Inferno's legacy

Chapter 2

Her insides burned and so did her eyes. The room was warm, too warm. Though her body protested against it, Eretria didn't step away from the fire even as it grew larger, consuming everything in it's part. She loved this closeness to it.

The screams from the people around her was slowly making it's way to her. For a moment, she dragged her gaze from the fire, letting it settle on the ones around her.

They were frantically trying to put out the fire. When had they arrived? She definitely didn't notice them. Her eyes went back to the fire before she felt a hand pulling her away from the warmth she had come to appreciate.

The moment she was out of the room, she felt weak. She began coughing as tears fell from her eyes. Her knees buckled as she walked and her insides burned. Only now was she registering it. She took another step and tripped but was caught before she hut the floor. She knew it would have hurt.

She glanced at Wil, who was supporting her. Her head hurt and her world spun. Her throat felt dry when she tried to talk. She could feel Wil's hand patting her hair.

Darkness was quickly swimming in and she didn't bother to fight it. It was her escape.

*-*-*-*-*

It was hot. An uncomfortable feeling ran through her as light seeped into her dark vision. She immediately squinted her eyes, using her hands to shield them from the light. She felt light headed as she tried to sit up, registering how itchy her throat was. She reached for the night stand. Only then did she realize she was in a different room.

But of course, it was expected. She had burnt her room. And changing rooms wasn't something new to her. But it had been a while since she moved. She was already accustomed to her old room.

She noted in annoyance that the jug was empty. She pushed herself up and off the bed, padding barefoot to the door. She needed water. She grabbed the door knob but the door opened before she could pull it.

Roman was holding a jug of water. He had been in her room earlier when he noticed her was empty. He felt she'd be thirsty when she wakes up and had decided to refill.

"You're awake." He said, placing his across her shoulder to lead her back to bed.

"Am I dead?" She joked and he understood what she meant.

"He was livid but it's nothing new." Roman said, helping her settle. Then he poured her a glass of water which she gulped down.

"I feel tired." She said, leaning on the headboard. "He's not gonna come see me, right?"

"Would you want him here?"

She shook her head. The last thing she wanted was her father coming here to reprimand her on her behavior. And she knew if he wanted to show his displeasure, someone else would be sent. And that person definitely wasn't Roman.

She curled in a ball and clutched the sheets tightly in her fist. "I don't know what happened." She said in a whisper, her eyes closed like she was trying to recall.

Roman patted her hair. "Don't think too much about it."

"It just happened. Just like every other time. I didn't realize until the whole room was on fire." She opened her eyes and stared into Roman dark ones. "Maybe I am after all possesesed. A lot of people say that." She said with a half smile.

"You think so? I'll be buying the idea."

Eretria chuckled. "A lot of people will."

"It's a good thing you're not selling." He said and placed a kiss on her forehead. "You should rest."

Eretria nodded. There was no resting for her, not after what happened and there was nothing she could do. She knew the moment she closed her eyes,  her nightmares would be there to welcome her into the dark. She hated how real they felt. She had long stopped sharing them, even with Roman. She'd rather keep them to herself.

Was it eating her up? Yes. But no one would understand. She was afraid of the criticism she'd get if she ever shared them. It hadn't gone well in the past.

She watched as Roman walked to the door. "Let's go horse back riding tomorrow." She said.

Roman turned to her. "If you're feeling better." He said and she nodded.

She'd feel more than better for a chance to escape this prison for a while.

That night, she woke up gasping for air. This time, it wasn't just the nightmare but the frigid temperature she woke up  to. Hell, she was freezing.

Her teeth chattered as she drew the covers over her head. Why was it so cold? Was her window opened? Even if it was, she just couldn't abandon the warmth of her bed to go close it.

She laid there while her heart thundered in her ear. Once again, her nightmares taunted her. She never really understood it but it felt so real, almost like something she had gone through. It probably felt that way because of that amount of times she had dreamt about it.

She drew a shaky breath and closed her eyes. She knew it might await her to fall into the darkness but she had to look well rested if she wanted that ride with Roman.

Seconds ticked by and the cold dissipated but fragments of it still lingered. She sat upright, unable to fal asleep. The night was awfully dragging and she just couldn't ignore the strangeness that accompanied it.

She tightened her hold on the Amber pendant around her neck as she glanced around her room. She hadn't felt it before but now, it felt like she was being watched. The room was shrouded in darkness, save for the fire that was barely holding up. She could hardly make out the outline of her room. She drew the covers over her head and willed herself to sleep. She needed sometime away from the castle and her thoughts weren't going to hinder her.