Page 59 of Dreams of Ash and Smoke

A guard yells, unsure of the two beings stumbling upon their foyer. Our throats become dry from lack of water.

More guards tumble out from the entrance halls as they surround us. I can barely focus on them. I am entirely exhausted. I want to sleep for a week. My skinned forearms burn from the dirt and grime on them, as do the rest of my cuts and scrapes.

“Move!” My bond pulls, my sight and my hearing focus in on that one voice, immediately soothing me. My knees give out, causing Ruelle and I go crashing to the floor. I can’t see who grabs her but the scent of freshly baked dessert surrounds me and I know Eryx holds me close to his chest. “You insufferable female.” His voice cracks from emotion, “I was about to burn this continent to the ground to find you.” I choke out a sob as he tightens his hold and I whimper from pain and longing. “Medic!” Doctors come quickly, laying down cots on the floor, “No, I’ll take her. Show me where.” Eryx tells them and starts moving, trying to be as gentle as he can. “Call off the search parties!”

“Ruelle,” I moan out from pain and exhaustion.

“She’s fine. Hadeon has her.” I nod to him, inhaling deeply.

“I am so tired…” I barely speak before my eyes shut. I can’t understand the words coming from him as my vision goes black.

* * *

Pain is what I expect when I stir from sleep but it never greets me. All my muscles are sore but no pain from any of the wounds inflicted upon me. I move my hands, feeling the fabric beneath me. The softest sheets I have ever felt. The plush comforter covers me to keep me toasty warm. Sunlight shines from a window glowing the back of my eye lids and the scent of my mate encompasses me. A whimper escapes me from my sore arms and legs.

I go to move, barely cracking my eyes open, but a gentle hand lays me back down.

“Verena, you need to rest, love.” My eyes fully open, revealing Eryx and Hadeon standing next to me.

“How is Ruelle?” Is my first question in a whisper, immediately thinking back to when we arrived. We were both barely conscious.

Hadeon smiles, “She’s stubborn and strong. Just like you. She wasn’t awake last time I checked on her but she was bleeding more than you.”

“I don’t want to push you,” Eryx starts up, “But we need answers. What happened?”

Hadeon nudges his shoulder against the king’s. “She just woke up, Eryx.”

“It’s fine.” I speak again, my voice scratchy. Hadeon motions for a maid to bring me water and I sip it slowly, sighing in relief at the feeling of it against my throat. “Ruelle and I were in the garden on a bench just talking. But she had told me someone was angry. She could feel it. It was dark and dangerous. So we start heading back inside and Mya comes out of nowhere pretending to be Hadeon. I guess she has some sort of shape-shifting ability,” I tell them.

“Mya? From Zorya? Your old maid?” Hadeon questions me, confusionlining his features and suddenly I am reminded about her true self.

“Well, she told me her real name isn’t Mya at all…” I trail off. They both look at me, waiting for me to finish. This will hurt him. Finding out his ex-betrothed was in fact alive and obsessed with the crown enough to kill his mate, who in turn killed her instead. “Her name is Amaelya.” I state, watching his face carefully.

His expression changes from patience… to surprise. “What? No,” He says in denial. Now he looks angry, hurt. My bond aches, wanting to soothe him but unsure as to how. “There is no way. She was burnt to a crisp.”

“Eryx,” Hadeon places his hand on his best friends shoulder in support .

He shrugs him off, “No. We saw her body, Hadeon!”

“Eryx.” I say his name with a soft voice, forcing him to look at me. “ It was her. Ruelle was there. She knows her, knows what she looked like. They spoke as if they had known each other for decades. She wanted the crown. She wanted you and she was about to kill me for it. Even knowing I am your mate. Who do you think gave Ruelle and I all these wounds?”

His expression turns dark, his eyes as black as his hair. He turns to Hadeon, “Go prepare Draven for me.” His voice is full of hatred until he turns back to me, grasping my hand in his own and bringing it to his lips. “I am so sorry,” He tells me. “This is all my fault.”

My hand reaches up to his cheek, “No it is not, Eryx. This is on Amaelya. She was so angry at your father. She almost killed Ruelle! This is between her and the late king of Khyrel. I…” I was unsure on how to tell him about me murdering his ex-love but deciding to just come out with it. “I killed her, Eryx. I didn’t have a choice.”

“I am not angry at you, Verena. Not one bit.” He removes his hand from my other one and places both of them on my cheeks, “Amaelya’s alleged death had done something to me I can’t even explain. But I think I was more angry at myself because everything my father had said was right in front of my eyes. We were to be wed because our fathers made a deal but that is it. Did I love her? Maybe at some point I did but it’s friendly. She is nothing and was always nothing. You are the love of my life. My fated mate. A gift to me from the Gods that I in no way, shape, or form deserve but Iwill thank them everyday because of it.” Tears brim my eyes at his words. “I was terrified at the thought of losing you.” He pulls me to him, wrapping his arms around my body and I shove my face into his chest in comfort.

“I killed her…” My voice breaks. Ikilledher. Whether it’s self defense or not. I took someone’s sister from them. “I slit her throat and watched as the light left her eyes and felt nothing but hatred for her.”

“I know,” He says, not bothering to coat his words with sugar. He understands. He has done it. And he knows it isn’t easy even if it is their life against yours. Except, it wasn’t just my life on the line. It was all of Khyrel, if not the continent. It was Eryx, Ruelle, Esmeray, Hadeon, and the people I care about. It was everyone or it was her. I know I made the right decision. I know I would make it over and over again.

He holds me for a while until I get sleepy again.

“You need rest, Seren Fach. Go to sleep, I’ll be here when you wake.”

* * *

Eryx

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