Page 68

Ignatia

Something rubs against my shoulder, earning a groan from me as I turn my head onto a cloud of softness.

I don't want to wake up…

"Are you okay?" A vaguely familiar voice whispers.

I push my body from the bed and squint at the light aching my eyes. The walls are tan and brown stone bricks, and the sheets I'm under are bright yellow. I've never seen this room in my life.

I'm in someone else's room.

My eyes widen. How did I get here?

Bile rises up the edge of my throat and a throb starts in my head. I hold my hand to my forehead. How drunk did I get last night?

A woman, one that looks vaguely like the bartender from last night, hands over a tray with bacon, eggs and orange juice. She's wearing an oversized shirt and loose shorts. “My husband made breakfast for you."

I groan from the headache as it becomes more prominent. “What happened last night?"

"Well, you left the bar making out with some random guy and I went off to make sure you were okay.

Then after I lost you for a moment I found you watching a play, and yelling hysterically while crying about some guy named Amias.

You weren't wearing any pants. It took some convincing to get you to come here but you eventually came with me.

I also grabbed your backpack you left at the bar. It's beside the bed."

I pout as I lift the bedsheet to my bare legs. "Alright." I clear my throat, my cheeks warming. This is embarrassing. At least I have underwear on. “Can I get dressed in private?”

“Of course. I’ll check in a few minutes.”

I nod as she closes the door behind her. Meanwhile I try to gather my thoughts as I search my backpack for shorts.

That was so stupid. Getting that hammered while I’m out here alone. I could've easily been raped or kidnapped, or something worse being that drunk. All because I wanted to forget Amias for a night.

Amias… fuck it. I still miss him.

I put my shorts on and a few minutes later, the bartender knocks. I tell she can come in. “I hope you're not too embarrassed about not having pants.” She snorts as she walks through the door, only for her to meet my eyes and reflect sorrow. “Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, I am fine." My gaze drifts towards the bed. "Just trying to remember things."

"Okay…"

I wipe some hair from out my face and sigh. "Who are you then?"

"Lumi. And you?"

" Ignatia," I nod, reaching out my hand and shaking hers.

"Nice…" She smiles. It gets quiet again and as thoughts of Amias' flood my mind again, she asks, "Who's that Amias guy of which you were speaking of?"

I shake my head. "Just someone I'm trying to get over."

"Your ex?"

I growl, with my teeth growing sharp. "Do not call him that." I hate that word to describe him. I didn't willingly break up with him, and neither did he. We were forced apart. An ex is someone I wouldn't love anymore. My heart still belongs to Amias.

She leans back. "Oh… sorry…"

I sigh and close my eyes. “No. I should apologize.” She doesn't know what happened. I shouldn't be upset with her. “You don't understand.”

Just then, a memory snaps back in my head. The woman, who fell after getting cleansed. The play. Amias being cleansed.

Was that all just a hallucination?

The vision was so specific. If it's a warning… What is Godusa suggesting I do about it? I'm seven days away from Amara. I couldn't do anything if I tried.

Maybe it was just my drunkenness getting to my head. Maybe I imagined it.

"So…what is he then?" She murmurs. "If not an ex?"

"He is the man I want. The one who has my heart no matter how far apart…" I say so quietly, I’m not even sure if she heard me. “His family forced me away though. They almost had me killed for loving him.”

"Aw… I'm sorry, love."

"It's okay." I narrow my eyes and stand from the bed, setting the platter aside. “Is there anything on the news about the Amara kingdom?”

Lumi raises a brow before taking her phone out of her pocket. “Let me see.”

I wait a minute before she gasps. “The prince is getting a cleansing ceremony. That's new!”

I bare my teeth. Those motherfuckers. “Let me see.”

She turns her phone towards me, displaying a video of people on the news. I grab the phone and bring it closer to my face.

“Tonight on the Knowing Stars , we've been given some shocking news when it comes to the prince of Amara,” a middle aged man in a neat blue business suit states.

A black haired lady in a green blazer follows him up. “Indeed. It's now been announced that Amias, the grandson of the Gift of Love, will be cleansed in three days. Seems like the Amara kingdom is living up to the cult rumors, and the prince is no exception!”

I growl, my eyes straining. Didn't Amias say his family didn't believe in that shit? Because there's no way he's choosing this himself.

