Page 23 of Blood and Reign

“Who… is...”

“Damn it!” My eyes jump to Rion and the look of complete and utter distraught etched across his face, just as his body starts to tremble.

“I can’t lose you. Not again. Not like this.” Rion squeezes his eyes shut, moving his hands up to his head. He grips it tight as the rise and fall of his shoulders grows sharp.

What the hell?

“Why?” I start coughing, cutting off my question.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I should’ve held on tighter to you. It’s my fault you’ve…” Rion swallows hard, his hands moving to the ground as he stumbles back.

He grabs a fist of hair, his eyes wide as they glance from me to the ground. “Maybe we can start over…”

“But how…” He squeezes his eyes tight, shaking his head.

I glance around wondering if he’s seeing some sort of illusions. Maybe his head injury is affecting him… But then, shouldn’t he have healed by now?

I quickly push up on my shaky hands, needing to comfort him. To help him move past whatever he’s going through right now.

“Rion…” My voice is barely a whisper, but it doesn’t stop Rion from hearing it as he whips his head to me, his eyes widening. I lean forward and place my hand on the side of his face.

“Kiarra? Do you… Do you remember…me?” His tone is filled with bewilderment.

I frown, not understanding why he’s asking. Maybe this place messes with your head and it’s already got to Rion.

I cough a bit, but my ability has finally worked its way through my body. My throat is nearly fully healed now. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Rion slowly leans closer to me, his eyes wide as he stares at me, unblinking.

“Rion?”

“You really remember?” Rion’s whole body is tense, his face in a frozen state of heartache and hope.

“I could never forget you. Any of you?” I tell him, but still, he doesn’t move an inch. I rummage through my brain for something, my mind trying to understand why he would think I would forget them.

“You’re one of my best friends and a part of my soul. I would never forget you.”

Rion’s tense body shutters before he moves quickly, pulling me into a tight hug. “I thought you forgot us… forgotme…”

“Never.”

I pull back slightly, Rion’s grip not letting me get far. “Why would you think that?”

Rion’s hands move to my face, his eyes searching every inch of it. “You were in the River Oblivion, Kiarra. Souls don’t just go there to move on. Their memories are wiped, too. I thought…”

My eyes quickly glance over to the dark river, widening when I realize what he means. I shudder. “That’s something that could have happened?”

Rion leans forward, pulling me tighter against his body. “I was only in it long enough to pull you out. I don’t know how you still have your memories, being in it as long as you were.”

I glance back at the water; the dark being is now gone, but the strange stillness in it makes me shiver.

Rion pulls back, sliding a hand up to my cheek. “How are you feeling? Are you still in pain?”

I check my injuries, but most are already fully healed. Once I take note of my body, the cold numbness from the river drifts away. Warmth begins to seep into every nerve just before my heartbeat kicks up a notch.

I flinch back as a bolt of energy shoots through me. Glancing down at my body, I frown as energy floods it all at once.

Rion frowns. “What’s wrong?”

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