Page 24 of Essence of the Throne

“My blood,” the prince breathes into the tepid air. I look over at him as he leans against the wall and slides to the floor. “What the fuck was that, Ariella? Why did you do it? And why did Iwantyou to?” He grimaces, his face contorting to a wince when he runs his fingers along the bite I made.

“Do you think I know what just happened? As if I gallivant around ripping people’s necks open with my teeth?” He stiffens in my peripheral, sighing before relaxing once more.

“Well maybe I’m wrong, but you sounded like you knew exactly what you were doing. And then I suddenly was there, but not?” He says it like a question, one I have no answer for. I sit up and stand in one motion, reaching for the sink to rinse my mouth out. I don’t answer him, instead walking back into the bedroom in search of my clothes.

A memory flashes through my head of how confused I felt when we were clothed one second and naked the next. I have no recollection of removing anything.

I need to leave.

I need space tothink.

My jaw drops, my stomach sinking further at the sight of his room. I pause, too aware of when Caspian halts mere inches behind me. “By the Angel,” he breathes, echoing the horror I feel in myself.

How did this happen?

Pieces of wood that were once the prince’s desk cover the floor. The blankets I struggled to leave just minutes ago are black, as if they’d been burnt through. My head spins as I look down and note the smeared soot across my thighs.

Each lamp attached to the walls is shattered, leaving behind only the mounts that can no longer do anything but darkenmy confusion. The tapestry above Caspian’s bed is unrecognizable—shredded to pieces, with only a few threads left hanging. I grimace at the state of his bed, the frame severely damaged and unable to hold the mattress any longer.

Now sit the fuck down.

It isn’t something I wish to acknowledge, but the memory of a faint cracking follows his words. Did we do this?

Stupid fucking question—who else would have?

I’m certainly in full control of my essence, having held him against the wall while we fucked, which makes everything I’m seeing even more unclear.

Something heavy settles at the front of my mind. I try, but fail, to grasp it. I cannot tell what it is, but it feels important. Like the reason all of this happened.

I back away from the devastation, heart racing, mind swirling like a tempest. The walls feel too thick, closing in around me, and I need to escape. “I can’t,” I whisper, the words barely escaping my lips as I turn and push through the door. The hallway outside is too quiet, shadows waiting in every corner, mocking me with their stillness.

Footsteps echo behind me—Caspian is following, his persistent presence a weight on my shoulders. “Ariella,” he calls, but I don’t stop. The need to find comfort in his arms is primal, clawing at me like a thing alive and hungry; and I will not allow myself to indulge again.

I storm toward my room, fingers brushing against the cool metal handle of my door as if it could provide solace.

“Ariella!” His voice sharpens into a commanding tone that feels foreign in this moment. “You can’t just leave without talking about this!”

I spin to face him, fury igniting under my skin like fire. “You think talking will change what just happened? That we can dissect our mess like some kind of twisted science experiment?” My voice rises above the plangent emptiness of the hall. “We destroyed your room! We—” Fuck, my eyes are burning. I swallow past the lump in my throat before finally meeting Caspian’s eyes and taking several breaths. “Can we talk in the morning?” I shouldn’t need his permission, but I want it, anyway.

The emotion in his gaze is heavy enough to weaken my resolve, but he moves before I can say anything else. Stepping forward, he grabs the back of my head and pulls me into his chest. I draw his scent into my lungs and let the simplicity of this moment calm me. He presses a kiss to the top of my head before stepping back to offer me a warm smile.

Suddenly all my eyes can think about is falling into bed—

“Your bed…it’s ruined.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it. If you hadn’t noticed, there are hundreds of bedrooms here—I’ll be fine. Get some rest, angel.” He swipes his thumb down my lips before spinning back toward the destruction of his room.

Chapter Seven

Ariella

Ifasten the last buckle on my travel bag, the sound sharp in the otherwise silent room. My fingers hesitate over my father’s journal, lying half-hidden beneath a pile of maps on my desk. Its worn cover is rough against my fingertips, the edges frayed from years of handling, from the nights I clutch it too tightly. I should bring it…perhaps whatever I find in the forest will give me the context I need to understand some of the entries.

My gaze shifts to the window. The darkness outside is still thick, untouched by the exposing sun. I’ve risen early, but not just because of my restless thoughts. It’s because I have no intention of letting Caspian follow me into the Verdantia Forest. He’s been adamant about joining me, but the risk of this journey is one he doesn’t need to take. The stubborn bastard won’t understand, but I couldn’t fucking care less. He doesn’t need to understand. And after yesterday, I'm not inclined to give him my attention so that we may talk about what happened.

How would I even discuss such a thing? It's difficult to talk through something you barely remember. Pieces of it flow through my mind, but they're scrambled and confusing.

I swing my pack over my shoulder, the weight molding to my back. My steps are soft against the tile as I move toward the door, careful not to disturb the eerie silence of the castle. I need to visit the guild before heading to the forest, but I can’t think about why, not yet. There’s a heaviness inside me that feels like a promise I have yet to fulfill.

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