Page 96 of A Bond so Fierce and Fragile

Why have you come here, Elessia Rantzier?

Lessia jerked straight at the deep voice, but not from fear. No, for some reason… the voice was familiar.

She waited a beat, trying to get her mind to understand why the voice felt like home.

She doesn’t even deign to respond.

Another voice that sounded… Her nails dug into her palms as she blinked at the brightness around her. It was her mother’s voice.

Yet… it wasn’t.

And the first one… It was Merrick’s.

But also not.

“Who are you?” she snarled, fighting the suffocating feeling of the mist filling her lungs.

You came for us, yet you don’t know who you seek?

Frelina’s voice, but it was also off. Just a tad too high—the tone just a little wrong—and it didn’t carry the defiance that laced Frelina’s words most of the time.

“You’re the wyverns.” Lessia tried to keep her voice level as worry for the others formed a ball of unease in her gut and the thick whiteness still fought to suffocate her.

Took you long enough.

They did get Raine’s snark perfectly, and she spun toward the voice, almost expecting his red hair to break through the world of white.

But there was nothing.

“What is this?” Lessia asked when it remained quiet, her own heartbeat the only sound pulsating through the mist.

You’re asking the wrong questions.

She didn’t think it would be possible not to want to hear Merrick’s voice.

But this strange one… It was wrong. It was eerie, and the lilt of it raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

“Stop with your mind games,” she gritted through her teeth. “Show yourselves.”

But we’re not the ones with the mind games, are we?

A vision of herself and Loche, with her father and Rioner standing behind them, forced its way into her mind. Agony, pure agony, raced over her skin as she was transported right back tothat moment, listening to herself utter, “Forget me. Forget every moment we had alone. Forget you ever felt anything for me. You will only remember me as the spy, the traitor that tried to ruin your election.”

Such a dangerous gift.

Lessia watched her own knees buckle before she snapped her eyes shut and snarled, “Enough! I’ve lived through this enough!”

She really had. Yes, she might feel guilty for the rest of her life for what she’d done to him. Especially now… especially knowing why he’d done it. But she’d decided to live with it.

Like she’d live with every decision she’d made and would make in the future.

Until you won’t. We’ve heard all about your curse, princess of Vastala.

“I am no princess,” Lessia hissed, the unease she’d felt hearing this strange version of Merrick’s voice shifting into anger, which somehow made it easier to clear her lungs of the strange air. “I claim no allegiance to my uncle. Besides, if you have heard so damned much about me, then you know exactly why I am here. No need for all of these theatrics.”

Of course we know. As soon as you tricked that stone into choosing you, we felt you everywhere. Heard and saw and learned everything about you. Who you love. Who you hate. Your fears—and you have many. Your wishes. Yes… the ones you carved into your mate’s skin.

“I didn’t trick anything. And stop using Merrick’s voice,” Lessia warned, sensing her magic flicker to life, her eyes reflecting strangely onto the white wall before her.