Page 52 of Obsidian Dream

Chapter Twenty-Two

KHALIDA

Hope burst throughKhalida’s heart as she ran deeper into the tunnel.

The laugh was the sound of innocence and her dreams.

“Sidra.”The name was ripped from her.

Jumping over the tomb, she cleared it with a single leap and followed the sound, trying to catch it before she lost it entirely.Her lungs burned as she forced herself to move faster and faster until she was almost flying through the tunnel.Talik shouted her name, but it was faint—too far away to pay attention to.

The laughter stayed just out of her reach.Every corner she turned left her needing more.Wanting more.A chance to hold Sidra once again.And to never let go.

The tunnel descended, twisting slowly until she lost her orientation.But it didn’t matter—she was following Sidra.

The giggling stopped.

And she ached to hear the sound again.Even if it would break her heart into a million shards.

She blinked back tears as she tried to remember Sidra’s face and was met with half-formed memories, relying on her imagination to make up the gaps she had already forgotten.

Big obsidian eyes that were always covered by multicolored curls, the silver-blonde streaks that framed her face, and her light-brown skin, a shade in between hers and Talik’s.

Sidra had been the best parts of them.

What kind of mother was she that she had forgotten what her own daughter sounded like?

She stumbled before sliding on the wet, uneven stone surface.Leaning forward with her arms crossed, she took in a deep, rugged breath.Silent tears dampened her cheeks as she pulled herself up before unsheathing both swords.

The torch flickered for a second before it slowly faded, leaving her alone in the darkness.Her pounding heart echoed loudly as she took in her surroundings.In the pure darkness, she couldn’t see more than three feet in front of her.

An icy shiver raked her body.On the edge of her hearing came the faint sound of laughter.

This time, it wasn’t Sidra’s.