Page 4 of Ruined Kingdom

The porcelain vase crashed to the floor, shattering into a thousand little pieces at my feet, but still, no one came to me.

Where is everyone?

I was finally able to reach the door. My fingers felt numb as I clutched the brass knob as if they hadn’t gotten the memo that I was alive again yet. When the cold finally settled into my fingers and sensation returned to them for the most part, I flung the door open.

My chest felt tight as I tried to take deep breaths while rushing down the hall and leaning on the walls. “Help?—”

I tried to call out for someone, but my voice was next to useless. It was most unusual that no one was there when I’d woken up, considering how much I was bleeding… Unless I’d already passed away and they didn't expect to see me walking around the castle again. Ever.

I could hardly stand the horrific thought. I could only imagine what Kaine was going through. He must have been devastated, losing a mate again.

That must have been what Helene had meant when she said I needed to return because he needed me.

Now, my chest ached for an entirely different reason.

I had to find someone quickly and let them know that I was alive.

The closest room to mine was Yenisey’s.

I hope she's all right. I remember her being attacked, too.

In fact, I vaguely recalled that she’d actually been the one being attacked.

The aching in my chest sunk into my stomach, eating away at me.

I finally reached her door and shoved it open.

By now, my vision was already becoming blurry, but I was able to see her standing on the opposite end of the room in front of a long mirror, speaking to a dark figure.

The mirror acted like a reflection, but the image was of someone else … or something else.

“What—is this?” I breathed in slowly, digging my nails into my chest as I leaned against the doorframe, feeling my strength failing me with every second ticking by.

Yenisey turned around quickly with shock and fear on her face, but her eyes were completely black. “Sophia.”

Her mouth moved, but the voice emitting from it was not her own. From behind her, the dark figure came crawling out of the mirror with long, creeping claws, grabbing the golden frame and dragging itself out.

“Yenisey!” I tried to warn her to move away, but the thing grabbed onto her wrist and reached out to me with its other hand.

A powerful wind appeared out of nowhere from behind me, pushing me forward, while something like a wind vortex formed before me, sucking and pulling me into it. The result was my feet dragging across the stone floor without my consent.

As I grew closer and closer to the creature, I couldn’t help but wonder if Helene was watching, and probably wondering herself why she’d bothered to help me in the first place, seeing as I was hurtling toward death yet again.

Despite my trying to resist the force dragging me forward, I reached the mirror in no time, but grabbed onto the frame on either side and locked my elbows.

Up close, I could now better see what the thing standing in the mirror was.

The Dark Fae King!

He smiled at me with his wretched sharp little black teeth, and leaned in languidly, as if he had all the time in the world. With foul and warm breath, he whispered into my ear, “I knew you’d be of use to me someday.”

With one final yank, I was forced through.

I shut my eyes tightly, expecting some great pain to rush through me, but instead, I felt a lazy and sticky sort of breeze brush against the exposed skin of my arms, face, and neck. My eyes snapped open again, and I found myself outside somewhere in the forest.

Even though I didn’t know where in the forest exactly, by the look and feel of the ancient trees surrounding me, I at least knew I was somewhere in the Forest of Sorrows.

I glanced up along the familiar twisted branches, and saw why it was so dark. Tried as it wanted, daylight couldn’t pierce the densely packed treetops fighting for space.

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