Blood On The Altar

Chapter 19

I awoke early the next morning, my head throbbing. Despite yesterday's events, I couldn't stop thinking about Ronan. Had he bought our ruse? Or was he just waiting for the right moment to make his move?

Kai was already awake, and had been for a while, if the coldness on his side of the bed was any indication. My stomach growled, reminding me that it had been ages since I'd last eaten or drank. Every part of my body ached, every muscle throbbed. Apparently, pushing my body to its limit had some pretty serious side effects.

A few tears leaked down my cheeks, a sob breaking from my throat before I could stifle it. The negative words that had been haunting me since yesterday resurfaced in my head. "'Doing this won't erase your past sins. You're still as weak and broken as your mother.'" I rubbed my shaking hands over my face, trying to push through the hopelessness that was smothering me.

Was Ronan right? Was I really just a weak and broken princess? Did I even deserve to bear the title? Those questions were interrupted by a knock on my door. "Come in," I called, placing my trembling hands under the blanket.

My grandmother swam in, her blue eyes filled with concern. To my delight, I noticed she was carrying a mug of bubble tea. As she shut the door behind her, she gave me a gentle smile. "How are you feeling?"

I considered my answer. "Fine. Just a little tired." I decided not to mention the depressive episode. I knew it would just make everyone worry, and that was the last thing they needed.

She extended the mug to me and I took it with a grateful smile. When she sat on the edge of my bed, I noticed her own hands were trembling. "Everything okay?" I asked, already anticipating the answer.

"Jay and Nerissa were debating whether to tell you this or not. They received the news late last night, but you were already asleep, and they hated to wake you." Though her voice was calm, the last word trembled slightly as it left her mouth.

A knot of fear had started to form in my stomach as she'd begun speaking. It coiled tighter and tighter with each word out of her mouth. "What happened." It wasn't a question.

"Stella has some family that lives in Pelathas. A courier got word to her that her mother and brother had gone missing. She left a few days ago and went to see for herself. What she found..." My grandmother trailed off, her eyes darkening with fear. "After asking around, she heard that there'd been activity at Rosewood Manor. Apparently, someone patched it up and has been living there ever since the attack."

My mind was working feverishly, trying to decipher her words. "But who..." The words caught in my throat, a choked gasp slipping out. "Ronan. He found Aunt Naia and Uncle Noah."

Fear like I'd never known took root in my stomach. Ronan was already angry about his sister. If he was actually crazy enough to believe my aunt and uncle, who knew how he would retaliate? "We... we have to warn Mom and Dad. There's no telling where or when they'll strike next." I knew I was rambling, but I couldn't stop.

The hopelessness that had been dormant inside me reared its head at my words. My grandmother put a hand on mine, forcing me to meet her gaze. "They're already taking precautions. In the meantime, we need to act as normal as possible. If we start panicking, that'll raise suspicion, and the last thing we need is chaos." Her gaze was firm as she looked at me.

I closed my eyes, taking slow, deep breaths. My mug of bubble tea sat forgotten in my hands and I gently placed it on my nightstand. As terrified as I was, I knew what I had to do. I was going to sneak out and swim to Rosewood. The question was, how was I going to be able to slip away?

I slowly rose from the bed, my hands trembling, and swam inside my closet. I threw on the first outfit I saw—a purple-and-grey dress with three-quarter length sleeves—and pulled my curls into a messy bun. "Where are Mom and Dad? Is Kai with them?" My words were muffled by the wall as I spoke.