I opened my mouth to speak—to beg, to scream—but she vanished, slamming the door of my mind so hard it rattled my bones.
I threw myself backwards, snatching my pillow and crushing it against my face.
“Fuck,” I whispered into the fabric.“Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
I thrashed around in the sheets like a trapped animal.Fear clawed in my chest, hot and desperate, until I finally launched out of bed with enough force to make the frame groan.
“You can do this,” I huffed, but my voice shook with doubt.“You have to do this.”
I stomped towards the bathing chamber, stripping off the slip.It fell to the floor like a shed skin.
I sank until water lapped at my chin, then thumped my head back against the rim.I squeezed my eyes shut as I whispered a prayer to the Heavens—pointless as it was.Desperate as it sounded.
“Please.”
“I think we should—” Mira began, but I cut her off with a sharp shake of my head.
There was no time left to avoid the inevitable.
“I really need fresh air.I’m… I’m not feeling too great,” I stuttered, biting the inside of my cheek.
Mira’s hands stilled in my hair before moving with urgency.
“Sure, okay,” she rushed out, fingers flying as she secured my hair in a loose braid.
I couldn’t speak anymore.Each word sat heavy against my tongue.I hated being so short with her, especially when she looked at me like I might break apart.Once she finished, I didn’t bother to look at my reflection.
“Thank you,” I managed, squeezing her hand.
Theo, ever the light in the dark, walked ahead with Mira, his hands painting stories in the air as he spoke.She gazed at him like nothing else in the world existed, her laughter ringing out clear and bright.
I envied her as I trudged behind them like a shadow.
Tavrik fell into step beside me, his voice an anchor in the quiet.The deeper we ventured into the forest’s embrace, the more I noticed the delicate ferns unfurling along moss-covered logs.Above us, songbirds trilled their melodies, weaving a tapestry of sound that seemed to follow our footsteps.
The scent of rich earth wrapped around me.I dragged air deep into my lungs, clinging to this fleeting peace as if it could drown the war raging in my blood.
The moment we reached the ceremonial ground, the world tilted.
Magic saturated the air like thick honey, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.The ground pulsed beneath our feet, as if the soil itself whispered ancient secrets through the soles of my shoes.Even the birds fell silent, as though even they could sense the lingering power.
I stepped forward until my toes touched the edge of the rough, time-worn stone, my gaze finding the exact spot where Dalkhan had stood.
A sharp sadness crashed over me.
He hated me now.Nothing I do will change that.
When the time came, I would do what must be done.
I closed my eyes, letting the strange calm of the forest wash over me.I reached deeper into myself than I had ever before dared—past fear, past doubt, and called for the stone.
The stone answered.
A powerful pulse surged through me, nearly sending me to my knees.It called my name—yanked at me with invisible hooks.My skin prickled, every nerve ending alight.
Tavrik’s body went rigid, his hand shooting out to steady me.He saw the terror written across my face—the battle that raged behind my eyes.
He curved an arm around me like a shield.
