Page 98 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

97

FINNLEAH

“ S hhh... Go back to sleep.” Gideon landed a soft kiss on my cheek as he got up from our bed, his spot next to mine still feeling warm as I rolled to my back, remembering that I was naked—a common occurrence nowadays—but so was he. A sleepy smile crept up to my lips as a recollection of last night’s ‘activities’, as he liked to call them, surfaced in my mind.

It had been over a week of perfect bliss as I followed him to the front lines, feeling finally at home with him. He paused, tightening his black pants. “Do not put any clothes on, because I’ll return in a few and I’d have to burn them all off again,” he whispered, smiling at me, as he found his shirt scattered on the floor, slipping it on over his head.

“You're going to have to stop doing that,” A drowsy laugh slipped out of me. “I am running out of clothes to wear.”

“Exactly. Soon you will have nothing left to wear at all, and that is precisely my goal.” He smirked at me and my tired eyes rolled at him.

A loud, pounding knock sounded again, startling me.

“Gideon, you need to come see this right now!” Zora’s muffled voice sounded from behind the double white doors, her voice alarmingly tense. My brows furrowed.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, pulling blankets over my shoulder.

“Yes, apparently Insanaria finally made her move,” Gideon said, rapidly putting his boots on.

“What does that mean?” I asked. But Zora’s voice roared again.

“Gideon, get the fuck out here, right now !” Gideon glared at the door, grabbing his swords, though not before landing another kiss on my lips.

“Stay put, I’ll be right back and I’ll let you know once I know.” He ran his thumb against my chin. “Now, get some rest, my love, you’ll need it.” He winked, making my heart flutter, but hurriedly departed from our room at the Northern Manor. The place felt unbearably empty, now that he was gone. But I didn’t linger on that fact, exhaustion pouring over me as I rolled to the side, unsure of how he functioned on so very little sleep. But before I could conjure another thought, my mind was already drifting far into sleep.

The high-pitched ringing in my ears was abruptly replaced by the loud sound of commotion. I blindly moved through the darkness towards the sound, searching for the way out of what felt like a maze; a tunnel of sorts. My eyesight was cloudy as I made my way further, the darkness finally thinning out. Sudden light blinded me as I appeared in what looked like a room.

But whatever fog my mind was in, vanished in a blink of an eye when I saw him .

There knelt Gideon, surrounded by piles of mutilated bodies. Large, thorny vines pierced his entire body, pinning his arms out; his head slumped, as dark blood streamed down his figure, drowning the white, marble floor in red.

My soul filled with absolute horror at the sight. Terror I had never felt before. Panic-filled screams erupted from my mouth, yet no sound escaped, even as my voice turned hoarse and shocked tears streamed down my face.

I watched, unable to do anything as a tall, elegantly dressed, older woman strolled towards his hurt body, not hesitating before plummeting a large Basalt Glass arrow straight through his heart. His body twitched, turning limp a moment later.

I gasped for air, suffocating from pain as I dropped to my knees. The older woman stood there, watching him bleed out, until the last drop of his blood left his body.

I felt my being shred into a million pieces, I felt like I was dying, because I couldn’t live after this.

A cold hand touched my shoulder, a feeling so shocking and unexpected, it made me jump. I sharply turned; my eyes widened as my skin turned chalk white.

“Hello Finnleah, Daughter of the Dead,” the Goddess of Death said as she looked at me.

I gasped, waking up from my dream, finding only a second to turn to the side of my bed as I vomited again and again, uncontrollably heaving, as my stomach twisted in absolute agony. I managed to move my trembling hand up, immediately retching bile again as the large, Seer burn mark shone bright in the dawning light.

The End