Her eyes close, and my heart cracks. Pure agony courses through me until I am numb. My mother is gone, and my mate is made of stone.
Tears drip from my chin onto my mother’s lifeless body, mixing with the blood that’s still rippling from her.
The dagger slides out with a soft, wet hiss.
My natural instinct is to clean the blade, and after dragging both sides across the fabric of my shirt, I lift my eyes to find the statue that lies cracked and broken at the bottom of the stairs.
This was the home I had hoped to give to her, and instead I’ve lost her. Left to watch the land heal as my heart is chipped away, piece by piece.
Arina
The ground beneath me is so cold it burns the skin on my face. I work to open my eyes, but everything is distorted and my head aches.
Gods, what a fucking nightmare.
No. It wasn’t a nightmare, I realize when the room comes into focus. It’s some kind of storage closet. Phillipa groans, and everything comes flooding back.
“Hey. Shhh,” I attempt to soothe her, scooting closer to where she lies next to me.
“Your friend is a bitch.” Phillipa coughs, and I can’t help but huff out a laugh.
Lavinia. The last thing I remember was running through the halls, looking for somewhere to wait for Raiden to draw Invidia out. Lavinia attacked me. Phillipa, too, apparently.
When I find her, I’m going to … Shit. I pat myself down, knowing that when I reach my inner thigh the sheath will be empty, but my stomach drops regardless.
She took the fucking dagger.
My heart starts to race, and I think I might be sick.
“I have to get out of this closet. I have to find Raiden. Shit. Phillipa, I can’t heal you. I can’t heal either of us. I have to save what I can for Queen Daphne. We have to go.”
I jump to my feet, and the room spins. You just had to hit me in the head, Lavinia? Gods.
Something is blocking the godsdamned door.
“Phil!” I yell for my friend to help me. I know I’m hysterical, but I cannot stop to collect myself.
Phillipa doesn’t respond, she just jumps up next to me and throws her shoulder into the door. It doesn’t budge.
I sit on the floor, kicking against the wood with my heel, and attempting to make as much noise as possible. I don’t care who fucking finds us. I’ll deal with them when they come. I just need the fuck out of this closet.
Tears stream down my face, unbidden.
Phil joins me on the ground, and together we pound and yell for so long my lungs begin to burn.
“I’m here. Move away from the door!”
Baltas. Baltas has found us! I choke on the relief.
We climb to our feet as he slides whatever is against the door away and pulls it open. He seems stunned to see me, and he looks over his shoulder, then back at me. I don’t have time to explain, but thankfully it seems he’s piecing things together.
Desperation propels me forward. I have to get to them. I won’t even think about what happens if he gets hurt and I’m not thereto heal him. Or worse, if Lavinia stabs the queen and I’m not there to save her.
Fuck.
The thing that pulses inside me gets stronger, and I know I’m close.
When I reach the throne room, a deafening wail reverberates from deep within my soul. Raiden is sobbing, kneeling over his mother’s body.
