Her father dropped to his knees, a soul-shattering cry breaking free.
Tears flooded her eyes. Mama! Oh, God, Mama, don’t leave us!
“I can give her back to you. Come…” The apparition grasped her wrist, nails digging into her skin, the pain merging with the sorrow in her chest. “She was tired of everything, tired of her life. It’s why she didn’t awaken.”
“That’s not true.” Leya’s tears for her mother fell faster, but an image of Aerén, beaten and trapped, flittered through her thoughts.
Save him, please.The agonized words splintered her mind, and dread fisted her chest.
Aerén was in trouble.
“No!” Leya shrieked, fighting the specter’s pull. With everything in her, she yanked hard, stumbling backward.
A snarl, like splintering glass, flayed her mind. The apparition glared at her before vanishing like a flipped light switch.
Her heart crashing against her sternum, she flung open the door and raced out, colliding into a body appearing out of nowhere. Hands grabbed her around the waist.
“No, no! Let me go!” She fought the hold, lashing out with her fists, terror constricting her.
“Leya, it’s me!” Aerén snagged her wrists. “What is it?” he demanded.
Hearing his voice, she flung her arms around him, holding on tightly, praying that whatever the thing was, it wouldn’t manifest again.
Aerén scooped her up, and she buried her face in his neck as he strode across the room. He sat on the bed, his arms wrapped protectively around her. “I got you,” he murmured. “I won’t let anything hurt you, but you have to tell me what happened.”
The words wouldn’t form in her throat gone dry and shut tight, her terror for him constricting her like a vise.
He didn’t push but continued to caress her back, and she became aware of a warmth flowing through her, soothing her, taking the edge off her terror.
Inhaling a quivering breath, she opened her wet eyes, her gaze connecting with Severn’s and Haroth’s over Aerén’s shoulder. Thiorr and another enforcer walked the room, searching the place.
Aerén eased back from her tight hold and angled his head to her, his brow furrowing in concern. “Talk to me, Leya. I need to know what happened so we can fix this.”
Tears blurred her sight as her vision of him, beaten and bloodied, his handsome face brutalized, consumed her mind.
Oh, God, please, please, don’t let that forewarning come true.
She rubbed her burning eyes, trying to erase the images. The enforcers’ voices faded, and the door shut. Silence echoed.
Swallowing hard, she lifted her head, struggling to voice the horror she just lived through. “I think your castle’s haunted.”
* * *
“What?” Aerén frowned. The stars knew it was a likelihood, considering the many deaths weighing on him, but… “The castle’s not haunted.”
Her slender shoulders trembled with each shuddering breath. She pushed off his lap and swiped at her wet face. “Y-you think I’m lying?”
“I didn’t say that.” He got to his feet. “Leya—”
She shook her head, wrapping her arms around her waist as if holding herself together, her attention fixed on the slightly ajar window, or, a spot near it.
Aerén crossed to the window—
“No, don’t!” She darted forward and grabbed his arm. “It’s dangerous.”
Her actions startled him, but deeper, a warmth took hold that she wanted to protect him. Hell, she’d done so in the cave, too. “I’ll be fine. No harm can come to me.” He moved her back to the bed. “Give me a minute.”
He faced the window again and opened his mind, lowering his mental shields—
