Page 191 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

“Exactly, and before everything went down she was only able to sleep with me by her side or talking to her. I am not going to leave her side,” Kieran says.

Elias sighs. “Kieran, I’m saying this as your friend and not as your right-hand man.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t say it right now,” Kieran mutters.

I try to put all my strength into squeezing his hand back, but Kieran doesn’t give any reaction at all. Why can’t I tell him that I’m here for him?

“I know you are worried about her and want to be right beside her the whole time, but you have an obligation to the people right now. Things have changed. You have put the former king and prince in prison and people are questioning why. There are mad people out there that can easily change the tide on how everyone perceives you,” Elias says. “I know you want to be right next to her and make sure that everything is going to be okay, but if things turn for the worst out there, she won’t be safe. You need to get ahead of this.”

“I know,” he replies.

The former king and prince? What are they talking about? Is the curse broken?

So many questions are swirling through my mind right now, causing me to be in pain.

“Everything is going to be okay,” Kieran whispers and kisses my hand. “I’m going to be gone for a little while, but I’m not leaving you behind. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I want to tell him not to leave. What if Avira comes back and does something to me? What if she is already doing something to me?

Wait.

Is this all a dream that is playing because of her? Where am I actually?

“Come this way,” Elias says. “They are all waiting outside for you to talk to them and explain.”

“I don’t want to leave her. I can feel her anxiety like she knows I’m about to leave.” Kieran doesn’t let go of my hand.

“But you are going to have to. You can still feel her emotions which means she is alive. If anything happens to her, you will be able to feel it and can go back to her, but you are needed out there now,” Elias tries to reason with him. “Come on.”

Kieran lets go of my hand and plants a soft kiss on my forehead. “Your mother is coming in just a couple of minutes to keep you company.”

I hear his footsteps leave and silence fills the room.

“Oh, Adeline,” Mother whispers. “I neve⁠—”

But her voice wades away as I’m being pulled under again.

“I told you I should have never left her!” Kieran yells.

What’s going on?

“If I didn’t leave, then none of this would have happened!” he continues to yell while holding my hand.

“We didn’t know it would happen,” a different voice says. “She was stable the whole time you were here with her.”

“Because I was here!” His voice holds so much anger. “She needs me beside her so she can heal. I can’t deal with the people right now.”

“But you have to. I know you don’t want to, but this is a tricky moment right now. It could go one of two ways and we need it to go in our favor,” Elias says.

Kieran sighs. All I want to do right now is wake up and be able to comfort him. I want to tell him that everything is going to be okay but I don’t even know if that is possible. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.

I focus all of my energy on squeezing his hand as he holds mine. He needs to know that I’m okay.

“I know it is but I never thought that Adeline would have to die to break the curse. I didn’t know there was going to be so much going on that I would have to pick and choose what to do,” Kieran finally speaks.

I bear down and focus on squeezing my hand.

“Sweets?” Kieran finally says my name. “Did you just squeeze my hand?”