Page 72 of War of Her Heart

Chapter 29

Violet

Three weeks. It had been three weeks without Calum. Three weeks without leaving my room. I’d cried all I could cry. I’d solved every damn riddle book the servants have brought me. I’d reread all of my favorite books from the library. I’d counted every star I could see out of my window.

Three weeks down. Only twenty-three weeks to go.

But I could not stand it any longer.

I had to go outside. I loved being outside. I used to lie in the grass for hours reading about new things while Calumattended meetings with his Advisors or traveled around the Mountain Realm making appearances, kissing faelings—or whatever he did.

Would Celine really hurt me? For all she knew, her son was in the Night Realm, falling in love with the one she picked.

That hurt to even think about.

But there was no way she’s thinking about me. I could just sneak outside and go past the horse stables. She would never go over there. It’s “beneath” her.

I was going to do it. If I stayed in my room any longer, I would go insane.

I held my breath as I unlocked the door and slowly pulled it open. What was I doing? Celine would never be down here.

Again, it was beneath her. Literally.

As soon as my foot hit the floor in the hall, a ripple broke out like I had just stepped on water, and I fell straight through.

After falling for what felt like one hundred feet, I hit the cold, hard ground. It felt like concrete, but I couldn’t tell because it was pitch black wherever I was.

“Help—” I started to scream out, but then I remembered what my father said.

“Do not leave your room.”

He was right. Celine was after me. He must have had a witch protect my room, put a spell on it that wouldn’t let danger in. But as soon as I stepped out of the room, I left the protection and fell right into Celine’s trap.

I slowly stood up and reached my hands out to feel around.

I walked a few feet and felt a wall. I started to inch my way around to see if there was a door anywhere.

Corner. Corner. Corner. Corner. Four corners. Four concrete walls. No door.

What was Celine going to do? Leave me in here to starve to death? A slow painful death?

No, my medicine. Father always said that missing one pill would kill me.

Well, it was just after midday when I stupidly decided to leave my room, so in about eight hours I’d miss taking my pill and I’d be dead.

Death by my heart stopping sounds better than death by starvation.

All of a sudden, a bright light turned on. I shielded my eyes while they adjusted to it.

I was right. I was in a concrete box with no way out.

Like I’d always said, I really wished I could transfer.

As if it couldn’t get any worse, Celine walked through the wall and stood in front of me.

“You’ve made me wait three weeks for this. I was starting to get impatient, my dear Violet.”

“What are you doing? When Calum fin—”

---