Page 44 of Wings of Betrayal

“Get out!” She points to the door.

“But it’s true! All of it! After Hethenos killed my mother, Amaros whispered in my ear that one day I would be a powerful Queen at his side, and that we’d rule the Kingdoms together.”

She covers her face and screams, and I jump at the sound.

“Get. Out,” she orders.

I reluctantly leave her room, but I pause in the doorway and look back. “Just be careful around him, okay? He’s not who you think he is.”

She storms toward me, and before I can dodge it, she slaps me hard across the face. “You’ve always been jealous of me, and now that I’m with Amaros, you can’t handle it. Stay the hell away from us!”

She slams the door in my face, and I’m left startled in the corridor.

The weight of everything in my life presses down on my shoulders, and for the first time in a while, it’s almost more than I can bear. I brace my hand against the wall as tears sting my eyes, and I bite my bottom lip in an attempt to get my emotions under control.

It doesn’t work. Taking deep breaths, I make my way through the castle and back into my quarters.

Everything okay?Finlay’s voice fills my mind.

It’s as if my throat is closing, and I can’t get enough air. I can’t breathe. I rest my forehead against the cool wood of the door as sweat beads on the back of my neck. Maybe I’m dying. Is this it? Not a Zelon attack, not killed by a lost one, but by a damn panic attack?

Zarla?

I suck in several slow breaths, and when my heart pumps at its normal rhythm again, I respond,I’m okay.

Like hell you are. I can feel you, remember? You’re far from okay. I’m coming.

He can’t have been that quick, but I swear, only a minute later, there’s a knock on the door that startles me. I immediately sense Finlay on the other side, so I open it to let him in. I’m in his arms in an instant, and he rubs soothing circles over my back.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

My lip trembles, and I swallow hard, but it’s useless. Tears flow freely, and I subtly wipe at them with the back of my hand while Finlay holds me.

Gods above, he’s a good friend. The mind link we share has gone from being one of my least favourite things to one of my most valued.

“You want to tell me what’s got you so upset?” He gently moves back.

I wipe my fingers under my eyes to get rid of the remaining tears. “Astelle.”

He nods as if that’s explanation enough.

I elaborate anyway. “I went to see her. I needed to clear the air. It was time.”

He closes the door and leans against it, crossing his thick arms over his chest. “Let me guess. It didn’t go so well?”

I snort. “You could say that. She kicked me out, but not before she slapped me.”

He raises his brows. “Ouch. Why’d she do that?”

I cross the room and sit on the edge of my bed. “Because she didn’t like the truth.”

He tilts his head and studies me a moment before joining me. “Care to explain?”

I blow all the air out of my lungs in preparation to explain what the heck happened. “I’ve messed everything up. Kyle hates me, and so does Astelle.”

He drapes his arm around my shoulder and tugs me closer. “None of it’s your fault. Amaros is a manipulative son of a bitch, and we can’t trust him.”

“I know that. And I tried to explain that to her, but she won’t listen. She thinks I’m lying that Harlum isn’t our real father, or that Amaros told me he loves me. She thinks I am the one she can’t trust.”

---