AVERY “ I don’t know why I am listening to you. ” Draven whines before he goes to take his position beside a tree. I sigh, standing beside the lake. The Beast aka Aleister Anasazi is nowhere in sight. But I can still sense eyes on me as if someone is watching me from the shadows. I won’t be surprised if it’s Declan, the mysterious brother keeping an eye on us to ensure nothing serious happens. After sending Renee back to the cave, Draven and I stay there, waiting and watching silently. Every second brings a new wave of anticipation. Where did he go? What is he doing? When will he be here? And what if…Draven and I miss our chance? I can just hope that the villagers haven’t figured out that I know the truth. The same goes for Nellie and Sara, the two women I didn’t expect to be partaking in something like this. I thought…they were void of any hate. That they didn’t want revenge. That those women didn’t seek to cause harm to anyone. Turns out…I am still a bad judge of char
AVERYI recall learning to swim.The North was the House of Sea. The salty waters. The depths.I had to be excellent at navigating my way through those depths, to be better than all others who resided North. That was the duty of a Princess.But...I was always scared of it. Water—the sight of it made my heart clench. The fear of the unknown, the noose that tightened around my throat every time I held my breath to take a dive, the memories that swarmed my head—of blood and pain...It all scared me.But I had to get over that fear.I watched the sea everyday, dived in even if all I wanted was to run away, and kept doing it until the fear was pushed somewhere at the back of my head.It was not easy to do it. It took endless days of torture, of pounding heart and trembling hands to finally find the ability to hide the fear behind a neutral smile.The dam that I built on that fear seems to have broken.As I sink to the depths, my survival response kicks in. I try to swim up, strug
ALEISTERThe light was there again. Amidst the darkness that surrounded us, a bright light illuminated her body and spread everywhere.I didn’t get the time to register it and I didn’t want to. All I needed was to grab her and take her out of the water. Right when my hand closes around her wrist, I tug her body up with full force. Instantly, she is in my arms and the light disappears. It’s dark again. But it doesn’t matter. As long as she is in my arms, everything feels right. Forgetting about the exploding pain all inside me, I swim towards the surface. My lungs threaten to give out, like my weakening limbs. But the desire to keep her safe takes the reigns and pushes me up until my head is out of the water.Immediately, I place her on the ice and drop beside her. It feels like the past again—when she fell in the lake and I barely got to her in time. But my panic is not the same. Now, it just feels like there is no point for this world to continue if she is not in i
AVERYIt feels like I was dreaming for a long time.The words spoken, the warmth, the way my heart beat…It all felt real but I know it was a dream.There is no way Aleister just said that.‘ I love you. ’I blink my eyes open, staring at the blank white ceiling. It matches the one in Nellie’s home. I am there and not with him.“ It’s too late. ” A familiar voice says.“ What do you mean it’s too late? ” Another voice yells.“ Draven. ” “ No, It’s impossible! It’s not too late! Wake him up. Save him. ” He is yelling again. It seems this is all he can ever do. Shout, scream, yell—As if this response is the only thing keeping him afloat in life.“ It’s just that you don’t want to save him. That’s right! You hate him for killing your daughter and now you are getting your revenge. That’s why you are not saving him. But I—I will find someone else! Someone else will— ”“ There is no one else, Draven. No one is more powerful than her here. ” Declan’s quiet voice interrupts. Silence engulfs
AVERY“ You know what needs to be done. ” Noelle whispers.Draven was screaming at me again. He is starting to believe that there is nothing that can save Aleister. That’s why Declan took him out of the room and closed the door.Now, it’s just me, Noelle, and the man on the verge of death. “ Is that why you were telling me there is nothing you can do? ” I mumble under my breath.My heart is hurting. The slower his breaths get, the slower my mind works. I just know that I don’t want him to die, but I don’t want to mark him.I am already marked. If I mark him too, there will be no rejections later. The deal will be sealed for a lifetime. I won’t be able to escape him after that. That makes my heart tremble with dread. I don’t want him to treat me like he did again. I don’t want to kneel or feel like I am some…insignificant woman who must do everything the King asks. I don’t want to be reduced to nothing.“ Do you know why I helped you? ” Noelle asks. I shake my head, my eyes still fi
AVERYRandom memories keep appearing in my vision.I watch as amidst the conversation, Agrona spills wine on Aleister’s clothes and he goes to take a bath there. Nothing feels out of the ordinary. It’s as if they had done it a thousand times before, with no awkwardness and no questions asked. Then, I am there.Fuming, hurt, and red-eyed. In Aleister’s sight, I appear someone like that—a woman consumed with rage, so lost that she doesn’t care what others think or feel. A moment later, I find myself in Aleister’s office. Draven goes on and on about the possibility of me being a spy just like the other spies of my brother. He is eager to prove that I have an agenda against Aleister like my brother must have. After all, I can have a change of heart but never a change of nature—I am an enemy and will always remain so. After Aleister’s supposed revenge for the humiliation he had to face because of me, the days become dark. When he goes to my room, I find his mind filled with different w
AVERYThe loss of energy makes me lightheaded. One moment I am sitting in the bathtub, and the next he is picking me. I gasp before my mind blackens.When I grasp my sanity again, I find myself under the warm blankets. And the sparks are buzzing under my skin.I try to open my eyes, but my efforts go in vain. His front is pressed to my back, the hard muscles molded into my curves, fitting like the missing piece of a puzzle.Everything goes black once more.I feel like I am traveling in an empty space. My body is cold, but it’s hyperaware of his presence behind me.“ Aleister. ” I breathe softly. The thought of something still wrong with him breaks me out of the daze. I shift to my back just so I can have a look at him.Like me, he appears dazed too. His eyes are hooded, barely open. But they are dark, just like I remember them and he can still peek into my soul as if he is a Grim Reaper after that deep part of me. My breaths stutter. His palm rests on my stomach, making me realize
AVERY“ What did you say to her that day? ” I hear Aleister asking someone.Silence meets his question. I shift under the overheated blanket and groan. Why am I sweating so much? It’s like someone put me in the oven. “ Are you okay? ” Lips ghost my forehead as soon as the sound leaves my mouth.My body stiffens. The sensation of those lips, when I am not even dizzy, feels the same—Soothing, and soft. But I want to be angry instead.Slowly, I blink my eyes open. And there he is. My mind freezes, like my gaze that stays on his face. The color has returned to his skin and lips. Relief washes over me, as my hand unconsciously reaches for his cheek.He is not burning up anymore. Aleister’s gaze is drawn to my hand. My heart sinks as I run my thumb down his cheek. I love you. His words are still echoing at the back of my mind.“ You are fine. ” I whisper, my throat feeling scratchy.The trance breaks with my words. His eyes are soft, but mine turn cold. I pull my hand back and sit up