"Even the strongest mate can drown when silence becomes the sea."
The icy shock of the shower had successfully beaten back the consuming, unnatural heat, but it had exacted a crushing toll. I was trembling violently, not just from the cold, but from profound, debilitating exhaustion. Yet, the urgency remained a cold, hard knot in my chest. I had to reach Alaric. I had to report the terrifying reality of my body's internal rebellion before the morning council began, and the King made decisions based on false premises of safety.
I pushed myself off the bathroom wall, wrapping the thick towel tighter around my body. My feet barely registered the cold marble floor as I moved out of the bathing chamber and back into the vast space of the royal bedroom. The low light from the remaining hearth cast long, dancing shadows, turning the familiar room into something alien and menacing.
One step. Just reach the door. I must warn him.
