Page 153 of The Stolen Kingdom

Valda exhaled, the bubbles tickling her nose as they floated to the surface, followed by the soft caress of a hand upon her cheek.

Honey eyes flew open, and they stared at tired blue ones. The tightness in her chest came back, and the overpowering sense of joy filled her heart and mind. The bond snapped back into place as the blue hue on Maris’s forehead illuminated the pool, dissolving the blood from the water.

Valda gasped, forgetting she was under water, and clung to Maris. She kicked her legs with all her strength, propelling herself toward the surface with a desperate, audible gasp.

“Maris!” Valda called to her, swimming to the edge of the pool and holding on for dear life with one hand while cradling Maris with the other. “Maris?!”

Her mate’s tired eyes shone as a soft smile spread on her pale lips, which slowly regained that beautiful color Valda loved to kiss. With a soft nod, Maris answered the silent question between them.

Maris cradled the back of Valda’s neck, and she pressed their foreheads together once again.

“I am here, Valda.”

Valda shuddered, sobbing uncontrollably before squeezing Maris to her body as her words dissolved in between prayers of gratitude, and pleading Maris to never leave her again…

32

There was nothing except the swaying of waves, the creaking of wood, the softness of fur and the gentlest purring next to her ear.

Maris wasn’t sure how long she had been unconscious. As her eyes fluttered open, she stared at a pair of yellow cat eyes, then a soft head bumped into her temple after something raspy licked her cheek. She knew right away it was Cerberus, but between the need to rest, the fever induced dreams, and the swaying of her body, Maris couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes fully.

In her unconsciousness, someone took care of her. Gentle and firm hands washed her skin and cleaned her wounds, fed her, and made her drink water. Sealian water in its purest form. Delirious, she drank greedily until there was nothing left, and even then she asked for more. The healing qualities worked their magic, and one day, bothered by the heat inside the chamber, Maris finally opened her eyes to stare at a wooden ceiling.

The humidity made the heat so much worse. It drenched her skin in a thin layer of sticky sweat. She pulled the fur blanket from her body and sighed as the air cooled her. Next to her, a large pitcher of water waited for her. She smacked her dry lips and struggled to sit up. By her feet, Cerberus slept soundly, until she accidentally hit her with her foot. The cat’s eyes flew open. She chittered happily and ran up to her.

“Cerberus,” Maris croaked, scratching Cerberus’ nape before turning to the water pitcher. She stretched her arm and grabbed it just as someone walked through the door.

The surprised gasp didn’t bother Maris as she took large gulps of the precious liquid.

“You are awake,” the person whispered, and it wasn’t until Maris placed the pitcher back in the nightstand that she saw who it was.

“Eyphah,” Maris said, breathing hard.

The other woman placed the plate of food she was holding on top of a wooden crate and scrambled out of the chamber. Maris could hear her announcing that she was awake. After a pause, heavy steps raced to the chamber and quieted down just as Valda peaked her head inside.

Valda.

Maris swallowed thickly as her mate’s face contorted in happiness and relief. “Thank the gods! You are awake.” Valda’s voice quivered as joy thrummed in their bond.

“Valda!” Maris cried out, her arms extending as she reached out to grab hold of her mate.

With two broad strides, Valda kneeled next to the bed and wrapped her arms around her waist. Maris welcomed the embrace, enveloping Valda’s shoulders and pressing her lips to the side of her neck, taking in her scent, saturating her senses with everything that was Valda. Pulling back, Maris frowned as she took notice of the healing scar on Valda’s face.

Another one.Her fingers traced over the pinkish skin that went from the top of her forehead down the side of her face. Swallowing hard, she pulled away to look at her surroundings before. “How long was I asleep?”

“A week,” Valda said, her eyes fluttering shut as she leaned into Maris’s touch. “I was growing desperate.”

“A week?!” Maris almost recoiled. She looked around her, the wooden walls closing in on her as her breath quickened. “Where are we?”

Valda captured her shaking hands with her own and squeezed tight. “We are in the Sea Kingdom.”

Maris froze.The Sea Kingdom.Her eyes trailed to the water pitcher. No wonder it tasted different, cleaner, crisper. “We are in the Sea Kingdom?”

Valda nodded fervently. “You don’t have to worry about anything. Eyphah has been taking good care of the Sealians. As soon as they all made it here, they began working and making plans.” Valda’s smile could illuminate the entire room. “You just wait and see all the plansyourpeople have for rebuilding this kingdom.”

Maris released a breath, her hand pressing to the tender flesh of her chest. She hissed slightly before looking down at the scar forming there.

“How…”

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