
It took everything in Leya not to sink into one of those chairs as exhaustion battered at her. Instead, she straightened her spine, aware of the handful of staff, all dressed in gray tunics and pants, watching them.
“Jisele, where’s Haroth?” Lykon called out.
A pale-haired woman at the back with a man, both checking something roasting in an enormous oven, looked over at them. “Ten more minutes,” she told the man before gliding across, looking as if she belonged on a catwalk. She gave a little curtsy. “He stepped out for a moment, my lord.” She smoothed her palms down her plain, deep blue gown. “We received news His Highness is back, so, preparation is top priority.”
“Yes, yes…” Lykon scratched his chin, frowning. “Inform Haroth we have a guest when he returns, will you? This is Leya—”
“Leya Park,” she supplied her full name.
