Page 171 of What Blooms from Death

Chapter Forty-Two

Nova

I wokeup with my face buried in a rough forest of dark fur, dampened from a combination of sweat and tears. I inhaled sharply, and a low whimper vibrated against my cheek.

Phantom.

He curled more closely to me while I drifted in and out of awareness. Some time passed, and then I heard his voice, a whisper in the back of my mind—

(Come back.) Another whimper. (Come back.)

I moved my hands through his fur, weakly clenching my fingers into it, trying to ground myself and keep the world from spinning. He shifted his position again, pressing his forehead to mine. I scratched his chin, and the sound of his tail thumping uncertainly against the mattress woke me further.I felt life slowly creeping back into my body—enough that I managed to open my eyes and take in the familiar sight of my bed. My room. My dog.

I was still here.

I ached in every place it was possible to ache, yet somehow, I was still here.

But Grimnor was gone. To where, I didn’t know—but it seemed far. I couldn’t explain it, but I could actuallysenseits absence like a gaping hole in my chest, a missing piece that made me feel off-balance even as I was lying down. The vision of it being carried away played over and over in my mind.

Gone.

As was Luminor.

And Zayn…no,Lorien.

Gone.

And Aleksander—

I shot upright and tried to roll out of my bed, only to end up tangled in the sheets. I was weak.Gods, I felt so damn weak. The dizziness was overwhelming; I couldn’t stay balanced. The white sheets tangled tighter and tighter around me, as if I were wrapped in the arms of angry, vengeful ghosts. I tumbled to the floor and struck my head against the bedpost.

“My lady!” Aveline cried, rushing to gather me up in her arms. Phantom gave a panicked yelp and leapt down to my side, shoving his cold nose between Aveline and me, trying to lick my cheek.

“Aleks,” I gasped, as the room twisted around me. “Where is Aleks?”

“Let’s get you back into bed,” Aveline insisted.

I refused, clinging tightly to her, holding her down on the floor with me. “Where is he?”

She grabbed my arms, gently but firmly pushing me back, putting enough space between us to properly look me in the eyes. “He’s still here.”

“In the palace?”

“Yes.”

“Alive?”

“Yes, of course, but—”

“I need to go to him.”

Her grip on me tightened. “He’s in the prison holds down below. No place for you to go in your condition. And besides—”

“How long?”

“…You’ve been in and out of consciousness for almost five days.”

“Five days?” Another wave of dizziness overtook me, worse than any before it. I could no longer find the strength to fight against Aveline; she was surprisingly strong.

---