Page 13 of The Princess and Her Grand King

All that existed was her fight for breath. The burning in her lungs as her body shuddered in sync with Aekeira’s.

Time stretched on.

Endless.

Suffocating.

But slowly, Emeriel felt the ground return beneath her feet. The ringing in her ears faded, the world around her slithering back in a slow return.

"I’m fine now," she croaked."You can let go, Keira."

Her sister released her, tears tracing paths down Aekeira's face. Her eyes searched Emeriel's. Probing. Looking for signs that all was truly alright.

Emeriel averted her face.Don’t look at me like that. Don’t look too closely.

She hadn't had an attack this intense in years.Way too long.

"Please… send them away." Small, hoarse, barely her own.

"Em…"

"No.” Her voice gained strength. “They should go."

"Let’s at least hear why they’ve come.”

If Emeriel shook her head any harder, her neck would break, and her head would tumble down her shoulders. "I don’t want to.”

"You don’t mean that—"

"I don't want to see them. I don't want to know why they are here. I want themgone." Her voice rose, high-pitched, and panicked again.

Aekeira wiped her tears, nodding slowly, though her eyes remained filled with sadness. "It's okay, Em. I understand. You don't have to see them if you don't want to."

"You can go see them if you want." Emeriel's tone turned brittle. "But promise not to tell me a thing when you return.Ifyou return. I don't wish to hear it."

"Why wouldn’t I return?"

"If you decide you wish to go back to Urai, I don't need to know,” she said in a flat tone. “I don't want to know. You could go with them."

Aekeira flinched, hurt flashing in her eyes. "You don't mean that."

"I do! Leave me alone!" she shouted.

Aekeira reared back like Emeriel had dealt her a physical blow. The pain in Aekeira’s eyes burned into Emeriel.

Stop. Stop hurting her. It’s not her fault.

You never hurt Keira.

The guilt surged, drowning Emeriel.

But she slammed it down, burying it deep beneath the cold wall.

Emeriel let the ice seep into her being. Cold was safer. Cold meant survival.

Squaring her shoulders, Emeriel turned and walked away.

Chapter four

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