Rose of the Deadlands: An epic fantasy romance series (Forgotten Path of the Elors Book 1) by Jesse Sprague

Author:Jesse Sprague [Sprague, Jesse]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 22

The high queen’s hand was soft under Saiette’s—such a simple touch. So much trust inherent in Noralain’s gesture—the only thing Felix wouldn’t give Saiette. Maybe, looking into their past would show her why.

Even if Felix and Saiette weren’t going to be lovers, and especially if they were, she needed to understand him.

Noralain sat on the edge of the drop into the lake below. Her outer dress danced out over the drop. Roots twined from the palace above. “You can see the past,” the high queen said softly. “I’ll lift my walls; it’ll be easy for you to access the gods’ sight through me.”

Saiette closed her eyes.

She sank into the hallway of mist and vapors. The voices around her called, gentle and soothing, but others rang below with shouts that sounded of warning bells.

I don’t want to see Felix in love with her. And the words wrote themselves in the mist that floated around Saiette repeating over and over again. Even after everything, even knowing that he saw her as a weapon to be wielded—a tool as Anna had warned. But Saiette hoped that someday, somehow, he’d see something special in her.

The more she pushed for his love, the harder he pushed away. And the gods weren’t infallible; she only had to look at Noralain to see that. In the end, Saiette needed to choose her own path.

Clear eyes were essential in accomplishing all of that.

Especially in saving Lorian and Chella. A good person would put that first.

Her thought formed and moved off into the mist. Within moments, doors appeared in a ring around her. Each a perfect white and each singing Saiette’s name.

Anna had said something about this once. She’d cautioned Saiette to only ever open one door at a time. But Saiette had never encountered more than one, and her mind had lost all other fragments of the warning.

Saiette saw no option but opening one. Hopefully that would be enough to avoid whatever trap Anna had foreseen. It’s not like Saiette could get out; the doors surrounded her. Saiette brushed one with her fingertips. Voices moaned softly and deep sighs sank into her bones. The door opened, and a wind sucked at Saiette. A series of clicks sounded around her. In quick succession, all the other doors burst open. The song of her name boomed.

Run. She had to run—only her legs couldn’t move, and invisible hands reached out like gale-force winds and pulled her toward the doors, all at once. She’d break in fragments.

Saiette tried to scream, but her voice was lost, and then she fell.

Silky sheets wrapped around her limbs. Spring sunlight poured in a window, illuminating the pale, blue room and with it a trickle of birdsong. Noralain’s mind folded around Saiette, and through the high queen, she looked down on Felix. His perfect green eyes met hers, half closed. He filled her, flesh on flesh, the sweat on her brow cooled by the wind and the heat of Felix between her legs.

Saiette shoved away, an overwhelming horror pushing against Noralain’s consciousness.

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