Page 117 of Her Dark Promise

Part of me knew I should get out, but I didn’t want to. My thoughts led me to staying in this pond. I didn’t need any possessions. I would sleep in the waters’ warm embrace, forgetting about everyone and everything.

Would they even notice I wasn’t there any longer? Would they care? Or just miss what I gave them?

I moved until I was treading water, reached around, and grabbed the blade that was tucked tightly in a holster cinched at my thigh.

Whoever had brought this to me must have heard my prayers. Maybe there was a merciful god after all. I couldn’t rememberthe amount of times I have tried to end it. And every single attempt failed. But, this time it would work.

I brought the blade up to my face. I was so tired. So very tired. The thought brought a little bit of peace to me, I looked at my other hand, still swaying, water flowing through my fingers keeping me afloat.

If I—If I ran out of air…

I don’t know if it was the effects of la venin or if I was just done. Done with living this way. Being this way. Living in a waking nightmare. I couldn't do it anymore…

You win, Circe.

I expelled all the air from my lungs, slipping under the surface of the water. Down down down down down.

I took the knife and, stabbed it into my stomach and floated there for a few moments before a burning sensation spread throughout my chest. The need to take a breath was overpowering, so I did. My body spasmed at the air that was unable to enter my body. Then there was nothing.

I felt at peace.

This is it. I was going home.

I will see you soon, little sister.

Sleep.Successful.

Chapter twenty-two

“Your grace! Your grace! Take a breath!”

Belle? Why did she sound so scared?

“Calathea!”

I felt my head being lifted back slightly, fingers pinching my nose, and then a mouth covered mine, breathing into me. Something pounded on my chest. Hands moved back to my nose, a mouth on mine, and the process repeated until I opened my eyes and expelled water. The burning sensation was back in full force as water was being purged from my body.

I turned on my side and coughed until I started to dry heave. Wait. That was Belle’s voice. I turned back around wildly and stared into Soren’s face.

No no no. She was here! I heard her! I whipped my head around, looking for her. The desperation burned me. I couldn’t have imagined her. She was right here.

Soren pulled my face back to his, frantically searching for something, and when he was satisfied, he slumped back onto the ground, tugging at his hair.

Then someone else was in front of me, anger glistening in those piercing light green eyes. “What thefuckwere you thinking!”

I sat there still trying to collect my thoughts before realizing they pulled me from the water.

“Why would you save me?” I said, barely above a whisper. I was still in shock that I was alive and not dead.

My mind was racing. I took a shuddering breath, and something stabbed me. I fell over from the pain, face-first in the mud, hand pressed into my side. That’s right. I had stabbed myself. I brought my hand back up to my face, bloody.

It didn’t work.

How asinine for me to think that even if I had finally found a way out I could succeed.

I screamed once more, pounding the mud next to my face. “Why did you save me!”

“Stop!” Hands encircled mine as they tried to stop me.

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