"Sorin?" My gaze drifts over to Sam who I realize was already on the other side of the bed. A look of panic crosses his features before anger takes hold. His body twitches slightly like he is trying to move, but he does not.
Guys?I try to call out to the two of them, but no sound escapes. My eyes widen as I try to move my fingers and toes but realize I cannot. My eyes dart to Sorin and Sam. One of their hands grip the bed as they stare at each other, but it seems we are all somehow stuck.What is going on?I try to say but once again my mouth refuses to cooperate. I watch as their bodies finally give in to some unknown force and collapse onto the mattress. Sorin's weight surprises me and I try to scream but realize that, that too, is an impossibility. A numb, tingling sensation claws up my throat and then everything goes black.
Chapter fifty-eight
He's Here
Alaceandra
Opening my eyes, I find myself back in front of a castle in the dark lands. My hair is tied up into a knot on my head and I am wearing a ruby dress that falls from my form in waves. I spin around to find that I am alone, the grass tickling my bare feet. Taking a tentative step forward, a loud caw sounds right above my head. I look up to find a creature that looks eerily similar to my elvisera flying through the sky and deeper intothe woods. The creature is injured, scarlet droplets cascading down from her wings as she soars. My stomach sinks to my toes as a sense of foreboding grips me. I hear myself whisper "Addie" before I am sprinting after her.
I throw myself through an allée that branches off to my right and try to catch up to her. I gasp as my dress catches on stray branches that reach for me along the path, allowing the dead wooden talons of the forest to penetrate my skin.Why must I always wear such a long dress?!I curse the garment and force myself to continue to place one foot in front of the other, that eerie feeling growing ever stronger within me. Rivulets of my own blood fall to the ground matching the trail Addie has left as wound after wound open up along my legs. With another loud caw, her wings stutter before she is plummeting to the forest floor. I scream as I watch her fall, my pace quickening. I grit my teeth when I finally make it to the place I thought she landed. The area looks as if a meteor has crashed into it, trees are ripped from their trunks and the smell of smoke is heavy in the air. As I survey the area there is no sight of Addie, instead at the center of the wreckage there is a note, tied in silky ruby ribbon.
I climb over the trees, mentally thanking Sam for all the extra upper body strength he has instilled in me over the past month and walk hesitantly over to the little bundle. I look around once more, but there is no one. Bending down, I pick up the note, untying the ribbon and letting it go. Taking a moment to watch as it snakes its way through the breeze, I take a deep breath and unravel the parchment.
I blink a couple times before the words come into focus.
Your time for running has ran out. Prepare yourself for He has arrived.
Chapter fifty-nine
Betrayal In Strange Places
Alaceandra
Iwake up, my body drenched in a cold sweat.That one felt so real. Could it have only been a dream? Blinking my eyes open, I realize that Sorin, Sam, and the prince are laying across the bed.What happened last night?I push at Sorin to try and get his weight off of me a bit, but he only moves slightly. I lift the blankets to look at my legs. They are unmarred. No cuts, no dirt, nothing.And it looks like I am fully clothed….I look around.And so are they? So why-One of the iron pieces on the walls comes crashing to the floor and I realize what woke me. The room is shaking. Suddenly last night’s events come back to me in a rush.We talked, ate, and then…. and then everyone collapsed.Panicking I push at the prince, Sorin, and Sam, but they are out cold. The room shakes again. I untangle myself from the bed and drag myself across the room on weak legs, looking for something that can help me wake them. Spotting Sorin's bag, I rifle through the myriad of potion bottles he has stowed within.
"Come on, come on, come on," I mutter sniffing each potion bottle before finding one that is particularly potent. Gagging, I cap the bottle, and squat as a particularly vicious tremor runs through the room. Once the room stills, I practically crawl over to the men and frantically waft the potion bottle's aroma under Sorin's nose. He awakes with a jolt.
"Wha-at the fuck," he groans, rolling over to his side.
"Get up!"
"L-lace?"
"Yes. Get up! The room is shaking."
He holds his head, wincing. "My head hurts."
"No one will wake up." My voice is borderline hysterical, the room shakes violently again.
Sorin bolts upright. "Can I see that?" He points at the bottle. I give it to him, and he looks at it shaking his head before pulling himself from the bed and dragging his body over to his bag. Searching through it, he takes out two other bottles. Drinking part of one, he walks back over to the bed and pours the rest of it out in the other two men's mouths before uncorking the next. He gulps down part of whatever is in the second bottle as well before offering me some. I drink a little and he takes it from me before pouring that too into the sleeping men's mouths.
"This one should help keep us stable through the quakes," he explains before tossing both the bottles away from him.
After a moment, both men wake and jump from the bed.
"What is going on?" Sam demands.
"We were drugged," Sorin deadpans. The room shakes yet again.
"Why is the room shaking?" The prince asks, rubbing a hand over his face.
"We are under attack," Sam states. He starts pulling on his leathers hastily. Sorin follows.
The prince stares. "How do you know that? I thought we were still safe from the threa-"
"Obviously we are not. You both keep Alaceandra safe. You know what to do." Sam darts out of the room.
