73

Seventy three

*Freya*

"Hello, Freya, it's me. It's Daniel."

The voice was like a bolt of lightning, jolting me back to a time before the palace, before Rafe. I forced my eyes open, blinking away the tears, and found myself staring up into the concerned face of Daniel Stonecrow, my old coworker from the villa.

"D-Daniel?" I croaked, my voice hoarse from the smoke and the screaming. "What are you doing here?"

He offered me a tight smile, his eyes scanning our surroundings for any sign of danger. "I heard you were going to be here today, and I wanted to see you. But we need to get you somewhere safe. Can you stand?"

I nodded, gritting my teeth against the pain as Daniel helped me to my feet. The world spun around me, and I clung to him for support, my heart pounding in my ears. As we stumbled away from the chaos, I couldn't help but wonder what had caused the explosions, and whether Rafe and the others had made it out unscathed.

Please, Goddess, I prayed silently, let them be alright. Le