Shyshaker Princess

Chapter Thirty-Six - Blood Bond

Part Two: Temperatures Rise

Chapter Thirty-Six 

Blood Bond 

**POV - Athlaya Hawmere**

It felt as though Athlaya's very soul was being shred in two, neither half truly belonging to her. A scorching shot of pain seared from her temples to the base of her spine. She clutched the stone wall of the servants staircase, distantly aware that she was screaming in agony and shock as the onslaught of pain only continued to worsen with each inhale of air she took.

"Mother," She found herself whimpering as tears fell down her face. Athlaya closed her eyes, willing her roiling stomach not to give up on her.

Fresh air. She needed fresh air. The kitchen... Katja and maybe Vay were not far away. Yes, she had to move, to find help. Wasn't that what she had learned by being in Windhart - that she didn't have to do everything by herself?

Each step was a challenge as the pain threatened to burst from her skin in flames. Could Vay feel this with his Empath abilities? What was happening? Black spots began to front fo her and she felt light-headed from the pain, but she kept moving.

She made it three steps and stopped again. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. She didn't know how she knew it, but she did. Perhaps, everything was wrong.

"Vay?" She called out, her voice weak and trembling. Nothing. She shut her eyes, frustrated with herself for not being stronger, for not being the Skyshaker Queen her mother had been. She had to think, where would Vay be?

In the distance, she thought she could hear the banging of fireworks. Yes, he would be outside with the rest of the court, on guard duty.

All thoughts of making it outside left her as her vision was suddenly substituted with another, as though her very perspective on this world and where she stood had been all but transplanted with another. Instantly, she knew who. Her trembling hands suddenly flew towards the bodice of her dress. Between her breasts she found the amethyst ring. It was a wonder her shaking hand did not drop it down the stairs to disappear between one of the cracks. Yet somehow it ended up on her finger middle finger.

Athlaya recognised the sight before her immediately. She was in longest hallway of Hawmere Castle, close by the entrance hall. Sounds of chaos, screaming and bellowing sounded in the distance. Athlaya looked down to find a brown, freckled hand clutching an amethyst stone between her middle finger and thumb whilst she rushed, panicked towards the rooms at the far end of the corridor. 

Imogen, turn around, Athlaya wanted to scream as agony drove Imogen to kneel on the ground, clutching her head in her hands. As Athlaya had known that everything was wrong in Windryell Castle, she knew it was in Ellesmere too. Both Kingdoms were no longer silent, no longer peaceful. Still, Imogen was stronger than she was and forced herself to her feet, charging forward through the vibrating pangs of pain that radiated from her very brain.

Athlaya blindly descended a few more steps, no longer able to see her own surroundings in Windhart and nearly fell, eager, as if in a desperate bid to reach Imogen in time, as though they were not hundreds of miles apart.

Imogen shoved her shoulder against a large door and Athlaya recognised the King's chambers. They had been her mother and father's room once. Her heart beat harder at the sight of her brother, Daimos sitting aloof on the velvet and satin throne in the inner chamber. Nysa was there too, standing to his side, bent over him whispering. Athlaya wished she could shout directly into Imogen's mind, begging her to look around to show her whether Brite was there and safe.