Page 62 of To Sway a Prince
The leviathan's hum wove around me. He drove his head into the barrier again.
The leviathan's song grew distant. My eyelids grew heavy. I—I couldn't stay awake. I couldn't stand.
Before I could even register fear, I drifted into a dream. The familiar balcony materialized—the same one from my last dream with Ramiel. Stars glittered overhead like scattered diamonds against black velvet.
Ramiel stood at the railing, silver hair catching moonlight. He turned, his face lighting up as he spread his arms.
I rushed forward, collapsing against his chest, clutching his shirt. My fingers dug into the fabric as I buried my face against his chest.
"I'm afraid," I whispered, voice breaking. "I don't know how to get back."
His arms tightened around me. One hand cradled my head, fingers threading through my hair. The other pressed firmly against the small of my back, anchoring me to him.
"It's all right," he murmured against my temple. "Please don't give up. I'm coming for you."
"I'm tired, Ramiel. And I hurt so much." My voice cracked. "This place is draining everything. I know you're not here. You couldn't hear me before. This isn't any different."
He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes. "Trust me, Astraia. Just a little longer. You gave me back my life. I will give you back yours."
"Don't give me false hope," I whispered. A dream had never hurt this much, but how desperately I wanted all this to be true. False hope that would be so easy to take into myself.
Something cracked, a loud ricocheting sound like a cliff collapsing. The balcony shuddered beneath us. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone. My stomach lurched.
No. No!
I tried to grab onto him, but my fingers passed through his surcoat and chest. I was fading. Fading and falling!
His arm snared around me, his other hand seizing me by the shoulder.
"Ahhh!" Pain shot through my shoulder, white-hot and vicious, twisting and curling. It was as if my arm was being wrenched from its socket and the joint burned from within.
"Hold fast, Astraia. Just trust me!" He yanked me forward. The darkness vanished.
We stood in the Covenant Chamber. Glass jars of gemstone sand hummed in harmonious chorus, casting prismatic light across the walls. Beautiful. Peaceful. Sacred.
Relief swept over me. The dream had changed. "Rami—" I doubled over, clutching my shoulder. Each breath came in ragged gasps.
He steadied me, his hand against my shoulder. "Trust me, Astraia," he said. "It will be all right. Breathe. And focus on me. Focus on our bond. Have we come this far only to lose one another now? Focus on me, nat. Just on me."
"It hurts so much," I said, my voice thick. "And I'm still so cold. That's all that's left, isn't it? Memories and cold and aching and pain and darkness."
"No." A muscle in his jaw jumped. He pulled me tight against him and pressed my ear to his chest. His heartbeat thumped steady and strong against my ear. The humming of the sand jars grew louder, resonating with something I could not place. "Focus on me, Astraia. Just focus on me."
Oh! Warmth radiated from his body, chasing away the bone-deep cold of the void. For the first time since entering this terrible place, I could smell him faintly—frosted silver and cedar, crisp and earthy. A hint of smoke and leather too. I inhaled deeply, letting his scent fill my lungs.
"Good." He held me closer. I curled in tighter, my hands fisting in his tunic, desperate for touch and heat. His fingers carded my hair. "Good. Focus on me, Astraia. Focus hard. You aren't alone."
"Ramiel—" I gasped again. That searing pain cut into my shoulder once more. Screaming, I buried my face in his chest again. My fingers tingled. My toes burned too. Heat crept through my limbs. The aching intensified. My body trembled.
The pain twisted deeper, shredding through me like a thousand white-hot needles. I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think.
"I can't—" My legs buckled.
Ramiel held me up, his grip fierce. "You can. You will. I know you can do this."
I shook my head, tears streaming. "It's too much."
"Look at me." His voice cut through the agony. His eyes locked with mine, fierce and determined. "I love you, Astraia. I loved you from the moment I knew you were real."
