Page 46 of Secrets of Ruin

If they left, she’d dump the potion out the window; she was certain of it. That certainty frightened her as much as the idea of being trapped in the ophidians’ dungeon again.

She felt out of control of her body, as if something else possessed it. She shouldn’t dread drinking this potion… but she did.

Kaylia wrapped one hand around the warm mug and slid her free fingers between Brokk’s. When she squeezed his hand, he twitched in response, and fresh tears burned her eyes.

She hated how emotional she’d become and despised the uncertainty, terror, and guilt twisting like a tornado within her. This was wrong; she shouldn’t do it, but if she was so certain in her love for Fabian, she shouldn’t hesitate to drink it.

She should be more than happy to show Sahira, herself, and the realms that her love for him was true. Then why won’t my hand move?

For too long, she sat there watching as the steam faded while the mug’s contents cooled. The temperature of the potion didn’t matter; it was as effective cold as it was hot.

Still, she couldn’t bring herself to drink it as the clock in the corner ticked away the seconds and minutes. Sahira and Lexi didn’t say anything while they waited for her.

She gulped and finally managed to lift her trembling hand off the table. It took more strength than she’d ever admit to steady her hand enough to bring the mug to her lips.

There, it rested for another minute before she parted her lips and drank it.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

The second Sahira’s concoction hit her tongue, a screaming started in her body. She’d never experienced such a sensation before, but she could hear all her cells shrieking against the antidote, filling her mouth to the point where she couldn’t swallow.

While her body screeched to the level of banshees, her mind berated her for being a traitorous bitch who’d tossed aside her lost love for another man. The hair on her arms rose, bile surged up her throat, and she almost spewed the foul-tasting antidote all over Brokk.

Except, it shouldn’t taste so bad. She knew what went into a potion meant to break a love spell. Its ingredients should give it a crisp, refreshing taste. It shouldn’t make her feel like she’d poured liquid garbage into her mouth.

Sahira poisoned me.

As soon as the ludicrous idea crossed her mind, she knew it was wrong. Sahira would never do that, but her brain continued to shout it at her while her ears vibrated from the shrieking of her cells.

The antidote burned into her tongue in a way it never should have. In her mind’s eye, she had a vivid image of her tongue turning black and shriveling before rotting off.

Though a lump had lodged in her throat, Kaylia gulped the liquid down. Lexi patted her on the back when she choked and coughed.

She contemplated heaving the mug across the room but lifted it to her mouth to force the rest down. The antidote burned as it seeped through her bloodstream, turned her insides black, and shriveled everything inside her.

I’m dying.

Her cells proved this as they stopped screaming and shriveled inside her. She was dying, breaking apart, rotting from the inside out, and it was all because she hadn’t trusted her love for Fabian.

It wasn’t the potion doing this to her… it was her betrayal of him. She was a rotten bitch who deserved everything she was getting.

The empty mug fell from Kaylia’s grasp. It bounced off the bed and shattered when it hit the floor.

“Oh,” Lexi cried.

Kaylia dimly realized Lexi bent to pick up the pieces, but she couldn’t focus on anything other than the shattering inside her. She was breaking apart like a sandcastle beneath the relentless waves of the sea.

At first, only little pieces of herself were washing out to the ocean. Then, a massive wave crashed over her; it swept away everything, leaving nothing of her behind.

After that final wave, silence descended. Her brain stopped telling her how terrible she was, and the screeching finally ended.

Unable to move, Kaylia sat there, cold, numb, and unfeeling. She couldn’t hear or see anything. She couldn’t feel anymore; it was impossible when nothing of her remained.

Then, the ocean rolled forth once more. As it crashed against the beach, it brought a rush of outside noise back in as her body revolted.

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Rising, Kaylia staggered toward the trash can tucked neatly beneath the counter. She would have gone for the sink, but it was too far away.