Page 92 of Her Dark Promise

Belle surged up, but she had her arms crossed with a scowl on her little face.

“Hey! You cheated, sister!”

My hand flew to my mouth, covering it, as I choked back a sob. I hadn’t paid close attention to the last memory in Belle’s room as I was too shocked by their sudden appearance to take it all in. This time I listened to the nuances in their tones. How high-pitched and sweet Belle sounded even when she was scolding me. She acted just like Mother.

I could see myself sigh. “Please forgive me. I should have let you have a head start since your legs are so little!” She flew forward and grabbed Annabelle’s feet, making her squeal some more and wiggle out of her arms.

Belle only made it a few steps before dropping into a crouch and then looking back with a wicked grin right before throwing a snowball directly at my face.

Younger me screamed as it hit her straight on. From the corner of my eye, I could see my mother covering her mouth, holding back her laughter. I stared at her as I could hear more screaming in front of us. She was looking at us with so much love in her heart. I didn’t have to decipher what she was feeling; it was clearly visible on her face. I remembered that she always wore her heart on her sleeve.

I looked back over and saw myself gathering snow into a ball. I grinned broadly at Belle as she was pleading, “No, no! I didn’t mean it!”

She turned and ran as I threw the ball at her back and hit it square on. Not hard enough to hurt her. I would never hurt her.

“Oh! Now you’ve done it!” She hurried and rolled a ball of snow, throwing it as hard as her arm could, and I saw myself dodging it right at the last second. Which only enraged Belle further.

Mother stood there watching us with such amusement lining her face and I spent the time watching her. Trying to memorize her face, the color of her eyes, how her hair shined under the light, how she stood. All of it. Begging her to say something else, anything else.

When she didn’t, I walked down the steps onto the landing and walked to where Belle was once again crouched in the snow, getting another snowball ready. I bent down next to her and lightly brought my hand up so I could skim her laughing face lightly.

“I miss you so much.”

I bit back a sob as I heard Mother call over my shoulder, “It’s time for lessons, girls!”

I turned to look at her, but the image faded before I could get another look. When I turned back, I was once again alone.

Isolated. Forever alone.

I bent my head, wrapped my arms around my body, and screamed in frustration.

“If you are going to show me these images, the least you can do is allow it to last longer than a moment!”

I wasn’t sure who I was screaming at or why I was seeing these memories to begin with. Maybe it was the last stage of me completely losing my mind?

I could barely feel my body shaking, getting soaked through to the bone from sitting on the wet ground. I had stopped caring about anything as I sat there staring at nothing in particular. Willing the memory to come back. Or any other memory to present itself to me and take me away from my miserable existence.

“Your majesty!”

I didn’t even look as someone came into view.

Soren. A worried Soren, by the crinkle in his forehead.

“Why are you out here?” He was searching all over for injuries and then looked back into my eyes when I didn’t respond. What injuries could I possibly get?

He wasted no time in reaching forward and lifting me into his arms. I knew he was strong, but I didn’t realize just how strong. I looked up at his face while he barked orders at someone in front of us.

I was brought inside, Soren’s face shadowed by the dark halls, and taken back into a room where Callum was stoking a fire. I wanted to tell them I was fine, but when Soren sat me down, I looked at my toes and saw that they were a deep purple.

“I wonder how much longer it would have taken until someone would have had to amputate?” I muttered.

Emilia chastised me, “That isn’t funny, your majesty. Please don’t jest like that.”

I had spoken my thoughts aloud again? I sighed, annoyed that everyone was fussing over nothing.

“You all realize that I can’t die. Right?” This time, I was able to find my voice and address them. I looked around to see everyone in here except for Bastian. “What? The hunter is the only one not worried about me?”

“It’s not that he doesn’t care.” Callum tried to come up with an excuse.

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