“Unfortunately we can't interview the royal family ourselves, but we do have clips from the Love Letters news from the Amara kingdom, where they have the clip of the Gift of Love herself addressing the ceremony.” The man says before a star slides over the screen and replaces him with a clip of Amara in front of a podium wearing a shiny pink dress, straps hanging off her shoulders.

I scowl. Amara of Cosmo. That bitch.

She stares soullessly into the camera in front. “I've come to hear some disturbing news about my grandson in recent times. I never thought I would hear of this happening, and I apologize on behalf of Amias for the chaos.”

I lean in closer to the screen. This is chaos you've caused, Amara. Not him.

“Amias has been manipulated by a dreamscreecher.” Her eyes water as she squeezes her eyes shut. “He's been a victim of sexual abuse and mental torture, causing him to say outrageous things about dreamscreechers.”

My teeth stab my tongue. That’s not the abuse he's suffering from.

I recall him on his birthday. The tears, the self degradation, the panic. She did that to him. I have no reason to doubt that there's more she has done than what I know.

She continues,“That's why we've decided it is best to have a cleansing ceremony in three days. It's the only way he'll heal from his dangerous ideologies and live a normal life. We invite all of Amara to witness the ceremony that will bring healing to him.”

Bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit!

The clips cut off there before going to the hosts of the Knowing Stars. I grunt at the fact I didn't even get to see Amias.

Something's wrong. There's definitely something fucked up going on.

I look up to Lumi. It took me seven days to get here. I can't get back in three with the way I came.

But Amias has stood up for me, and it's not hard to believe this could be his way of saving me. Maybe he's trying to prevent them from coming after me.

Now it's my turn. “How do I get to Amara City in three days?"

She quirks a brow. "You wanna go back to that cult?”

"Yes, and I can't get caught by anyone."

She glances at me sideways. "What are you? A dreamscreecher?" She shakes her head. “You weren't talking about that Amias, were you?”

"It's a long story.”

She flinches back, her brows lowering. “If you're that dreamscreecher they're referring to, you shouldn't go. That's a death sentence. You know the stories of Rayden and Lydia were real records, right?”

“They're only more motivation to go back.” A scowl twitches my lips. “George died for love. Lydia was forced to be cleansed. All the reasons to stop the ceremony.”

“They make your lover forget who you are and murder you! You’ll die by his hand! That's what happened to Rayden, and countless others. It's been happening for centuries.”

I pause. So outside of Amara, people actually support us dreamscreechers this much? They consider Amara a cult for what they've done to us? I never knew.

I recall the stories my father used to tell. It's easier to remember now. I remember Rayden and Lydia the most, but there are countless examples of the same thing happening to others. Rayden and Lydia were just the first examples.

All of them are stories of a proud knight that fought beside the queen of Somnia of their time. They had wild tales of saving the people from Amarians and other predators in Somnia. They were courageous and daring.

Once they fell in love with an Amarian, they were destined to die by that same kingdom that calls themselves the kingdom of love.

“No matter how loving they are, never, and I mean never, trust an Amarian,” Father warned.

I bring myself back to the conversation. “So you all realize the hypocrisy? How they kill innocent dreamscreechers for falling in love with their people?”

“Exactly, so if you want to live, stay away from there. Once you get there, it will be too late. You're far too young to consider putting your life on the line anyways. I'll help you get settled here if you need. My half brother works with dreamscreechers like you.”

That would be the simpler option, would it? To carry on with life, and accept his upcoming cleansing. Let him be abused while everyone else watches. Let him suffer. Pretend like Godusa never warned me. To live my life as a normal person at the price of Amias' suffering.

But I could never abandon Amias. That would be sickening. I would have betrayed him. I have to at least try to save him like he did me.

I reach for my backpack and swing it over my shoulders. “No.” Nothing can stop me from saving Amias if I can help it. “I can't do that to Amias. We've risked our lives for each other multiple times. This time won't be any different.”

“We have a sanctuary here for your kind. It'll-”

“I'm going to Amara.” I shove past her and stride towards the door. “Whether I get killed or not!”

“You'd be a fool if you-”

I slam the bedroom door behind me and follow the hallway to the exit door. I need to figure out a way back.

I vow to do whatever I can to stop that ceremony. I must.