Page 175 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

“I feel weak and in pain,” I reply. “You saw that Mother stitched me up, but I haven’t been able to look at my thigh since then.”

Kieran sits on the ground and pulls me into his lap, holding me close to him.

“Could you hear me in my dream?” I ask.

“Yes.” His voice sounds so broken.

“Why didn’t you reply?” I look up at him.

“I wasn’t able to. I tried so many times.” Kieran slowly rocks us back and forth. “To be able to hear you begging me to get you out from wherever you were and not being able to do anything is my worst nightmare.”

“You could hear me?” I ask, shocked.

“I could hear every word you said. I could hear you begging me and the fear you felt as you went through everything,” he says. “But when I asked some Fae if you had left, they said no. Then I heard your scream but I wasn’t able to do anything.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I felt so helpless as I watched from afar, wondering if you were okay and alive. I couldn’t get through to you until after you screamed.” His voice holds no emotion as he talks.

“When I woke up,” I whisper.

“What happened?” he asks.

“I—” I stop myself and take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. “I don’t know. I went to sleep after you hummed to me and then all of a sudden Avira was talking to me and everything was black. I couldn’t find anyone or get out. Then she appeared in front of me and I couldn’t move,” I ramble. “I thought it was a nightmare but it felt way too real.”

“Did you eat or drink anything when you got back to the house?” he asks.

“I don’t remember,” I mumble. “Everything inside of my head is all jumbled up and it’s hard for me to recall things.”

Kieran tightens his arms around me. “Everything is going to be okay. She isn’t going to get to you again.”

“I can’t fall asleep in the house. I can’t fall asleep ever again. Not until she is dead. What if she comes to me again? She could slit my throat in the dream and no one would know until the morning,” I say in one breath.

The terror running through me with these thoughts is overwhelming. If she can reach me in my dreams then she can do anything and I won’t be able to stop her.

How is anyone safe?

“Sweets, I want you to listen to me,” Kieran says sternly. “Look into my eyes and listen to my words, and only my words.”

I lock gazes with him and it’s just like before where everything disappears around me and I only focus on his cobalt blue eyes.

“While she is a witch, there are limitations in this realm to what she can do. She must have given you something without you knowing so she could penetrate your dreams. It’s not going to happen again,” he states.

“How do you know it won’t?” I whisper. “She managed to do it this time without us knowing and hurt me. The next time I don’t think she is going to go easy on me.”

Kieran kisses my forehead. “You have to trust me.”

“I do,” I mumble and lean my forehead on his chest.

“I’m going to talk to one of the healers and see if they can come up with something to keep you safe from this happening again.”

“Thanks,” I say weakly.

My body is absolutely exhausted from everything, and being near Kieran isn’t helping either.

“Now will you allow me to take care of you?” he asks.

“What can you do?” I pull back slightly and look up at him.