Lingering weakness had a death grip on every part of my body. Taking in as many details as I could before fading away again, I turned my head up to see a burly, middle aged man?—
Chapter
Fifty
Igasped when my body flew upright, putting me into a sitting position on a bed that was not mine. Instant panic consumed me as I glanced around, not recognizing the room in the slightest. I tried to kickstart my brain into remembering the space, wondering if it was somewhere I’d been before that I couldn't recall.
The room was small and tidy, its sage curtains drawn to a close, preventing me from getting a hint at my whereabouts. The wood walls almost reminded me of home, before I remembered that my home no longer existed.
I sat up a bit straighter. My entire body ached, as if it were crushed. Wait?—
Iwascrushed.
Recollection swarmed me as I recalled the details of what happened. Last I knew, I was face to face with Beaumont, preparing to destroy him before the castle caved in on me.
I took inventory of my injuries. There were a few scrapes and bruises on my arms and legs, but other than that and a general soreness, I felt fine. Someone must have healed me because the odds of surviving what I did were slim. So incredibly slim.
My eyes peeked at the iridescent constellations on my arms and more memories came rushing back to me. I shuffled back towards the headboard, pulling my hand to my mouth, and chewing the tips of my fingers as more unease filled me.
Was I in Draemor?
Did Beaumont make it out? Did he bring me here?
Was Sebastian okay? Sawyer? Pia?
Was Kohen evenalive?
I rocked back and forth, hugging my knees to my chest like an infant. Tears poured from my eyes in response to the fear building up inside of me.
“Hey, hey, Maeve. It's okay. It's me.”
My head skipped to my right when something familiar finally appeared, Sebastian's voice calming me instantly as he stepped into the room.
“Oh thank the gods,” I whispered as he rushed for me and threw himself down beside me on the bed.
He cupped his hands around my cheeks, then sucked my lips into a long, deep kiss. When he pulled away, he dipped his forehead against mine, releasing a throaty sigh.
“You're okay,” he assured me again, and though nothingfeltokay, I trusted him. “How much do you remember?”
I looked down with focus. “I remember everything until the castle fell. I think Beaumont got away, or was crushed. I'm not sure. After that, nothing.” I raised my head, reality sinking in. “What the hell happened? Are you okay? Is Kohen okay?” I sputtered out question after question as I scanned my eyes over his body, looking for any injuries. “How did we get here? Where evenishere?”
Sebastian chuckled a little. “First of all, yes. Kohen is okay. We made it to the tunnel just before the castle caved in, and Pia was able to heal him enough to keep him alive until we made it out. Sawyer is fine, too.”
Alleviated, I nodded, waiting eagerly for him to tell me more.
“What happenedis that you kicked fucking ass. You mutilated the Draemornians with starlight just before the castle fell.”
“I remember all of that—” I glanced up at Sebastian as confusion toppled over me. “How do you know what my new magic is? Weren't you in the tunnel when I did that?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He bit his inner cheek, nodding slowly. Stray strands of his dark hair wavering with the motion. “Yes.”
“So how do you know what I did?”
Sebastian shifted uncomfortably. “I tried to tell you. Wanted to tell you so many times, but I—” He looked down, avoiding my eyes.
I flipped through my memories, recalling what he said just before Beaumont showed up—something aboutthings he hadn't told me.
“Tell me,” I demanded.
