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Modella waved her hand, and her maids stopped. "Then we do not fix her. You go and leave us to do our work, or you stay and watch her die."

Nezka would have given her credit for such stubbornness if not for the circumstances. He stepped back, letting his eyes fall on Elise, anger and guilt swelling in him. "Fix her. Whatever it takes." He turned and left the room.

Eighteen

The waves crashed over and over, a deafening roar that filled her ears. Elise opened her eyes and saw the ocean, bright and blue and beautiful. She sat up and stared, unaware of anything, of where she was or time itself.

"You're doing it again," came a voice from beside her. Elise looked over and saw her sister sitting only a few feet away, her red hair billowing in the wind. She had her knees up to her chest, arms wrapped around her legs. She looked over to Elise and smiled.

"Doing what?" Elise said, as if seeing her sister there was no surprise.

"You're sulking." Her sister tilted her head.

Elise glanced away with a frown. "I don't know what you mean.”

"You're waiting for that moment," her sister said.

"What moment?"

"The one that will let you move forward."

Elise pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. "It was supposed to be you and me."

"I know."

Elise sat silent as they stared at the waves.

"Let death be your moment, Elise."

Elise gazed back at her sister, ready to scream at her that she never would. Not again.

But her sister wasn't looking at her. She, instead, peered over her shoulder at something behind them. Elise looked around and saw the ruins of a black castle. Beyond a row of broken pillars, a long table lay on its side, rotted food scattered on the ground. Nezka stood between them and the ruins, watching her.

The scene changed, Elise finding herself in a dark jungle, her sister gone. She was alone, wrists bound. A shadow with pits of fire for eyes grabbed her and dragged her up.

"He's waiting," the shadow said.

Elise didn't care to know who he was. She clawed and bit at the shadow, but it hardly budged as it pulled her through the dark. Elise heard the sobs and cries of those nearby, becoming louder.

No. Not again.

Darkness swallowed her, and she smelled a whiff of smoke before a dull light brought her back around. Elise blinked and shut her eyes tight then opened them again. She stared up at an ornate stone ceiling with a narrow skylight. Groggy and a little light-headed, she didn't stir until she could clearly make out her surroundings. She was lying naked on a soft, thick blanket in a dark-tanned room with lanterns sitting in shallow alcoves. The dim light falling from the skylight coupled with the flickering flames of the lanterns showed Elise a small chamber with strange carvings on the wall. She studied them for a moment with confusion, wondering where she was. When she turned over to her side, she found Nezka lying close to her. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow. He appeared to be sleeping.

Elise watched him for a long time, studying his face. He really was one scary-looking guy. But he was rather beautiful too. His dark, sharpened features made him look mysterious and wild. A terrifying and magnificent creature from some other realm, lost now in hers. Without thought, Elise reached over and touched the side of his face, the one now nearly healed over from his burns. His skin was warm and smooth, and she felt that she'd never want to stop touching him if she could.

Nezka stirred, and his eyes slowly opened to meet hers. They stared at each other without a word for a long while before he lifted his hand to take hers. "How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"Like...what's the opposite ofEtharium?" Elise said.

Nezka smiled, if not sadly. "Sucarium."

"What's that?"

"A state of agony."

"Ah." Elise shifted. "Maybe not that bad. More like just a bad hangover."

Nezka released her hand to brush a lock of her hair from her face, his smile slipping.