Page 8 of Urn My Love

It was fine. I was strong and I could figure something else out. This wouldn’t be the first time I’d beaten Azurea, but I was sure it would be the last. I’d never allow her to risk anyone else’s safety again.

My eyes drifted closed, and curling into a ball on the bed, I fell into a fitful sleep.

Several hours later, I was awakened by a large hand gently shaking my arm. If it hadn’t been for the tingling electricity his touch sent across my skin, I might have been scared. But even with my eyes closed and mind foggy with sleep, I knew August’s touch.

“I’ve brought food. You need to eat dinner.”

“How did you get into my room?” Groaning, I pressed my fingers to my eyes and sat up.

He refused to meet my eyes. “The door lock was weak between our rooms.”

“So you broke into my room? To feed me? Seriously, you give off more mixed signals than a broken orb.”

“A what?” August’s eyebrows drew together.

Realizing I’d said too much, I took the spoon and stuffed my mouth full of the stew he’d set in front of me. “This is delicious! What is it?” I shoved another spoonful of the buttery chicken and dough soup into my mouth.

“It’s called chicken and dumplings. You’ve never had it before?” He eyed me with open curiosity.

I shook my head.

“I’m starting to think you lived a sheltered life.” He prodded for information, but I wasn’t falling for it.

“Something like that.” It was sweet he’d brought me dinner, but I honestly wished he’d leave me alone, because the more time we spent together, the worse it hurt that he wasn’t willing to give us a chance.

He was a distraction I couldn’t afford.

“I’ll leave you to eat.” August stood and walked from the room, closing the door between our rooms behind him.

Quieting my feelings of hurt, I ate the soup in silence, staring out the window. Night had descended, and the expanse of dark treetops seemed to extend for as far as the eye could see.

The sense I needed to hurry had continued to grow while I’d slept, until it beat like a loud, pounding drum in my head.

I needed to do something, but I was growing frustrated by not knowing what.

Setting my bowl on the table with a thunk, the chessboard rattled and a single piece toppled over. Moonlight glinted off the black knight.

Reaching out, I turned the carved horse between my fingers. What was the significance of this piece? It had been the last thing I’d seen in my vision and I’d thought maybe it was a sign to ride horseback up to the lodge, but I hadn’t found any clues along the path.

Growling in annoyance, I curled up on my side on the bed, still holding the chess piece clenched in my fist.

Almost immediately, I was sucked into sleep.

My second vision was nothing like the first. Animalistic shrieks echoed in my mind, and the earth seemed to tremble around me.

Like lightning illuminating the night, disjointed images flashed in front of me. Thundering hooves. Explosive gunfire. Rage-filled faces of men I didn’t recognize.

The sharp snap of a whip felt as though it lashed across my heart, leaving a stinging pain and the coppery taste of blood in my mouth.

The transition between leaving the vision and jumping back into my body was so violent I didn’t have time to make it to the bathroom before getting sick. Not wanting to alert my somewhat-stalker to my plight, I tried to muffle the sounds of my retching.

When I finished, I took the blanket to the bathroom and did my best to clean it before shoving it into the dirty laundry hamper.

But the whole time, I felt as though I were being buried beneath the weight of impending loss. Time was running out and there was only one thing I could think to do. I’d follow the thread and hope it led me to wherever I was supposed to be.

Taking just long enough to clean myself up, I opened the doors to my balcony and stepped outside.

Using the metal chair as a step, I balanced myself on the balcony rail. Looking out over the ominous shadowed forest, I took a deep breath and sent my magic surging through the mental thread. I prayed it would strengthen the tentative string that was trying to guide me toward something important.

---