Page 31

The air around us grows thicker—almost suffocatingly so.

Its origin is radiating from where the general stands, but I can’t stop looking at Cara’s beloved.

His beautiful dark hair is framing his features just as perfectly as the first time I saw him sitting at the tavern with the others.

The man I’m sure my sister loved and wanted to marry—the one she had dreams and aspirations with…

They were supposed to have a life together.

What’s he doing in Delerauh? I thought he lived a few villages closer to Aurelius. Is the rest of the group here as well? If so, why travel all the way to Aurelius when you live in a city like this? Perhaps he has a very reasonable explanation, but something about this doesn’t make sense.

Yet, as I look into his beautiful eyes, I see no hints of grief or betrayal, but curiosity and fear. He probably hasn’t heard what happened in Aurelius yet. Otherwise, he would’ve known about Cara, and he wouldn’t be looking at me the way he is now.

How can I tell him what I’ve done?

Gawain glances from me to the Cadre. His brows are pinched, as if several questions are whirling around in his mind. I wipe a hand across my damp eyes, and he tracks the movement.

“Maeva?” Gawain asks. I watch as his chest physically stiffens, his piercing eyes roaming over my face.

Then, someone clears their throat, snapping us out of our weird trance.

“Are you two well-acquainted?” the High General asks.

“H-He was supposed to be my sister’s fiancé,” I say.

Gawain’s features tighten. “What are you talking about, Maeva? Where is Cara? Why are you with them? ” he growls.

He’s angry with me.

As he should be.

“You’ll watch your tone if you know what’s good for you,” Riordan sneers, voice dropping to a lethal pitch.

“No offense, Cadre , but I’m not speaking to any of you. I’m speaking to Maeva,” Gawain retorts.

I open my mouth, but no words come.

“Where is she?” Gawain continues, a slight hitch in his voice. “Maeva, I need you to tell me.”

Hot tears rush down my cheeks in waves.

“She—” I begin to say, but something catches in my throat, stopping all speech.

My fingers are trembling, and suddenly the inn feels too small. The walls are rapidly closing in on me from all sides. The voices surrounding me become muffled.

I can’t breathe.

All the air feels like it’s been sucked out of the room.

The pounding in my chest hastens its staccato rhythm.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lu-dub. Lu-dub .

Then, a hand is gripping my shoulder, calling my name. The hand shakes me harder, but I’m spiraling in my memories:

I’m holding her bloodied body.

The rise of her chest is slowing down.

Her hand is falling from my face.

“Until Eternity, sister.”

Maeva, my dear, Saoirse panics. You need to take a deep breath. Everything’s going to be okay.

“It’s not okay,” I cry out loud, instead of in my thoughts. “It’s never going to be okay.”

There’s that deep voice calling my name again. They’re trying to help me, but I can’t seem to focus on them. The vise-like grip on my chest increases in pressure, black dots appearing in my vision.

I look up in the general direction of Gawain, but everything around me is so blurry. “I’m so sorry. It’s my fault,” I whisper.

The strong grasp on my chest releases as everything around me fades to black, and two strong arms catch me.