Page 28 of Of Shadows and Blood

In silence, he pulls the necklace close to my chest, clasping it with ease behind my neck despite the largeness of his fingers. The cool silver rests upon my skin as if it was made just for me. A breeze goes by, picking up the scent of the flower once more.

I turn around and rub my thumb across the locket, the small thing so precious to me. Sawyer’s expression of sorrow catches my attention and I step closer to him, rising on my tip toes to meet his face.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, yet his gaze avoids mine. He merely steps forward for a hug, my arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.

His warm embrace is both tight and desperate. His deep breathing communicating so many things. With a slow beat building, one that feels internal, he sways us side to side, a slow dance, taking small steps backwards.

I hear a sniffle, muffled, but clearly there.

Pulling back, our eyes finally meet. A tear escapes from his eye, tracing a line down his cheek and past his jaw. A clean line in the faint layer of dust.

“Forgive me,” he whispers low.

“Wha—”

Sawyer’s hands remove my arms from around his neck at a lightning speed before pushing me backwards from my wrists. My heels, being only a mere inch or two from the edge of the platform, tip back into the spring air.

My body falls.

And falls.

I flail my arms, reaching for a branch, anything to grab.

But there’s nothing.

Just me, the ground and the space between us.

A pocket of existence, reserved for this moment, stills for me as I descend. Time slows and through my panicked movements, I see Sawyer is upon the platform, staring down at me as I near the ground.

A loud roaring fills my ears, thundering with a ferocious bass. Like beasts tromping on hollowed ground. Sound pierces and warps, builds a bass like no other as a vignette pulls in like the covers of a duvet.

Then darkness.

It washes over me like a welcoming, painless, warm bath. I drown in its waters, never moving to resurface.

Chapter 9

The allure of this lifeforce is beckoning, calling to all basic instincts.

I hold tightly to his hand, letting Cedric guide me through the various turns and stairs in the castle. My eyes sting from the subsiding tears. Cedric moves swiftly, occasionally turning back to check on me. I don’t ask where we’re headed because nothing really matters now, does it?

No, it doesn’t.

Everything in the castle blends together. Paintings, rugs, and sculptures bedeck the walls and alcoves. It’s like an art museum. The way the light from the sconces bounces off the pieces makes them look far more ancient and knowing. Like each piece of artwork is alive.

After rounding the last hallway, we approach a large set of doors, smaller than the room downstairs, but still large.

Cedric releases my hand, looking back with such sadness in his eyes that I almost can’t hold his gaze. He moves forward, pushing the doors open.

As we enter the room, I note it’s similar in decoration to the cottage. Beautiful wood carved furniture and velvet textiles cover the space. It feels more organic in here. Green vines wind around the canopy bed, bringing the place to life. Vases of elys, the scent strong, lay on most open surfaces, filling the room with the enchanting air.

Cedric walks forward to the bed, trailing his fingers down the vines hanging from it.

“This room is beautiful,” I say, unsure how to speak to him, the king. I’ve treated him horribly, harmed him, disrespected him. I don’t even know how to act. Everything, even my own sense of self, is alien.

“You decorated it, after all,” he replies, looking around the space illuminated by moonlight. I refrain from responding to that, from rejecting that. Instead, I make my way to the vanity across from the bed. Black-and-white marble twinkles with veins of silver under the natural light. I brush my fingers across vials of perfume, a brush with her name – our name – and a mirror.

My eyes slowly move up to my own reflection. Deep red sections run along my face. With my light-colored hair next to it, it looks as pure as blood itself.