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“That’s a lovely name.” As she thought about Rush’s threat to keep silent on who she was, she hoped he wouldn’t ask for her name, but if he did she would make one up.
“This is Cersa.” He ran a hand through the horse’s ivory mane. “Do you know how to ride?”
“I do. Very well actually.” Her father had taught Aura, Liana, and Hana when they were younger. The two little ones had yet to show any interest in learning.
His lips tilted up at the edges. “Feel free to ride her through the gardens. I can help you mount if you need it.”
If the palace wasn’t surrounded by closed gates, and she could get a guard to open one of them, she would’ve taken the horse and fled. “Perhaps another time. Thank you, I’ll … see you around.” Or never, since she hoped to escape in the next few moments. If not, there was the chance she could befriend him so he would want to help her.
Aura walked through the gardens at a casual pace, as to not be too noticeable. She stopped to smell a red rose when she approached the fence. Birds chirped, and a nervous feeling washed over her as she realized something. Astor could shift and easily spy. Some of these animals might be shifters too.
But it didn’t matter—she would try anyway. Aura gripped the iron bars and didn’t pause as she climbed up the fence, careful to not impale herself or catch the fabric of her dress on the sharp finials at the top, then dropped on the other side to the grass.
Aura glanced back, her heart roaring inside her chest. Not a single guard ran after her.Strange.
Exhaustion swarmed through her then, her muscles heavy.No, not now, damn it. This wasn’t the tugging sensation to her heart—it was the same draining feeling she’d suffered a week ago. Rush had given her no answer about it.
Gathering what strength she had, Aura forced herself to dart toward the trees. But she stumbled, her bones aching.Keep going. Don’t stop. She needed to get as far away from the palace as possible before someone came for her.
An invisible prick struck Aura’s finger—her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground. A moment later, a shadow slid above her. His face pulled into view and she gazed into those deep silver irises rimmed in obsidian.
“Didn’t I tell you not to leave the gardens, kitten?” Rush purred.
“A shame I don’t take orders from bastards,” she yawned, her eyes too heavy to keep open any longer.
Aura sat on what must have been a bed in a pitch-black room that held a sweet berry scent. She was dreaming again. But she preferred a dream over seeing Rush. If she could, she would claw off all his skin.
A flickering flame ignited atop a candle, bathing the area in a soft orange glow. Aura was in a tiny room she didn’t recognize. A single portrait hung on the wall of an obsidian dragon wearing a crown. She couldn’t get away from the pretentious ass, even in her sleep.
The rustle of papers stirred, and Aura was no longer alone. At a long wooden desk with a vase of red roses sat the girl from Aura’s last dream, her dark curls wilder than before. Water droplets fell to the floor from the fabric of her still-wet dress. The girl didn’t seem to notice Aura studying her as she dipped her quill in black ink and scrawled across a page. Who was she?
As if hearing her thought, the girl peered up at Aura, the same warm smile forming on her lips.
“We meet again,” the girl said. “What a pleasant surprise.”
“What are you doing?” Aura asked, pushing up from the bed. She approached the desk and saw only a blank page in the girl’s hands.
“Writing my beloved a letter. It’s been too long since he last visited. I still haven’t gotten a chance to tell him about our child.” She set the quill down and rubbed at her temples. “I seem to remember things and then forget. I still can’t remember my name, but I remember him, his face. He promised that one day we would live together. But we must keep our love a secret for now.”
Was she talking about living together in Moonstone or a different court? “Which court do you reside in?” But when the question left her lips, she believed it to be a foolish thing to ask when a portrait of Rush’s royal dragon hung on the wall.
The girl furrowed her brow, her eyes closing in what must have been concentration. “Moonstone,” she finally whispered. “Yes, I live in Moonstone.”
“Where are you now? I can find you when I wake.” She couldn’t right away since she was unable to leave the palace grounds, but once she could…
“I-I don’t know.” The girl inhaled a sharp breath and gripped her chest as she sobbed. “It’s coming back. The pain, the hurt, his words. He lied to me and never wanted me at all. Death was the only way, my fate...”
“You’re dead?” Aura gasped, reaching for the girl’s arm, but it passed straight through.Aspirit.
“Rush!” the girl screamed as water poured from the ceiling. More rose from the wooden floor and seeped through the walls.
Aura couldn’t wonder why the girl was shouting for the King of Sin now—she needed to get them out of the room before they drowned. It was only a dream, but what if they could still get hurt here?
Aura waded through the water to the door. “Come on!” she called, glancing over her shoulder, her hand stilling on the doorknob. The girl’s lips turned a deep shade of blue as water spilled from her mouth and her body bloated.
The door wouldn’t budge, so Aura banged on it. The girl vanished into thin air just as she had before, leaving Aura alone with the water rising higher. Cool water licked up her torso, weighing down her dress. Her heart pounded when it seeped up to her chin, and she hurried to climb onto the mattress. The water filled the room faster and faster, snuffing out the candle on the desk before casting her into complete darkness.
Her body shook as panic coursed through her. “Let me out of here!” she screeched, sputtering water when it brushed her lips. The water lifted higher until it covered her completely, and she held her breath, unable to see anything within the dark liquid. A crushing sensation struck her finger.
