Page 123 of A Kingdom's Heart
He turned, and there was such calm in his face it made my heart break. “May the world give us another chance,” he said. “I’ll be waiting.”
Then he turned away. I froze, watching as he planted a hand on the railing. My chest tightened so painfully I could barely breathe.
“William, please,” I whispered. But he didn’t stop. He swung his
leg over the edge, steady and sure.
And then he was gone.
“William!” I screamed loudly, running forward until my hands hit the cold stone of the balcony edge. My breath caught when I looked down. He was there below, moving quickly through the courtyard. The night swallowed him bit by bit as he passed through the gates.
“William, come back!” I screamed on the top of my lungs. The tears came fast, spilling down my face, blurring everything in
front of me. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t breathe.
All I knew was that my heart was breaking. The pain was so sharp it stole the air from my lungs and forced me onto my knees. The tears wouldn’t stop. My fingers gripped the cold stone until they ached.
He was leaving.
Leaving me.
The thought ripped through me like a wound that would never heal. I pressed a trembling hand to my chest as if that could hold it together, as if I could stop the ache from spreading.
“No,” I whispered. The word came out cracked and small. “No, please.”
I stumbled to my feet, wiping at my face even though it did nothing. The gates were still open in the distance, his shadow fading further with every heartbeat. My mind screamed at me to
move. To run. To stop him before it was too late.
I climbed onto the railing, my hands shaking as I pulled myself up. The wind hit my face, cold and sharp, but I didn’t care. All I could think about was reaching him, finding him, begging him to stay.
But before I could climb over, a pair of hands grabbed me.
CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
IRIS
The tears were still stinging in my eyes when I turned to see who it was.
“Raven?” My voice cracked on her name.
She stood behind me with her hands locked around my arms. The sight of her made my chest tighten even more.
“Raven, let me go!” I shouted, trying to wrench free, but her grip only tightened.
“I can’t,” she said, her voice trembling. “Iris, please don’t—”
“Let me go!” I screamed again, twisting, clawing at her wrists. “He’s leaving! I have to go to him!”
She shook her head, her voice breaking. “I’m sorry. He told me to stop you.”
I froze for a heartbeat, the words barely sinking in. “I don’t care what he told you,” I cried, my voice hoarse. “Raven, please, let me go!”
I tried again to pull free, but she only held tighter. Her arms wrapped around me like iron bands, dragging me away from the railing. My tears came harder, falling so fast I could barely see. My breaths were sharp and uneven, and my whole body shook.
“Raven, please,” I whispered again, my voice raw. “He’s all I have.”
But she didn’t move. Her grip only tightened more, making my arms hurt. “I know,” she said. “I know, Iris. But I can’t let you go. You’ll get hurt. Please.”
