Page 221 of Upon Buried Embers
“R-Rohan?” She’s confused and frightened, and she’s looking at me to make it all better, so that I can save her.
But in a moment, she’ll hate me.
Forgive me, Little Whisperer.
“What’s going on?” She whimpers, panic in her eyes, and a deep sadness. “Rohan, there was a fire at the clan, and Asseya… Asseya wasn’t moving and…”
My heart stops.
Asseya is no more?
“I don’t u-understand.” She hiccups. “Rohan— ow.”
I step forward until the end of a sword is at my own throat by a guard, but I look to the one who has hold of Alara.
“Hurt her again and I will show you what your insides look like while you’re still alive.” The guard pales, but he tries to be brave and holds my gaze until it flits away.
“Hold her still, Declan. Shall I explain?” King Halen asks. “Of course I will, because that is what a good king does.” He stands. “Rohan here made a deal with me after the last Games. Hewas to provide me with something and The Games would end. Understand?”
“Y-es.”
“Good. Now you see, he had what I wanted, but then he decided not to give it to me and lie. That’s not very nice is it?”
“I’m not… sure,” she whimpers, more blood spilling down her neck. “W-what was he supposed to give y-you?”
King Halen’s smile is evil as he says the one thing I never wanted her to know.
“You.”
She blinks.
“W-what?” she asks, eyes coming to me. “Rohan? What’s he talking about?”
“I needed an elf, you see,” he continues as I lock eyes with Alara. “And as much as my army has tried to capture one alive at the border, I’ve been unsuccessful.”
The more King Halen talks, the more I can see her eyes begin to dim, the light fading. Hurt and betrayal showing itself as silent tears drop from her eyes.
“Rohan here promised he could acquire me one before the next Games. You never belonged to him, you belong to me. And now itisthe next Games, and he refused to give me you. That calls for many punishments, don’t you think?”
“Is that true?” Alara asks, her voice wavering.
“I didn’t—”
“You... you took me just to give me to him?”
“Wait, I—”
“You weren’t going to keep me?”
Her voice is full of hurt, and I’ve never hated myself more than this moment for putting that look on her face.
“It wasn’t real, was it?” she cries, body shaking. “You made this deal to get rid of me.”
“Let me explain,” I plead.
“You lied,” she croaks out, tears streaming down her face, “You made me fall for you, and youlied.”
“I—”
