Page 8 of The Stolen Kingdom

“Valda, she doesn’t want to be near you!” Isen gasped as soon as the words came out.

Valda froze. She searched deep within Isen’s face, trying to find a scrap of a lie.

Maris… left?

Her face twisted in pain as she pressed a hand to her side, the wound on her back burning as the stitches pulled at her skin.

But, in New Agenor, she promised she wouldn’t.

“I am notleaving you…”

Valda shook her head. Isen was lying.

“I am not…”

Maris’s broken, and heated voice surfaced from her memory.

“I’m not, I love you so much. I can’t, I won’t…”

“But she…” Valda whispered. “She said—”

“She did,” Isen murmured, his hand patting Valda’s knees. “She waited until you were out of danger and… left.”

Swallowing hard, Valda touched the center of her chest, frantically searching for something… anything. But there was nothing but silence, and a hard block of coldness that she couldn’t shake. Maris was there, but just beyond her reach, and there was nothing Valda could do to pull her back.

Maris was gone. Not because someone took her away, but because she didn’t want to be near Valda.

Her mate didn’t want her.

Valda leaned on her left arm as her legs dangled from the edge of the bed. Cerberus lay on her lap, in a silent request to rest. Her head dropped, and her shoulders shook as she sobbed. Pain jolted violently through her chest and back. It was hard to breathe…

And still Valda screamed.

2

“Slow down, Maris!” Melvian screamed, the gallops of her horse drumming loudly against the sandy ground.

Maris wished she could. She wished it was as easy as slowing down, taking a breather, and going on with how things were. She wished she could close her eyes, shake her head hard enough, and when she opened them, she would be back in Oberon Castle, with Valda walking out of the garderobe with her perfect, teasing smile. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw Valda, but not the woman she’d grown used to. She saw her clutching the Heaven Sword, drenched in blood, with her father lying at her feet, pale and cold.

“Maris!”

Pulling on the horse’s reins, Maris slowed her pace down just as Melvian blocked her path. She couldn’t face her friend. The reality of her shame made it almost impossible for her to even lock eyes with her. She’d always known Melvian would never judge her, but the truth of what was happening was too much for her to bear.

Even if she didn’t want to admit it, Maris was hiding. She was hiding from Valda, hiding that they needed to talk about what happened with her father; she was hiding from Melvian, leaving her mate to babysit her, and she was hiding from the shame of not being able to proclaim that she was the real heiress of the throne of the Sea Kingdom.

She wasn’t worthy of Melvian’s love or her friendship. She wasn’t worthy of leading anyone. Yes, she wanted to warn the Sealians in New Agenor of what had happened, but could she actually make the decisions necessary to keep them safe?

“You still have time to turn back, Melvian.”

“Are you still going on with that? Is that why you wouldn’t even look at me before leaving Lasmeer’s place?”

“Melvian...”

“Stop it! I will not go back. I’m already set on staying with you.” Melvian tutted and pressed her knuckles to her lower back. “I am not used to riding horses, and you making me chase after you is going to prove horrible for my coccyx.”

“You can still go—”

“I will not abandon my best friend!” Melvian yelled, her shoulders slumping. “Why won’t you just let me help you? I’ve done so before, why stop now?”

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