A soft fairylike voice whispered.
I opened my eyes.
I was surrounded by nothing but water.
Then I saw her.
She had hair like snow. Perched up on the only rock in sight.
"But Alas...," she said, her eyes unfocused.
"The kingdoms are nothing without the gifted piece,
Her decsions will kill and ressurect,
Bonded to two demigods,
Child of the moon...."
She started to sing. An unfamiliar song.
She seemed so far away.
I tried to call out to her, but I couldn't hear myself.
I take a step towards her and I fall into the ocean.
My hands and legs flail around as the view of her is cut off.
Panic and fear grip me as my cinnamon coloured hair floated upward and the sunlight was getting further and further away.
I try to gain balance, but fail as I sink deeper, like an invisible force was pulling me closer to its depth.
I couldn't breathe.The deeper I sank, the darker it got.
Suddenly...there was nothing.
I woke up gasping for air, like my lungs were filled with water.
What just happened?
Realization dawned.
The ripped off page.
That was without a doubt the missing part of the prophecy.
Somehow I just knew...
But why did knowing fill me with such dread.
***
The almost realistic dream bothered me through the night.
Waking from the dream was physically exhausting in itself, almost like an oracles vision.
My skin felt raw and prickly, like I had actually been in water and sensitive like there was something brimming on the surface.
My mind wandered back to the woman I had seen and I felt uneasy.
I hadn't even noticed when Carlisle came in.
"Your grace?Selene?"
Looking up from the spot on the wall I'd been staring while my thoughts wandered, I turned towards him and smile, albeit forcefully.
"Are you alright?"
He was standing at the entrance of my bedroom, his eyes fixed on me, a tiny frown marring his face.
"I'm fine Carlisle." I say, turning my attention to my skin for inspection.
"I just spaced out for a bit." I added, when his frown remained.
He didn't look convinced, but he took it nonetheless.
"The king requests your presence for breakfast."
"Oh?"
"Yes..." He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"...and his consorts will also be present."
My stomach sinks. Familiar jealousy flooding my veins.
With my uneasiness, I was in no mood for the kings antics.
Carlisle must've noticed my grim expression, and made the decision for me.
"I will let him know you're Indisposed." He smiled. "I'll tell the kitchen to serve your breakfast here."
"Thank you, you're a lifesaver." I sighed happy to have avoided that bullet.
But unsurprisingly, my Relief was short lived.
I knew he was coming.
My heart beat quickened, the closer he got.
I held my breath as the door opened and his eyes met mine.
He doesn't stop walking until he's by my bedside. Right infront of me. Those ocean blue eyes stripping me bare.
My already sensitive body, becoming even more naked in his presence.
I'm hit again by the force of his attractiveness as I force myself to maintain eye contact.
Potent,
Commanding,
Powerful.
His gaze is piercing.
He does a quick sweep around the room, without moving.
His eyes revert back to mine, examining my face, while I memorize the features on his.
"Come in." He called out. His voice dripping with bold inflection of command.
I can't stop my nose from breathing in his delicious scent. I had an overwhelming urge to snuggle close and fill my lungs with it.
My fingers burned with the need to touch his skin.
The female healer came in, she bowed once.
I take a deep breath to calm my senses...and body.
"I'm fine." I say to her, a little more composed. "Just a bit of a headache."
She nodded and tied her dirty blond hair in a messy bun, before moving over to the other side of the bed.
"Have you been getting enough sleep your highness?" She asked, lightly twisting my arm, examining it.
"Ofcourse," I lie effortlessly, ignoring the slight pain her touch causes my skin.
She drops my arm and places a finger under my eyes.
"She's showing signs of fatigue and over sensitivity. No damage, probably a sign of Neglect."
The king raised a brow, aware of her veiled accusation.
She ignored him.
"I can take of myself." I say, painfully aware of how weak my voice sounds.
She ignored me as well.
"I suggest she stay with you till further notice." She stood up, confident in her prognosis.
"Staying with me is not an option."
He doesn't offer more.
Silently I search for something to say to get myself out of this escalated situation that happened because of a simple missed breakfast, but nothing comes to mind.
Should I tell them about my dream?or the lady I saw?
Before I could make up my mind, the healer stepped back and held her hand out to me.
"Please stand up your grace."
For some unknown reason, I look to Dante for confirmation.
He simply stared, face void of emotion.
I disregard her hand and get up on my own, if I can prove to them I'm fine, maybe they'll leave, I thought.
I regretted it immediately.
I was barely on my two feet when my vision blurred and my head was spinning. I was falling but I was caught by two soft hands.
The lack of feeling in my body shocked me.
How realistic was that dream?
Confusion clouded my thoughts as I steadied myself using the healers arms as handle bars.
"Unfortunately, there isn't much of a choice." She said to the king, adequately supporting me.
I let myself relax as I try to stop the sudden dizzy spell.
Her hands on my skin began to hurt, but I might still just be very sensitive, so I deal with it. But the more she held me the more painful it got, until it reached an unbearably high pitch and I pushed off her.
I fall to the ground and pain radiates on my side.
"Your highness." Carlisle exclaimed, rushing to me.
"Agh." I groaned in pain as it stung when he tried to pull me up by my arms.
I squirmed away from him.
The cold floor soothes my skin and I close my eyes, drowning out the presence of others in the room.
I want them all to leave, I thought.
The healer tried to reach for me again.
"Don't touch her." The king ordered.
"At this moment, I can't guarantee her condition won't worsen."
The healer said matter of factly.
I hear footsteps and I open my eyes.
He was staring down at me. His eyes darkened, like a stormy sea.
He bent down and slipped his arms under me, lifting me from the floor.
Warmth spread through my body at his touch and I snuggle against him instinctively and satisfy my need to be immersed in his scent.
"It appears her skin can't bear a touch that isn't yours." The healer said, observing the obvious.
"Why?" Dante asked, his hold on me tightening.
"I have no idea at the moment your highness, but I'll need time to consult my books."
I wanted to speak out. I hated being the weak girl someone had to take care of. I'd grown out of that stage.
But instead I relished in how the bond howled at the closeness of my mate.
"Could it be poison?"
"I can't say."
"Some kind of viral effect?"
"I can't say." She was writing stuff down in a notepad, while giving him monotone answers.
His jaw ticked and I could fill his anger rising.
"Is there anything you can say?" Each word is enunciated with a bone chilling threat.
Her expression still doesn't change. Does she not fear death?
"Yes. It could have been negligence on my part to properly treat her wounds after her incident, that led to her contracting a deadly infection, but still I can't say for sure."
This healer was officially crazy. That was basically an admission of guilt.
I nearly laughed at the comparison of their expressions.
Her calm and disconnected to his barely contained anger.
But my eyelids were growing heavy.
I was slowly losing consciousness.
The sad thing, I didn't even get my breakfast.
The talking around me hushed and next thing I know, I was being carried up a flight of stairs.
"Why isn't she conscious?"
"It could be her body succumbing to exhaustion."
I moaned as my source of warmth disappeared, replaced by cold sheets.
I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.
I felt a warm hand on my face.
"Why?"
The last thing I heard before I blacked out.
"Why does the moon insist on making things hard for me..."