Page 173 of Where Darkness Falls

Emyr’s eyes pinch, nodding as he pulls away. Even though he smiles, it isn’t the same as the one he adorned moments ago. His demeanor hascompletely changed in a matter of seconds. As he walks away from me, he grabs his garb off a nearby chair and heads for the bathing chamber.

This definitely isn’t the reaction I was expecting.

Was I too forward with my declaration?

I follow after him. “What’s wrong, Emyr?” I ask. “Did… Did I say something wrong?”

Emyr flinches, turning around to face me with a placating smile. “No, Rosey,” he replies. “You’re perfect. You’ve done nothing wrong. I just don’t deserve your heart.”

Before I can respond, he closes the doors to the bathing chamber. As I stand there gaping, I truly can’t make heads or tails of this frustrating Galrosan. I know he’s trained to believe he’s unworthy, but have I not proven to him that he is, despite what he believes?

Gray light seeps through the large windows, which I hastily walk to in hopes of a distraction. Instead of a glorious landscape, I find a black, cavernous hole that cascades beyond the earth below. The pit is surrounded by looming snowy mountains as its backdrop, which is a stark contrast to the void that light itself can’t penetrate within the crevice.

The Abyss.

So, it really is a massive pit that could swallow up a fourth of Malvoria.

“I see you’ve found the Abyss,” Emyr’s voice carries across the room. He’s leaning against the door frame, already dressed in his travel armor.

“Why in all Celestae would someone build an inn so close to such treachery?” I ask.

“To accommodate the king when he comes to ‘visit’ the beasts,” Emyr grimaces.

“Does he come that often?” I ask.

“He used to,” Emyr replies. “He claimed it was to keep them in check, but now I see it for the lie that it was.”

Anguish dusts along his face as he looks at the vile place that’s his inheritance when he becomes the King of Zulgalros—if he becomes the king. I’m not sure why, but the reminder of his royalty causes the chasm to deepen within my heart.

If he ascends to the seat of power, would he forget about me as he sits on his throne?

Surely, he isn’t allowed to marry a commoner, even one destined to awaken the Na Fíréin.

I shake away the thoughts, focusing solely on the here and now.

I cover his hand in mine. “I’m sorry that you lost him to such evil,” I reply.

“As am I, but my father died a long time ago. No sense worrying about things that can’t be changed,” he sighs.

Walking over to the armoire, he grabs the outfit that I’ve worn the last month. He motions to the bathing chamber. “It’s time, Maeva,” he orders. His face is once more a mask of indifference.

I shuffle my feet. “Emyr, if I offended you earlier, I’m truly sorry,” I murmur.

Emyr bites the inside of his cheek, looking to the window. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, Rosey,” he says. “I just don’t want you to regret your words.”

His words fracture my heart. Of course, I don’t enjoy secrets, or being left out of important information, that I should be aware of. However, none of that changes how I feel for him—even when he’s pushing me away or saying hurtful things. I just wish he could see that.

Leaning up on my tiptoes, I kiss his cheek. This seems to surprise him, as he searches my face. He only views himself as a man that’s broken beyond repair, but all I see is one who’s lost and needs help finding his way back. “You’re not someone that I’ve ever regretted caring for, Emyr. I hope one day I can prove that to you,” I say, taking my clothes from his hands and briskly walking to the bathing chamber.

As I shut the door, Emyr is watching me as longing stirs in his expression. I offer him a small smile as the door clicks into place, closing him away from me. I quickly braid the upper section of hair away from my face on both sides, allowing it to meet in the back as the rest of the unruly waves fall down to my waist.

Then I adorn myself with my leathers and the armor that covers my vital organs. As I shrug on the pants, something pokes me through the lining of the pocket. I quickly pull out the object and find it’s the glimmering black dragon scale patch. My eyes shimmer as I turn it over twice before tucking it back into place.

“You’re not alone, Little Star.”

Even though I’m devastated, something about the memory brings me comfort. As I face the evil of the Abyss, I know that those I’ve lost will be with me. Clearing my throat, I tuck my golden pendant beneath my black tunic so that only a small section of the chain is visible. As I turn, there’s a floor-length mirror, and who’s staring back startles me. The quiet, reserved Maeva from Aurelius has disappeared behind the Maeva that is now before me. While I know she’s still there, I feel as if there’s just another part of me that’s been hidden for a long time, dying to come out.

Nervously, I hold out my hands, summoning small orbs of starlight. As I watch my reflection, I’m stunned by how quickly certain aspects of my appearance change. I look strong, capable, and unstoppable. There’s a confidence hidden deep within that claws its way to the surface. Since my ability emerged, or rather I finally awakened it, I’ve wondered why Siorai chose me to be the one to find the Na Fíréin. I don’t truly know who I am or where I’m from. I’m no one special, but he entrusted this honor to me.