Page 12 of Ruined Kingdom

The group also contained Berrok, Tieni, Garmilen, and Eugin.

Sharra stepped aside as I gave them a pathetic wave.

Tieni wasted no time. “Goodness, child! You gave us such a fright.” Before I knew it, I was pulled into a tight hug—and somehow, it was harder to breathe than when Kaine had done it.

“I’m sorry,” were the only strangled words I could manage.

Garmilen came up behind her and touched her back, urging her to let me go. “Tieni, please. You’re going to squeeze the girl back to death.”

“Oh, Garmilen. Do not make light of this situation!” she scolded him fiercely, even releasing me from her vise-like embrace to do so.

“What situation? She’s here. That’s all that matters.” Garmilen tried to remain professional despite everyone else’s emotions. He waited until Tieni stepped away from me before pulling me in for a hug as well. “It’s good to have you back.”

Garmilen moved away, and I locked eyes with Berrok who gave me a smile and a nod. This was his way of expressing that he was glad I’d cheated death. We all knew that anything more than that would have resulted in Kaine having his severed head stuck on a pike.

“Thank you, everyone, for coming to see me, but I’m rather tired. Would you mind if we reconvened in the morning?” I even showed them a little yawn to make it believable, smiling sheepishly afterward.

“Of course. We understand, dear. Everything will be in its place, as it should be, tomorrow. There's nothing else to worry about.” Tieni patted me on the back and sent me off down the hall to my bedroom.

I knew that I was supposed to go to Kaine’s bedroom to speak with him, but I couldn't find the strength or the will to have that conversation.

He wanted to know everything that happened. He wanted to dig deep into my soul and scoop out all the horrible things to lay them out in front of me, but I wasn't ready to face them.

I quickly made my way to my bedroom and slammed the door shut behind me. Then I looked around the room, trying to seek some sort of comfort.

Tieni already had the fireplace going for me.

That meant the room should have been warm by now, but despite being bathed in the glowing light, it felt as cold as ice in here.

As cold as death…

I sunk to the floor, my dress poofing out around me.

My arms wrapped around me as if they were trying to hold me together, but all the unwanted memories I’d been keeping at bay seemed to flood forth in one single instant—like a dam crumbling under the pressure of too much water.

I couldn't help but remember the way I’d been held captive by absolute nothingness and saw only darkness. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see Helene standing before me with her crushing power. And the feeling of the Fae King—consuming me…

A shiver ran down my spine as the image of his cavernous mouth flooded every other traumatic thing that’d ever happened to me. It buzzed round and round inside my skull like an incessant insect.

What is it that he took out of me?

4

SOPHIA

Iawoke to the warm sun on my face. For a moment, I thought I was standing in the presence of Helene again.

I sat up quickly to find that I was perfectly alone.

My back ached from sleeping on the stone floor all night, but on the other hand, it felt nice just to be alive. I was happy to feel anything after feeling nothing at all.

A firm and demanding knock on the door made me turn around.

The door opened slowly to reveal who it was. Kaine.

I should have known.

His face contorted in horror upon seeing me on the floor. “Sophia! Are you all right?”

---