Blood On The Altar

Chapter 25

I woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread in my stomach. I didn't know why, though. Gods knew I should be sleeping, but I couldn't. I just kept thinking about Ronan.

A heartbeat later, chaos ensued. Multiple voices rose from outside our room, all talking over each other. My heart stopped as I rose from the bed, quickly getting dressed. Where was Kai?

I heard the sound of metal on metal as a guard unsheathed his dagger. The next voice I heard cut through all the rest like a shout, clear and precise. "Isadora, I know you're here. Come on out and see your present."

The feeling of dread quickly transformed into fear as I finished getting dressed and swam into the hallway. Multiple guards lay motionless on the floor, wounds covering their torsos. Ronan floated a few feet in front of me, a smirk on his face. That wasn't what made my heart stop dead in my chest, however.

It was the ring he held in his hand. Mom's wedding ring. "I told you I'd make you pay for what your mother did," he said, voice deadly soft.

"What did you do." It wasn't a question. His lips curled into a smile at my anger.

He casually tossed the ring from hand to hand, as if tossing a cometball. "I paid her a little visit. It'd be a miracle if she's still alive." Before I so much as opened my mouth, he tossed me the ring. I clutched it in my hand as he swam away.

Worst-case scenarios floated through my head, none of them pleasant. Body shaking, I swam back into our room, gaze blank as I stared at the wall. Kai swam to me, gently taking my hand. "I have to tell you something," he said, his voice grim. As the words left his mouth, I noticed how exhausted he looked. Dark circles ringed his eyes, face deathly pale.

Even before he opened his mouth, I had the sudden feeling that I'd need to be sitting down to hear the news. I sank to the edge of the bed, clutching his hand. "Are you okay?"

He didn't answer my question. His eyes were filled with heartbreak and sorrow. "We just got word that Ronan broke into the palace in Aegrem early this morning. Nearly every guard and servant was killed, if not severely injured. Since there was no one to stop him, he managed to make it to the royal suite. It happened so fast, not even your father could stop Nerissa. She'd already engaged him. She fought valiantly, but—" He paused, taking a breath.

The sudden pause made my heart stop. "Are they okay? Tell me they're okay."

When he spoke again, his voice broke. "She's in a coma, Isadora. She sustained major injuries, and her shoulder..." As he trailed off, my breath caught in my throat. "It's not good. Ronan broke her collarbone and shoulder blade, causing the nerves to sever and atrophy. The rest of it he shredded into ribbons. When it heals, she'll probably never have full use of it again, much less be able to use it on a daily basis." While his voice was steady, I could sense a quiet anger brimming inside him.

"Can I see her?" The words came out before I could stop them. As much as it terrified me, I had to see her, if only to make sure she was still breathing.

He nodded. "Your father hasn't left her side since she was admitted into the hospital. He... he blames himself, Izzy." I didn't have to look at him to know he was thinking the same thing I was. Dad was dangerously close to falling into depression. I would do everything I could to stop that from happening, if only to spare him from that agony and torment.

The swim to the hospital was silent, interrupted only by the bursts of conversation from the mermaids and mermen we passed, all of which faded as we swam by them. The sympathy in their eyes was like a brand, but I stared straight ahead, refusing to meet their eyes.

When we finally arrived, the enormity of what we were swimming into hit me head-on. I froze in front of the entrance, breathing shakily. Kai's hand tightened on mine. "Whenever you're ready," he said softly.