Page 23 of Ruined Kingdom

My bones cracked and reformed.

This was the most painful transformation I’d ever felt. I knew I had to get away, or else I would end up truly harming her.

Damn it! This was his plan all along!

The Fae King had known I’d oppose the Prince. He wanted me to think Sophia was going to be kidnapped again, but it had all been part of a trap.

He was alive but still weak, so he was relying on humans to do his bidding. He knew he was running out of time, but then again, so was I.

My claws tore through the front door, flinging them open as I raced into the night.

The smell of decay woven into the cold air entered my snarling nostrils as I ran, trying to regain my composure.

I didn't understand what his endgame was! One of his minions had killed Sophia, and yet he used another to bring her back to life. Then he poisoned me with something that made me violent toward her.

Despite all of this, it was clear he didn't want Sophia dead, or else he would have let her die when he’d kidnapped her…

What the hell does he want?

My eyes squeezed shut tightly in an attempt to reel back my urge to run back to the castle and rip her throat out.

That was when the fear set in. What if I wasn't going to be able to recover from this?

Being near me had always posed a threat to Sophia, but the mere thought that I might be the greatest threat to her life—this was true torture.

This was too clever a plot for the Prince alone. This was only further confirmation that he wasn’t working alone.

It was rather typical of the Fae King really… Why dispense so much effort in destroying enemies when you could make the enemies destroy themselves?

I did my best to keep my mind focused so as not to lose it, for it was slipping from my grasp fast.

Without me realizing it, the ground ended, and my paw plunged over the end of the cliff.

I threw myself back onto the grass behind me to stop myself from falling to my death. The sudden fear and quick reflex seemed to refocus my mind. Thoughts of harming Sophia faded into the dark recesses of it.

I stood up slowly, peering over the edge of the cliff into the cavernous abyss that had almost become my final resting ground.

My thoughts were my own again, but I knew the voice would come back stronger next time.

6

SOPHIA

Isat up to find that Kaine’s side of the bed was cold and empty.

Panic filled my chest as I looked around the room.

I knew something was wrong last night. I should have followed my instincts.

I flung the sheets off of me and pulled my heavy cloak over my nightgown. I couldn’t even think about decency when I wasn’t sure if Kaine was okay. I ran out into the empty hallway and headed for the dining room downstairs.

He might have gone to breakfast early, I thought, though some part of me knew that wasn’t where he was, but I didn’t know where else to look.

He could be in his study perhaps—no, that wasn’t right either.

He’s far… Outside of the castle, somewhere.

I didn’t know how I knew, but I could tell that he wasn’t close by anymore—and that something was very wrong.

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