Painful Memories

Chapter 25

My heart was pounding wildly, the scent of fear almost overwhelming. Daggers clashed, sweat pouring into my eyes as I struggled to steady my breathing. A merman with eyes the color of storm clouds loomed over me, the rage in them chilling me to the bone. We were in my suite, but the door might as well have been an ocean away for all the good it'd do me.

Where were the guards? Why wasn't anyone doing anything? These thoughts were tripping over themselves as I struggled to stay calm. I opened my mouth to scream, but another dagger was suddenly pressed to my throat, the tip barely grazing the skin.

A horrible realization washed over me then, filling my whole body with fear. Because there weren't any more guards. At least not in this part of the palace. Ronan had killed them all, including the servants.

I had a feeling he was just waiting for me to make a wrong move, imagining my blood spilling on the ground. Ronan spoke, but his mouth moved so fast it was impossible for me to make out what he was saying. I screamed, but the sound didn't deter him. It happened so fast, I barely had time to breathe, much less scream.

I didn't hear the crack, but I definitely felt it. Thousands of jellyfish stings on top of a dozen dagger wounds. It was electric, just as it had been all those years ago with Jay, Bella, and David. My left shoulder jutted out slightly, my arm going limp. Ronan grinned evilly, his eyes filled with cruel glee. This time, he spoke slowly, allowing me to decipher his words. "This is for Sophia." The pain was enough for me to black out.

I shuddered now, a chill running down my spine. Even though it had only been a dream (more like a nightmare), the mere thought of it was enought to make break into a sweat. I'd dreamt of that night (at least my knowledge of it) countless times over the years, but I'd never been in Mom's place. I couldn't even begin to imagine how terrified she must have been. My eyes sought hers across the room, the need to remind myself that she was here, that she was alive, almost overwhelming.

She met my gaze almost immediately, her eyes filled with concern. Are you okay? Her eyes seemed to ask. I quickly nodded, plastering a thin smile on my face.

Despite the nerves currently twisting my stomach into knots, a shaky (albeit genuine) smile was on my face as I swam to and fro in the ballroom. King Marlin's surprise party was in an hour, and everyone was scrambling to make last-minute preparations. We'd pushed the tables and chairs off to the side, strung lights across walls, and hung a giant banner across the entrance, spelling out Happy birthday, King Marlin.

Even Queen Irvetta was in on the surprise. She'd told me that she was taking her husband out for a birthday breakfast, giving us plenty of time to get the ballroom ready. That had been hours ago.

I paused near the back of the room, wiping sweat from my forehead. I smiled as I saw Queen Katrina and Mom chatting softly off to the side, their faces relaxed. Even Dad was smiling. I hadn't seen Kai much, but we'd all been pulled in so many different directions. A flicker of motion from the corner of my eye had me turning around. Queen Katrina had broken away from Mom and was coming up behind me.

"Everything looks great, doesn't it, Izzy?" The casual use of my nickname made me smile. Her eyes were shining, a large smile on her face. As I looked closer, though, I could see shadows in her eyes—the same that had been in her son's less than a day ago.

I didn't say anything, just placed a hand on her arm. Rather than giving me a smile in return, her arms wrapped around me, squeezing tightly. I held her just as tight, reading the emotion in her posture, her expression.

"Yeah," I replied as we broke apart. My smile faded as the words left my mouth. I knew what was troubling her—because those same thoughts were crowding my mind. How long would it be before something happened that would shatter the contentment that had settled over everything?