Page 121 of She Who Holds My Wrath

As I walk through the dim corridor back towards my room, the air cold against my skin, I realise something else too, something that settles deep inside. Watching Korithax let someone in, even if it wasn’t me, sparked something warm inside me. It means he’s not alone anymore. And that has to count for something.

“Sunshine Queen…”

I turn over in the bed, instinctively reaching for the other side despite knowing it will be cold. My fingers brush empty sheets, the chill seeping into my palm. A soft sigh slips from me as I let my hand linger there for a moment before my body drifts back towards sleep.

“Sunshine Queen!”

My eyes crack open.

I blink into the dimness of the room, frowning slowly as I push myself upright and rub the sleep from my eyes. I could have sworn I just heard⁠—

“Sunshine Queen. Meet me in the fields. It is urgent.”

My head snaps to the window.

Pale light bleeds through the glass, the sky painted crimson and deep blue. It can’t be later than five in the morning. The world still feels half asleep, and yet I’m being summoned from my bed.

I know that voice, though. It’s one I haven’t heard often, but one I’d never forget. Vesindiyah.

I scramble from the bed, my pulse picking up pace, and hurry into the closet. I tug on a plain pair of black trousers, a loose black blouse, and sturdy black boots. I strap my dagger to my thigh out of habit, the familiar weight grounding me, then sheath the sword Elyistria gifted me to my back—its presence a quiet reassurance pressed along my spine. I throw on my cloak over everything, pulling up the hood without bothering to fix my messy braid.

I step towards the door—and stop. She said it was urgent, and the last time I saw her, my guards had threatened her. I still remember the way her massive form had bristled, the tension in the air crackling dangerously. I don’t want her to feel cornered again. Not now. Not if she’s come to warn me.

My gaze drifts towards the narrow passageways lining the far wall.

I sigh. “The last time I went through passageways,” I mutter under my breath, “I got drugged and strung up in a basement. This better go way smoother this time.”

The pep talk I give myself does nothing to settle my nerves. My pulse is still hammering as I slip inside, easing the hidden panel shut behind me. The air is cool and musty, the stone flooring beneath my boots coated in a layer of dust. I’ve never actually seen anyone use these passages, But Aran and Lyvia once told me they spiderweb through most of the castle. I don’t need take them all the way, just far enough to exit without being noticed.

I follow the narrow corridor, one hand trailing along the rough wall to steady myself in the dim light. My breathing sounds far too loud in the confined space. Every creak of stone makes me jump. I peer through cracked doorframes as I pass forgotten rooms full to the brim with sheet-draped furniture, broken trunks, and relics no one has touched in decades.

At last, I reach an empty guest chamber that sits in the side I remember being decimated all those months ago by the Six in warning. I should’ve ran for the hills then. I slip inside and cross to the door that leads to the hallway, easing it open inch by inch, holding my breath so tightly my chest aches. Thank gods I’m greeted with silence. No guards, no servants, and not a single tiny echo of footsteps through the halls.

I exhale shakily, then hurry into the corridor and make straight for the doors leading to the outdoor training grounds. They’re always locked tight at night—more to keep others out, than anyone in. My fingers fumble on the large deadbolt, the metal scraping loudly in the quiet, panic prickling hotter with every wasted second.

Finally, it slides free with a thunk. I yank the door open just enough to slip through, then pull it shut behind me and break into a run. As suspected, the grounds are deserted.

I pause only long enough to listen. Nothing but the whisper of a breeze over stone, and the distant cry of some waking creature beyond the walls. Then I sprint across the arena. Sand sprays beneath my boots, grit catching the hem of my dark cloak as it snaps wildly behind me. Sweat beads along my spine almost instantly despite the early hour. The air is warm already—thick, humid, and promising a brutal day once the sun rises fully.

The sun hasn’t crested the horizon yet, but it’s close. The horizon bleeding gold. If I don’t hurry, I’ll be caught.

Guilt twists in my stomach as I run. My guards are only doing their jobs. They’re trying to keep me safe. Trying to protect their queen from every threat lurking beyond these walls. But right now, Vesindiyah’s safety matters too.

I slow as I reach the edge of the fields beyond the castle. Wildflowers sway in the dawn breeze, dew clinging to their petals like silver tears. Crops stretch outwards in neat rows, the land rich and alive beneath the pale morning light. Everything smells of earth and freshness, the soft smell of brimstone mingling in perfectly.

I scan the open space nervously. She is nowhere to be seen. Which is unsettling, considering Vesindiyah is impossible to miss. She is enormous—twice the height of a massive horse, her body easily longer than the buses from back home.

I tilt my head, scanning the vast stretch of sky above me. Bruised dawn clouds drift slow and heavy, streaked with gold at their edges. Nothing moves between them. No great shadow.

“I’m here,” I call softly, my voice swallowed by the open field.

Silence answers. No familiar pressure brushes against my thoughts. No deep, steady presence settling against the edges of my mind the way Vesindiyah always does when she reaches for me.

Ease uncurls low in my stomach. Did I dream it? My dreams have been strange lately. Vivid. Twisted. Half-memories and nightmares tangled together until I wake up unsure of what belongs to my dreams, and what belongs to reality. But I was awake when I heard her. I know I was.

Just as I turn to head back to the castle, the thunder of wingbeats erupts above me.

I jerk my head upwards just as she tears through the clouds. Vesindiyah descends like a falling god, crimson scales blazing as dawn light catches them, each one reflecting iridescent light so dazzling, I have to squint to look at her. Her vast wings carve through the sky with terrifying grace, stirring winds strong enough to whip my cloak around my legs, and send wildflowers flattening to the earth.