"I still wonder about it," I said.
His brow furrowed, eyes searching my expression. "Wonder about what?"
"Whether you're the villain in my story."
~~~~~~~
Mara Monroe is at the center of a war she wanted no part in.
But with her new throne she fac...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I woke the next morning in the Summer Court. In a familiar bed. With a familiar pillow and a familiar comforter. The sun shone in through the window, basking the room in a warmth that felt like home.
And it was all wrong.
Cedric, are you there?
No response.
There was no reason I should have smelled pine and mint on my pillow, but I did. That's when I realized the small room at the vampire horde felt more like home than this one did. And there was only one reason why.
"Your maj— Mara!" Fawn's voice cut through my sleep deprived misery. "You're awake!"
"Hmph."
My response certainly left something to be desired, but my head was throbbing and my throat felt as though I'd spent the night swallowing sand. Vaguely, I remembered arriving home.
I remembered fighting Maddox to try and find my sister. I remember falling to my knees on the grand staircase because the burning started again. The fire from my abilities, swallowing me whole the moment my emotions got the better of me. The fire that Cedric helped cool.
But he was gone. Heat flickered.
Like before, I passed out from the pain and likely from exhaustion too caused both by the episode and the events of the past week. I threw the covers off the bed much to Fawn's surprise. Usually, I was not an early riser— not particularly easy to wake up or eager to hop out of bed.
But I had a sister to heal. A war to start. And a bodyguard to save.
When I was dressed, I asked Fawn to take me to where my sister was being kept. To where Thea, Andras, and Freya were staying. They were all awake and gathered around Brighid's bed when I arrived.
Their eyes all snapped to my face.
"Told you it was a bad idea," Thea said, by way of greeting.
I breathed out a small laugh, nodding in agreement.
Freya crossed the room, pulling me into her arms in a tight hug. "We heard what happened last night."
I wondered what she meant.
Killing Rhys? Losing Cedric? Panic attack on the castle stairs and having my insides burned by my elemental? Perhaps all of the above. Andras answered.
"We'll get him back, Mara," he assured me with a stoic nod. Cedric was his best friend. He must have wanted him back too.
Cedric? Please. Answer me.
No response.
I swallowed and moved to my sister's side. She was death. Simply put. Her cheeks were sallow, hollowed and stretched right over her bones. Brighid looked like Maeve, pale and ghastly. Her eyes were shut, so delicately she might have been sleeping, but she wasn't breathing. I looked at Thea.
