Page 55 of Sienna Rossi: Beyond Shattered Trust

I wonder why she’s apologising…

“Hmm, I see… Well, you always were a goddess.”

They’re back again.

Her heart is drowning out the shrieks of the drakaths. I’m so fucking exhausted. What are we even doing here?

Her power crawls through me, but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold on. I want to hold her tightly, want to feel her in my arms. I know this is fleeting; I’m not sure why, but it is…

What happened again?

“Don’t fall asleep, Jayce, please, listen to me.”

“I’m tired,” I murmur, kissing her shoulder tenderly. “Sorry,” I hear myself murmur as the heaviness of sleep washes over me.

I should listen, not sure why, but I should… but… I can’t…

I can hear talking, and I fight the heaviness that is weighing down on me, trying to pull me further into the endless depth of sleep. A soothing hand caresses my hair, warm, comforting, and one that feels like home.

“Mom?” I whisper hoarsely, my throat dry and achy.

Her hand stills before I hear her move, and then she kisses my forehead, her heart rate a little faster than normal. I open my eyes, light making them water, although it’s not even that bright and find myself gazing into eyes that almost mirror mine.

“Jayce,” she says softly.

Grandma…

My heart squeezes painfully seeing the sorrow in her eyes and the brutal reminder that Mom will never ever run her hand through my hair again.

“Jayce, how are you feeling?” Grandma asks before she hugs me tightly, as if knowing exactly what I was thinking. I lift my arms that feel like fucking lead and wrap them around her.

“I’m ok,” I answer, inhaling her scent. She still smells like home. She’s not Mom, but she’s the closest thing I have.

Fuck, don’t go there. Why am I thinking about this again? Because it is hard not to; that’s why. Russia was an escape from the constant reminder; being around the ones I love hurts more.

When I release her, she moves back and smiles at me. I look around the living room in the Westwood Mansion and raise an eyebrow, seeing Leo, Azura, Dad, Grandad, Uncle Rayhan, Aunty Kiara, Sienna, and Ahren.

“What the hell is this?” I ask as I force myself to sit up. “How the hell did I get back?”

“I carried you,” Ahren says with a smirk. “You don’t really suit being a princess, though.”

I glare at him, my eyes flicking to Sienna, who’s still wearing her Schattenblüte, meaning we recently got back. Remembering how I held her, I avert my gaze and decide I will just pretend I don’t recall what went down.

I fucked up.

The sound of a drakath shrieking makes me jerk up, and I turn to look around the room.

“You’re still hallucinating,” Leo states coldly.

Sienna looks down. “I knew I couldn’t get it all…”

“Get what?” I ask.

“I was trying to incinerate the… not exactly a poison, but when they cut into you, something transferred into you from their claws, and it’s so hard to find; it’s like tiny wisps of… air,” Sienna tries to explain to us. “I got some…”

“And probably that’s why he isn’t hallucinating as badly as Lieutenant Ana,” Ahren says quietly.

“How is she? Did you do the same for her?” I ask.