Never Yours ✔️

Ch. 47

Arysa sat on the hard-packed ground in front of the makeshift table. To her left, Rivet had his legs bent under him, and he stared at the table with heavy eyes and hands clasped in his lap. Vare stood in the tent's entrance, and Arla, with bags under her eyes and greasy hair, sat leaning against one of the wooden poles holding the tent up.

"It's clear." Vare said quietly, and Arla looked up slowly.

"Lady Arysa," Her voice was strained. "Thank you for coming."

Arysa's brows furrowed. "Queen Arla, what's going on? Why did you summon me? Are you–"

"Something terrible is coming." Arla's eyes were somewhere else, her words distant.

Arysa went quiet.

"I can feel it in my bones." Arla breathed. "Destruction. Chaos. Death." She turned her eyes to Arysa. "And it all centers on you."

Arysa pulled back. "What? How could I—?"

"Dark times are coming." Arla breathed. "And you are the key to it all."

"You're not making any sense–"

"Because it is senseless." She shot back. "It is disjointed, unconnected, fractured, shattered, broken..." She trailed off into a silence tangled with visions.

"She's been like this since the king's assassination." Vare spoke up, but she didn't turn to face them. "She doesn't sleep, doesn't eat. All she does is talk about the arrival of some terrible catastrophe, of where everything collides into the end of all we know."

"Arysa," Arla murmured, "Arysa, it is you. It is all about you."

"I don't understand." Arysa exhaled.

Rivet looked up and signed, "You need to be careful."

Arysa's brows furrowed.

"She says the dark is coming for you." Rivet elaborated.

Arysa's stomach twisted.

Serden.

She remembered the note. She remembered the chill in her room that night. She remembered his warnings.

He was going to come for her.

And all of Rahaida would be put at risk.

Arysa got to her feet. "I have to go."

Arla brought her legs to her chest. "It's coming." She whispered. "So much death is coming."

Arysa's jaw clenched. "Not if I can help it."

She turned and made her way out.

She was going to find Serden.

Even if she had to hunt him to the ends of the earth.

-

She stood outside his door.

Serden hadn't had time to take anything before he fled the city that night. He hadn't had time to hide anything.

She reached for the knob, but hesitated.

For so long she had been locked behind those doors.

Her stomach burned at the thought of placing herself back there.

Some part of her was terrified he'd still be there. As if he were waiting for her. As if he'd known she'd find her way back here somehow.

And the worst part, was that it wasn't that far-fetched of an idea. Anything was possible with him.