Chapter 39

Darkness. It’s all around me, swallowing me whole.

My breath catches, my heart slows.

I’m drowning in a sea of my own tears, a sea so dark I can’t even see myself.

I try to breathe, but all I get is a mouthful of dark, thick water.

The salty taste makes me gag, and I swallow more of the water.

I close my eyes, scared and alone.

He’s gone.

He’s really gone.

I blame myself. How could I not?

The king may be an ass, but he was right. It’s all my fault.

Suddenly, I’m falling.

The water around me vanishes. I gasp for air.

My throat burns, my head pounds. I’m in a room I’ve never seen before.

The scent of magic is strong here, and I wonder who brought me.

Looking down, I see that I’m naked, black ashes clinging to my skin as if trying to shield me.

But nothing can shield me. I’m a dead woman walking.

My thoughts drift back to Roman. I see his bloodied face, his last breath, the way he looked at me.

I blink back tears and jump out of bed. My feet hit the cold floor, jolting me awake.

I take a better look around the room. It’s sparse.

A desk. A closet filled with women's clothes.

I’m in a female witch’s house.

Oh no, it can’t be that damn witch.

“You’re awake.” I spin around and have her by the throat before she can react. We both tumble to the floor.

I’m on top of her, my hands squeezing her throat so tightly her face starts to turn red.

“You helped him... Because of you, Roman died! He’s dead!” Tears threaten to spill from my eyes, but I push them back.

The witch—why can’t I remember her name?—tries to shake her head. I loosen my grip just enough to let her speak.

“He... not dead...” I slam my hands into her again.

“Don’t fucking lie to me. I held him, I saw him. He’s dead. And so are you.” I reach for my magic, but before I can burn her, I’m flung across the room.

My back slams into the wall and I bounce off, heading for the floor. An invisible force catches me before I hit.

“Wait... need... need... need air.” The witch is gasping for breath, hands on her knees.

No matter how much I struggle, her magic holds me in place.

I’m face down, floating above the floor. Not exactly comfortable.

Once she’s done coughing and gasping for air like she’s been underwater for a year, she straightens up.

By then, I’m pretty pissed off again.

“Oh, sorry, let me get you down.” She flicks her hand and I land on my feet.

I try to charge at her again, but she’s got that damn barrier up.

Only now do I realize how much my body hurts. I give up fighting and just glare at her.

I know I’m giving a death stare to someone who could kill me in an instant, but since I’m already dying, I couldn’t care less.

“As I was saying, your mate is not dead.” I struggle to keep my composure, to keep from screaming or setting the house on fire.

“He was dead, of course. But I brought him back. Would you like to see him?” Doubt starts to creep in.

Is he really still alive? That’s impossible, I held him when he died.

Maybe my magic worked or maybe the witch found a way to save him.

Does it matter? What would I say?

It’s all my fault he had to fight his father in the first place.

Should I care about that right now? Probably not.

He said he loved me. Were those the words of a dying man or an honest man?

I nod slowly.

Yes, I’ll go see him. The witch looks me up and down.

“Perhaps you should shower and put on some clothes first.” I nod.

I grab some clothes from the closet and head for what I assume is the bathroom.

I’m on auto-pilot. I don’t even wash my hair, I just stand under the shower long enough to rinse the ashes off my body.

When I get out, I try to use my magic to dry off.

My brows furrow in confusion when I’m still damp.

I try to summon a single flame from my hand. It flickers weakly before dying out.

Did I overdo it again? What happened when I passed out?

I feel the color drain from my face as I remember the fire erupting from me. I burned everyone!

I quickly pull on my clothes and rush out of the bathroom.

The witch is sitting on the bed waiting.

“What happened?! Did I kill everyone? Oh my Goddess, all those innocent people! How could I lose control like that?! WHY DIDN’T YOU STOP ME?!”

A sob escapes my lips as guilt washes over me. I’m a monster... The witch starts laughing, leaving me stunned.

“Everyone is okay, except for some minor burns. There’s only one person you burned so badly that even ashes couldn’t be found.”

Wait, everyone is okay? How is that possible? I remember the flames.

“Oh, and of course the house is completely burned down. That’s a blessing if you ask me. Too much dark energy there, bleh.” I really want to smack this witch.

I step forward to do just that. Her hands shoot up defensively.

“Calm down, Sugarcup. You only fried the king. If you ask me, that fucker had it coming.”

My mouth falls open. I killed the king?!

I killed the king!

A big smile spreads across my face, but then it fades.

Oh Goddess, I killed the king. They’re going to kill me.

And what about Honora?! Oh no, what have I done?

Me and my stupid emotions. How could I lose control like that?

I could have killed everyone! The king deserved his death, no doubt about it.

But if Roman is really still alive, I’ve just screwed myself over.

And what about the injured? Will they survive?

Who got hurt?

I clutch my head, shaking it from side to side. A gentle hand lands on my shoulder.

I glance up to find the witch gazing at me, her eyes filled with sympathy.

“Listen, Katelynn, he had it coming. I was... I was under a spell, forced to do his bidding. But I found a way around it, that’s why Roman’s still breathing. But that man was a monster.

“A real monster. You’ve done the world and countless innocent people a favor. The others will be okay, I’ve taken care of them and they’ll recover soon.”

I scrutinize her face for any hint of deception, I sniff the air and listen to the rhythm of her heartbeat. She’s telling the truth. I give her a slow, single nod.

“Let’s go see Roman, okay? You’re going to be okay, girl. That man would turn the world upside down to keep you safe.”

Her words coax a small smile onto my face. I nod at her and trail behind her as she exits the room.

I realize we’re in a bungalow. It’s far from small.

We pass numerous doors. With each step, I can sense it.

I can sense Roman and the pull of our bond.

Before the witch can even reach the door, I’m already pushing it open.

I manage to duck just in time to avoid the book that’s hurled at my head.

The witch behind me isn’t as lucky.

Roman stands there, his face paler than I’ve ever seen it.

His eyes are wild, nothing like the Roman I know. He’s panting heavily, his gaze fixed on me.

I scan his face for any sign of recognition. He blinks several times before tilting his head to the side.

“Who are you?” His voice is barely a whisper, a shattered whisper.

I whirl around to face the witch, pointing an accusing finger at her.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?!”