Page 104 of A Fate in Flames

She withdrew from my mind, the sensation like thread being pulled through a wound.I was left to make this choice alone.

Hours passed like centuries.I pressed my ear against the cool wooden surface of my door, listening for any whisper of movement in the hallway beyond.

I opened it, wincing as the hinges protested with what sounded like the wail of a dying animal.I poked my head through the gap and surveyed the empty space.

I must have looked like an absolute idiot.

According to Theo, I breathe too loudly, so I left my feet bare to minimise the noise.

I retraced the path Mira had used, my hands trailing along the walls for guidance.Each wrong turn I took sent a fresh spike of panic through my chest.Every time I thoughtfinally, this is it, I was hit with another stretch of mountainous hallway that seemed to mock my efforts.

I cursed myself but kept moving forward.

There was no one in the halls—not a whisper of conversation nor a breath life.Exhaustion weighed on me like wet clothing, my legs burning from the endless back and forth until—

My heart leapt into my throat when I spotted the stone archway.

Adrenaline pulsed through me as I stepped out into the open air.

I moved quickly down the winding path to the open fields below, the rocky ground biting into my bare feet, small, sharp stones pressing painfully against the soft soles.When I reached the cold night-dampened grass, I sighed, wiggling my toes into the soft earth.

The stars and moon shone bright, no cloud barring the silver glow that bathed the landscape in ethereal light.I scanned every shadow to ensure I was truly alone before I closed my eyes and reached for the stone.

In the quiet air, with no sound beside the gentle rustling of wind through tall grass, I heard it.

So far away.

I moved further across the sea of grass, but it was still too far.No matter which way I faced, no matter how many frantic steps I took, nothing changed.

I couldn’t go any further.I had risked my life for no apparent reason.

Tears of frustration burned behind my eyes.I tilted my face upward, surrendering to the night sky above, and cursed silently.Cursed this world.Cursed the Heavens and cursed my wretched luck.

My hair streamed down my spine, swishing against my back as the gentle breeze lifted and played with the strands.If it weren’t for the bitter disappointment, I might’ve found pleasure in the night—the fresh, earthy scent of soil and grass.I closed my eyes, trying to savour the blissful feeling of peace.

Suddenly, a warm and unyielding hand clamped down hard over my mouth, and a solid wall of muscle pressed against my back.Terror shot through me like lightning.My eyes flew open, my head still thrown back, forced to stare at the stars I’d been cursing moments before.

Shit, shit, shit.

I jerked forward, blood rushing to my face.The hand held firm over my mouth, the slight roughness of calluses against my lips.

“Why are you here?”

The low voice sent vibrations through my body as he slowly removed his palm, his fingertips dragging across my lips.

I spun around, knowing who I’d find.It was as if I summoned him wherever I went.He was a shadow I couldn’t escape—a darkness that followed my every move.

Dalkhan stood bathed in pale moonlight that transformed him into something terrifying and divine.If my heart hadn’t been threatening to tear out of my chest, I might’ve taken the time to appreciate how he looked.

“You scared me,” I huffed, bringing a trembling hand to my heart.

“Good.”His perfect mask revealed nothing of the thoughts behind it.No smile to soften his full lips.No warmth to lighten the darkness of his eyes.“Now answer the question.”.

“I wanted to go for a walk,” I said, forcing my voice to steady.“My room is suffocating, and I needed some air.”

“Your room is suffocating, and you needed some air,” he repeated back to me, his tone flat.I could hear exactly how pathetic my excuse had sounded.

“Yes, that’s what I said.”I took a small step back.His proximity was doing strange things to my ability to think.