The Dark Prince

vi

t my hands, de

aping at the very edges of my mind

palms against my eyes, I

do now? My initial confusion has melted away

aze off to

room. My eyes flutter closed, a sweet, flower-scented breeze rufflin

. I can't be in this

its hook, I slip it on and make my w

t this place is

ned with ornate fixtures and painted var

ol wooden flooring as I wander

is a plain shade of ivory and all the furnishings are

the bannister as I

know that I don't yet have answers for them." Roel's

sneak to the near wall, turning my he

body is in perfect condition, no si

talking

ing, peeling away to reveal stark white bone. I

ords like that around her. N

ay. I'm desperately trying to fight off the itching in my nose

e magic," Cr

n't either, I suppose, since

sket to see if she ever did truly begi

fully peek around the c

as she shifts from foot to foot. "What i

thers in

person she was has been erased,” Roel explains. He looks bo

im well…whatever

be Queen,” Crimson hi

n. All we can do is slowly integrate her back into

he people g

close circle should learn of this unt

ock her

sending a jolt of panic through me. Loc

only sparingly, and with

her head. "She

ers, as if to physica

of her as your daughter who has woken up with no memory, and needs to be slowly nudged int

man. He knows how to s

er father will think of

erfectly accepting," R

e it." Crimson rubs her own arms, clearly

this place. I'll have nothing, nobody...I don't know how to care f

eing thrown out, I'm equally

epted your daughter was gone and now she has

on one of her nails a

o he will be ready to see Avila in the morning." H

o get ou

of the staircase, winding through the corridor until I reac

ed from the intricately decorated tomb erected just for me, right n

eet, if it wer

s that are littered everywhere. I escape the smell only by passing through a

into my feet. Still, I persist, wanting to put som

polished wood bench. I sit down on it,

ved Crimso

I wonder where this mysterious man is. It's strange t

ath. This vacant chasm that's torn through my ch

ow I really did exist before thi

e has been focused on the gravel in front of me. Looki

lips from view, backing

I ask uneasily, my voice

answe

vanished behind the hedge. The sound of footsteps retreating on sto

ure has emerged from behind the hedges, h

a staff member, maybe a gardener, if they didn't have a hood

you going!"

oss the lawn. He isn't running, but he's walking fast enou

t running. He's close to disappearing down

n the ground causing my ankle to buckle. I

sinking into my clothing, and then

in deeply. The figure has vanished into the night

ila

ng someone approaching me. They look st

scrambling up to my feet.

ng at me like this. His eyes are silvery under the gleam of the moonlight, his

he soothes, taking a

a long b

o. He looks different, though. His face hasn't changed, but he somehow seems t

orehead, wincing when it comes back

houlder. "What wer

after a complete stranger and then get scared when one appeared behind me in the da

omeone," I tell him, cleari

om his face, and now, his jaw i

s gaze shifts down to my knees. Sure enough, they are covered in

ne," I

out here," he warns. "You of