Painful Memories

Chapter 10

This time, my return to consciousness was slow and gradual. I cracked my eyes open, relieved that I could now do so, wincing at the light that streamed in through the open windows. My head still pounded, but I didn't feel nauseous or dizzy. Once again, I had no idea how I'd gotten here.

Voices filled my ears, their words low and muffled. "How is she?" "Healing. What happened?" "I wish I knew. Some guards found her a few leagues away from the palace."

I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my blurry vision. A face came into view, pale and worried. His eyes were filled with concern, so much so that I instinctively wanted to reassure him, tell him that I was okay. He placed a cool hand on my cheek and I moaned in pleasure.

"Kai," I rasped, my throat raw. Tears spilled down my temples and into my hair as I looked up at him. Visible relief flashed across his face as he loosed a heavy breath.

He looked up at someone else, his voice loud in the sudden silence. "Her fever's gone down, but it hasn't broken. Her collarbone seems fine, but I would recommend a few day's rest, just to be sure."

Dad's voice was softer, but I could hear the worry in his tone. "Okay. We'll keep her here for now, but you're welcome to stay with her if you want."

Dad looked down at me, worry etched in his features. "Oh, Izzy. We were so worried. What happened, baby?"

Ronan's face flashed in my mind, along with Aunt Naia's smug expression. I sat bolt upright, ignoring the bolt of pain shooting through my head at the sudden movement. "Ronan," I rasped. "Where is he? Aunt Naia... she..." I trailed off, breathing heavily. It was so hard to speak, to remember.

Kai put a hand on my shoulder. "He's currently in the infirmary. Queen Naia has since been brought to the dungeons and is under heavy surveillance. We're searching for Aurora, but so far, no luck." He ran his free hand through his hair. "What happened, Izzy? When the guards found you..." It was his turn to trail off.

"After we spoke, I knew I had to go to Nepptheas. I had to see if Ronan was okay. When I got to the gates, however, I immediately noticed something was off. I spun around in a slow circle, daring whoever was watching me to show themselves. Then, everything happened at once. A hand clapped down on my collarbone, somehow hitting the still-healing wound." Here I had to stop and take a breath, my collarbone twinging.

"I let out a strangled scream, biting my tongue so hard I tasted blood. Another set of hands twisted my own behind my back, binding them with rope. I wanted to call for help, but it was an effort to breathe through the pain, never mind speak. Blackness had started to creep into the edges of my vision then, despite my best attempts to stay awake. I could have sworn I heard Ronan's voice, begging me to stay awake. But I couldn't." My voice broke.

"When I regained consciousness, nausea and dizziness hit me like a slap in the face. I opened my eyes, then quickly shut them as my surroundings tilted and blurred. My head was pounding, my mind foggy. The last thing I remembered was reaching Nepptheas' gates and someone ambushing me. After a minute or two, I was able to focus enough to survey my surroundings. Then I heard voices. You and Dad." My stomach lurched again, and I took slow, even breaths, trying to fight off the nausea. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply.

Kai moved his hand from my shoulder to grasp mine, clasping it gently. "You need to rest, gather your strength again. Luckily, it was only a minor concussion, but we don't want to take any chances. Your mother is tending to Ronan, but I know she'll be relieved to know you're awake. He will, too, I imagine."

As the words left his mouth, I remembered something else from the dream a few nights ago—a detail I hadn't realized I'd kept buried. My eyes filled with tears again, but I hastily brushed them away. "I need to see her. There's something else, and all of you need to hear it." All the while, dread curled into a knot in my stomach, pushing aside the nausea.