Sacrifice of the Heart

a

iousness. A dull, throbbing ache spread through her body, but

ke and blood lin

n on her like a tidal wave. The fire. The

then

raith

s snapp

longer in

e, the air damp and thick with

ng a small, windowless chamber. Heavy iron chains hung from th

ris

pain flared along her side. Looking down, she saw a

d treated

ke sense of it, the

against the

n he wa

raith

ight. His dark cloak billowed slightly with each step, and th

unreadable, dangero

the dagger she always kept at he

cou

ng herself to meet his gaze

her with the patience of a predator wait

cold as the steel

t remembe

breath

ay he said it sent a

trying to kill m

ross his face. "If I wanted you de

as if her life and death

. "If you're waiting for me to thank you f

pped closer, his pr

of mercy," he murmured. "I s

retched be

t pounde

omething dark and dangerous

ulled out something small-something

of black

hed. She had seen t

lace. Not in

o

mem

e long f

into fists. No. T

she already k

ith King kn

voice a whisper of

bound long befor

e thundered

bound long befor

ething deep within her, something bur

ed with a faint glow, as if whispe

dy, but her hands weren't. She clenched t

ing smirked.

them. The air grew heavy, charged with something more

even as his shadow loomed over her, even as the

he crystal

it touche

ream. A battlefield dr

th

i

r, standing atop a mountain of corpses

but the Wraith King caught h

a blade, flashes of a past she did not

incess of this kingdom, but

and gold-but armo

side her father

raith

m. Bleeding for

om her lips as she wre

into focus-the cold walls, the iron door, th

hand to her chest. "

easured, as if he had been waitin

her head,

ow you," sh

smirked. "Yo

ords-how her heart pounded in her chest, ho

oice laced with desperatio

his cloak. "There are things beyond your un

fate sent a chil

loser, tilting her chin up in defi

pression darkened. "

"Everything c

ps, just for a fraction o

the way her

tened. The way her breat

he kissed her, she

tion made h

ying," she hissed, steppi

or a long moment, then sighed

s-a ghost of something softer,

as quickly,

d, he turned and st

felt relieved th

tightened with someth

paused. He didn't turn back, but

our fate is bound to mine. And soon, y

g her alone with the terr

time in her life

of

of d

th buried insi

fferent kind of battle-the memory of his touch, the brief flicker of

hate

eath, forcing hersel

eded a

m by standing here, drown

From here, she could see the shadowed streets of the capital, the roof

here she n

out the Wraith King, about the magic th

ng would n

fortress nestled between the mountains-a place hidden

ls burning faintly in the darkness, meant to

pressed int

eant nothi

ngs. She could hear the faint murmur of voices outside

fted in the a

res

urned s

en a sharp, searing pai

sible had wrapped around he

r fingers grasping at her t

cu

signed to keep her from leaving, from d

nding us cann

ds came rushing back

just a cag

ge within h

into her lungs, but the pain only wor

somew

as smooth,

raith King knelt before her, his

run?" He reached out, tilting her chin up wit

way, her breathing ragge

ed. "I never cl

e magic loosening its grip just

on made her s

ontro

trolle

et, rage simmering beneath her

with unreadable eyes. "You are mine to k

ine-not from fear, but from somethi

ould h

id ha

act as if it remembere

ke her breath catch, make her want to tear him

ving her carefully, as if he could hea

r now, but no less dangerous. "You'll

y nerve in her body rebelling

choice di

he would p

she would

so

d break

he would burn his k

Wraith King's presence faded from the

e. And soon, you will have

at her sides. No. T

d

her hands, the weight of blood on her skin. She had seen his face, younger but stil

used to b

belonged to him in another life-why had she forgot

fferent kind of battle-the memory of his touch, the brief flicker of

hate

eath, forcing hersel

eded a

m by standing here, drown

From here, she could see the shadowed streets of the capital, the roof

here she n

out the Wraith King, about the magic th

ng would n

fortress nestled between the mountains-a place hidden

ls burning faintly in the darkness, meant to

pressed int

eant nothi

ngs. She could hear the faint murmur of voices outside

fted in the a

res

urned s

en a sharp, searing pai

sible had wrapped around he

r fingers grasping at her t

cu

signed to keep her from leaving, from d

nding us cann

ds came rushing back

just a cag

ge within h

into her lungs, but the pain only wor

somew

as smooth,

raith King knelt before her, his

run?" He reached out, tilting her chin up wit

way, her breathing ragge

ed. "I never cl

e magic loosening its grip just

on made her s

ontro

trolle

et, rage simmering beneath her

with unreadable eyes. "You are mine to k

ine-not from fear, but from somethi

ould h

id ha

act as if it remembere

ke her breath catch, make her want to tear him

ving her carefully, as if he could hea

r now, but no less dangerous. "You'll

y nerve in her body rebelling

choice di

he would p

she would

so

d break

he would burn his k