Page 14 of Ruined Kingdom

“Come in,” I called out to whoever was there.

The knock came again followed by a ruckus in the form of angry voices.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I charged toward the door, opening it myself. It shouldn't have surprised me that I found Lexi and Sharra tussling about something.

Sharra looked at me and stepped away from Lexi. “I told her it was all right to go in, but she insisted on knocking again.”

“I just wanted to be extra sure,” she explained, looking at me in earnest before lowering her eyes to my feet. Her cheeks turned a lovely rosy shade, showing her embarrassment. “I didn't want a repeat of last night.”

Sharra’s curiosity was instantly piqued. “What happened last night?”

“None of your business is what happened,” Lexi shot back at Sharra, giving the Siren a threatening look.

“I beg to differ,” Sharra argued.

“Heavens, girls. Control yourselves.” Tieni stepped in, stopping the situation from getting any worse—or louder.

“Sorry, Tieni,” Lexi and Sharra both recanted as they visibly deflated in submission.

“Anyway, we were told that you were going to go for a walk. We figured we’d come with you.” Sharra’s mind jumped to the next thing, as if she’d already forgotten about what had interested her a mere moment ago.

“You mean you were coerced by Kaine,” I raised my chin and smirked in jest.

“Under penalty of death,” Sharra immediately admitted, rolling her eyes skyward. “But I would have wanted to come with you anyway. Since I’m bored out of my mind around here, it just makes sense to stick to the girl who seems to find it impossible to keep herself out of trouble.”

“Don’t you and your sister want to go back to the water?” I asked, feeling responsible for keeping them from returning to their home. “That’s where Sirens belong, not in a stone castle that’s cold and in the middle of the forest.”

“It’s almost like you don’t get it.” Sharra stepped closer to me with a sullen, unwavering face. “You are too important to lose. You’re important to the Forest of Sorrows, and to the Alpha King, and—to us.”

A soft smile spread across my face. “I must say, Sharra, you’ve come a long way from hating all mortals. Especially me.”

She shot me an annoyed look. “Shut up.”

“If we are done dilly-dallying, can we go before it gets dark?” Lexi reminded us, already starting to lead the way down the hall.

I waved goodbye to Tieni and followed Lexi, who was all but bounding down the corridor. Upon making our way to the foyer, I received looks from everyone I passed.

The maids and staff watched in confusion and shock as I walked by. So much so that they weren’t even able to greet me.

The grand doors opened, and a waft of fresh air—smelling of grass and dried leaves after it had rained—filled my lungs. It also had a bit of a chill to it.

I usually loved the seasonal change from summer to fall, but It only served as a reminder that time was running out for Kaine.

If the Fae King was still alive and gaining strength every day, then it was only a matter of time before he was able to take what he wanted again. Only this time, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Kaine might not be able to stop him again.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pink bud along with its sprouting thorns. It was still in the process of blooming … slowly but very surely.

A ticking clock, huh? Ticking down to what exactly?

Had the Goddess given this to me because she knew what the Fae King was going to do to me? If so, why had she allowed it to happen?

Kaine had told me that the Gods couldn’t get involved in mortal affairs, but Helene certainly seemed to have her hand in our dealings in her own way.

I tried to convince myself that even if she’d known how that monster would end up taking something from me, it was for a greater purpose. There had to be a reason for it, something my mortal mind couldn’t comprehend just yet…

“Soph.” Lexi reached out to me, drawing my mind back from the edge of the cliff I was inching closer and closer to. “You all right?”

I raised my head and shook out all the thoughts I didn’t want to focus on right now. I was supposed to be relaxing. “I am. Don’t worry about me.”

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