Chapter 14

When Alexandra jolted awake, she was in an endless room. The only light came from the abundance of candles that hovered overhead and littered the ground. She moved to stand on her feet, and that’s when she noticed the shallow layer of water she’d been lying in, but no part of her was wet.

She could feel her heart pounding violently in her ears, and then she noticed a wave of ripples coming toward her. She could hear children laughing, and as she peered through the darkness, she saw two children running toward her. Behind them, a scene seemed to form, and as the children neared, she saw it was herself and Erik.

Alexandra stepped aside as they passed and found herself back home in Bliss Palace. It was the middle of the day, and as she looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she saw the sun burning bright as it hung in the sky. Nearly, she saw an analog clock and read the time.