Page 151 of The Stolen Kingdom

“Fucking cat is still alive,” Valda’s laughter was cut short by a cough. She winced in pain, touching her flank as she reached for Maris. Her bloody hand clutched to Maris’s arm, using it to try and pull herself to sit.

“Valda, no,” Maris commanded, freeing her hand to roam over Valda’s chest. “You are too drained.”

Cursing softly, Valda closed her eyes and nodded as Cerberus’ noises became louder.

The animal’s meows were constant and filled with pain. “There is something wrong with Cerberus,” Maris said, as she stood up. Her eyes shifted from Cerberus to Valda. “Maybe I should get to her too.”

Valda opened her eyes, and a chilling cold fear shrouded deep within their chests. Valda clutched Maris’ foot, struggling to say something, anything. Her voice cracked in a desperate cry for Maris to move. Before Maris could voice her question, a cold metal pierced through her back and out her abdomen. Her gasp drowned in her throat, as she looked down at the sword protruding from her belly. Before she could touch it, the sword pulled back, leaving a burning mark in its wake.

Her eyes fell to Valda, who struggled to sit up, her hand stretching out, calling forth the Heaven Sword.

The deafening shrills of pain consumed her until it dissolved into the darkness of the desert night. In front of her, The Oracle tilted their head, awaiting her question.

“Will either Valda or I die in the castle tomorrow?”The answer would drown out her worries and give her hope.

“Yes.”

The Oracle’s answer sent a shiver down her spine and with complete disregard of the Oracle’s rule, the next question poured from her lips.“Who?”

With a crooked smile, the Oracle shook a scolding finger at her.“I’ve already answered enough.”

Maris felt Valda’s desperation sinking into her chest. Her mate’s screams were muffled by the ringing of pain that consumed her. Valda stretched her hand again, and the Heaven Sword flew to her from somewhere in the throne room. The anguish in Valda’s voice seeped out as breathless sobs.

Maris’s legs quivered just as she pivoted to watch Arwin holding his sword drenched in her blood as was his face from open wounds and cuts. His smile was twisted and contorted; he screamed something she couldn’t understand.

The grip on her trident grew taut as she took a step forward. Her forehead beamed a blue hue, blinding Arwin before she speared the three prongs into his stomach.

Arwin gasped, clutched the trident, and fell to his knees, taking Maris with him. Her body weight helped her dig deeper into his flesh. Letting go of the trident, Maris admired what she had done. Arwin grabbed the trident, pulled on it, and cursed under his breath.

“That’s for Raan and Saha Era,” Maris whispered, her bloody hand touching the rings hanging from her neck. Swallowing a mouthful of blood, Maris fell to her side, her eyes glued to Arwin as he struggled to free himself from the godly weapon.

Hazel eyes flew to meet hers, and Maris could see how poetic all of this was. Suddenly a thin red line appeared on Arwin’s neck and the spark of life in his eyes vanished in an instant.

Maris blinked once, and when she opened her eyes again, the decapitated head of the man who murdered her father fell to his side as the rest of his body slumped back.

The death of a traitor.

The sound of clattering metal echoed in the throne room before warmth filled her. Valda fell next to her, her powerful arms wrapping around her.

“No, no, no, no, no, no.” Valda shuffled up to her feet, carrying Maris and pulling her to her chest.

As much as Maris wanted to enjoy the warm embrace, coldness was seeping in. “Val—”

“Shh, don’t. Please. Please. Don’t. You will be all right.” Valda’s voice cracked, as she desperately searched for an exit.

A bomb exploded somewhere, and two familiar voices boomed inside the throne room. Kenna and Kayden ran inside, their desperate plea for all of them to leave. The castle was collapsing on itself, and they needed to go.

Maris clung to Valda, her mouth filling up with blood. Her eyes trailed over Valda’s tear covered face. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces as the shattering pain welcomed her through the bond.

“It’s all right.” Maris uttered faintly, the grip on Valda’s shirt loosening as her vision fainted into a soft haze of honey-colored eyes, black hair, and freckled-covered skin. The last thing she could do before darkness consumed her was silently voice to Asclepius the prayer Melvian taught to her all those months ago. She used the last bit of her energy, hoping somehow that this time, maybe the god of healing would hear her.

Pressing her hand to Maris’s chest wasn’t stopping the blood. The warmth of her skin was diminishing just as the tug of the bond began to loosen.

Emptiness was setting in and bitter loneliness crept further, dousing her heart, her mind, her senses. She couldn’t stop the bond from fading, and she felt everything Maris felt. The coldness, the pain, thefear.Maris was just as scared as she was, and she couldn’t protect her from it.

Valda’s eyes roamed over Maris’s body before shifting to the crumbling walls around her. Everything was tumbling in on itself, and Valda could only hold on to Maris as if her arms would somehow put her back together and heal her. She would give anything to heal her, to have an ounce of Asclepius’s power. If only the hand to her chest could stop the bleeding, seal the wound…

But she wasn’t an Asclepius worshiper, and her mate lay limp in her arms, her skin growing paler by the second.

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