Page 32 of Her Dark Promise

The woman smiled at me and bowed. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, your highness.”

Our eyes met, and the connection did something to me. Something odd. The feeling I had before, panic and anger over my father’s choices, eased a bit. Could I trust this one? I desperately wanted to. I was tired of suffering alone.

She was older than my mother or was she? I could not place her age, but she was beautiful. Her skin was pale, but she had a glow about her, with light brown hair braided behind her back that reached to her hips. Her dark eyes were bright and kind. I got the sense she was going to be a tougher egg to crack.

“I don’t think you will rid yourself of this one so easily.”

I turned to my mother who had a knowing look on her face. A look that I couldn’t quite place.

I looked away from them both.

The governess took a seat beside me in the grass, with little grace, crossing her legs over the other. “It is an honor, your majesty.”

“Perhaps you will not think so after a few short weeks,” I muttered.

My mother scowled in response.

“I think you’ll come to find I am not so easily scared off, your highness.”

Now

“Your grace?”

I surged forward out of the bed and landed upon someone, one hand wrapped around their throat and the other lifted, ready to strike a fatal blow.

“Your grace!” Someone squealed out.

I blinked rapidly and looked down at the face under me. Callum.

I squeezed my hand, extinguishing the shadows that had encompassed it.

“I could have killed you. I was about tokillyou!” I couldn’t keep the anger from my voice.

He still couldn’t talk as I was still squeezing his vocal cords too tightly. I released his throat slowly.

He sucked in a huge breath as he coughed. “It’s Emilia.”

“Where is she?” I finally took a look at him. He had deep scratches across his face, blood smeared. This episode had to be bad if this was the outcome.

“The chapel.”

I retreated, ran down the steps of the South Wing, and went through the halls so fast that they were a blur. Why was she there? Were her nightmares back? It didn’t matter, I needed tohurry before she harmed herself. If she died, then I would have failed again.

Better hurry then.

I hissed and ran faster until I burst through the chapel doors to find an ungodly scene. Emilia was standing behind the altar with a blade raised above her head. Her mouth was moving, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying.

“Emilia?” She continued as though she didn’t hear me. I hardened my voice. “Emilia.”

She paused and looked at me, cocked her head to the side, and she continued to say something that I still couldn’t hear. Her grip on the blade was so tight that I could see her hand shaking from the intensity of it.

Now that I had her attention I walked up to her tentatively, not wanting to make any sudden movements.

“Put it down.” She narrowed her eyes at me, but I said calmly, “I order you to put the blade down.”

I made it to the steps. I was almost there. I was close enough that I could hear what she was saying, but it didn’t make sense. It wasn’t a language that I understood. I didn’t think that was possible. It sounded old.

A noise behind me told me that Callum was there to help. “Oh my god. What is she—”

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