Page 88 of Her Dark Promise

“Emilia!”

The spell was finally broken, and everyone was up and trying to get them away from each other. Emilia was scratching him, gripping and trying to pull him back to her so that she could keep attacking him.

“How dare you!” She screamed at the top of her lungs.

I took a few steps back and used my shadows to push them apart.

I commanded Bastian, “Take your brother and leave! Callum, make sure they don’t come back!”

I waited until they were all gone before looking into Emilia’s eyes. She was holding onto the back of the chair that she had vacated and looked ready to go after the brothers.

It wasn’t until the doors had closed that I turned back to her.

“Breathe Emilia. I need you to slow down and take deep breaths.”

“I–I can’t. I want to rip them apart!” Her body was shaking so badly that I had to grip her firmly to try and steady her.

I started to hum a spell that always relaxed her and set her at ease no matter how volatile she became. After a few moments, her body shook less and less until she was limp in my arms. We sank down on the ground, and her head landed in my lap. She was so out of it that she didn’t notice and I didn’t want to move her, worried that she would start hyperventilating again.

I hesitantly placed my hand on her head and slowly stroked it. I looked down at her frail body. She had lost a considerable amount of weight in the past few weeks. That wouldn’t do.

As always. Paying attention to boys when there are others that need your attention. What would Belle say?

I gritted my teeth together.

I told you not to speak her name. You don’t have the right,I growled.

Circe laughed.You will always fail those who depend on you. Best to give up now.

I breathed through her words and tried my best to focus on Emilia, staring off into the distance. I needed to bring her back to the here and now, not the past.

“If you allow the rage inside you to stay and target two people who had nothing to do with what happened to you, then you will turn into me. You are good. Pure light.” I sighed. “You can go.”

She blinked a few times before sitting up straight and staring at me.

“What?” She winced in pain.

“I see now that bringing them here is causing you nothing but pain. You barely leave your room. You haven’t been eating. I can’t watch you suffer anymore.”

Her shoulders slumped. In relief? I couldn’t tell until she looked back up at me and signed,Thank you. Thank you so much.She dropped her hands to her lap and began to cry again.

We sat there in silence for another moment until I helped her up and back to her room.

I tucked her in and said, “I will have Callum take you to the cottage tomorrow.”

She nodded and signed,I am sorry.

“Don’t be.” I blew the powder in her face to ensure she got an entire night of rest.

I immediately left Emilia to sleep and went in search of Soren. His injuries weren’t life-threatening, but they still needed to be tended to. He wasn’t in his room, so I checked the library, the only other place he ever was.

Nothing.

He was known for being in places where he had no business, but I was too flustered to search for him. Not wanting to stall any longer, I conjured my ball of light and thought of him. I scoffed when I saw where he was.

The door creaked open, and I found Soren sitting in the front pew directly under the stained glass window casting beautiful patterns on his body.

He turned around at the noise. “Your majesty?”

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