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44
~Akara
I ran all the way there.
It was easy to ignore the painful burn in my chest, the way my legs ache and protest as I push myself to continue running through the forest toward the nearby village. My mind is clouded, thinking of Vaia and her plan to have Marek publicly executed. Evolet could be lying to me, but I know in my heart that’s not true. Marek could already be dead, but I need to do something…
Vaia’s voice echoes loudly through the forest as I approach, taunting me, knowing that I’m going to attend this. If this is a trap, then I’m running right into it with no remorse.
"Some
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~AkaraI twist the ring Tai gave me around my finger anxiously as he slides into bed next to me."What if something happens to us while we are in there?" I ask mindlessly, staring out the window. It’s been awhile since I joined Tai in his bed, and I’m not sure why it hasn’t been more frequent. Sleeping in the same bed means we have to talk about everything going on in each other's heads, and that’s harder than I would like to admit.He turns, wrapping his arm around my shoulder to tug me in closer to him, which I welcome. "I don't care what happens, as long as you get out of there alive."
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~AkaraThe sound of wheels grating along a gravelled surface roused me from sleep.Jolting up, my heart patters violently in my chest as I look around at my surroundings, memories struggling to come back to me. I'm in a carriage that sways back and forth, moving quickly, and sitting opposite me is Marek, with a solemn expression on his face.My mind tumbles back into a dark memory. Almost a year ago, when Marek first kidnapped me from the Inn, and I woke in a carriage just like this one, as confused as I am now with a man in front of me who was basically a stranger.
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~AkaraI stare at the cottage, quiet.Beyond the faded doors, are my parents, as Marek has assured me. The place is nice, perfect for them. With father no longer going to the war, they needed a place like this to settle down, and once this is all over, I doubt they will want to move back to the Jade Province."Are you okay?" Marek asks softly from beside me. I turn to look at him, noting the wariness in his eyes. He has been almost too gentle with me since we arrived, probably trying not to crowd me after everything has been revealed. I'm grateful for that, as I don't think I have it in me to look at him the same yet.
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