Claiming Her Crown (War Songs of the Courts #2)

Chapter One

Clashing voices crowded my foggy brain, pulling me from the comforting void. Every vowel hit my eardrums like nails on a chalkboard, making the veins in my head pulse with agony. The rustling of clothing as people moved, creaking of the flooring, the vibrations of their footsteps; at all clawed its way into my skull. Noisy and clumsy, it made itself right at home like an unwanted houseguest. Their volume climbed and I winced, turning my head away from the source of the sound.

This was so much worse than any hangover I'd ever experienced before.

I kept my eyes closed, knowing any light was the last thing I wanted to experience. A large hand gently came up to hold the side of my face, the contact relieving the discomfort and soothing my soul in a way that distracted me for that prolonged millisecond. I breathed in, completely content to stay in that position forever, but then the stream of memories poured back, sending the cold shock of reality down on me.

"Ecasia."

I stiffened. At that voice. At that name. The name I had only ever heard coming from his lips use to sound like hope. Now it could only sound like a lie.

All his words. His promises.

Lies.

My chest ached with regret, turning the feeling of his touch into hot coal against my skin. My hand shot out, connecting with his wrist. His eyes flashed in my mind, stealing any warmth I still felt left from him. I twisted the hand away from my face, hating that I had let myself enjoy its' touch even for a second. Almost distantly, I heard a reluctant grunt and I peeled my eyes open. The act felt like an old but vaguely familiar feeling. It made me wonder just how long it had been.

Our eyes met. And held. His were glazed with a depth of emotion that I couldn't imagine unraveling. "It worked. You're okay. It worked." He said it almost as if to convince himself.

Another lie, my inner voice reminded me. The same voice who had warned me not to trust him. The same voice I had foolishly tuned out.

The reminder had the fresh fury expanding in my chest and like a wildfire, it consumed everything in me, making it almost too hard to breathe through. I pushed at his chest with all my strength, surprising myself when the force of it sent him propelled off the bed and onto the floor, sliding across the room. I ignored the fear that still lingered in my bones from my last breath, that made my legs and hands shivering as I tore out of the unfamiliar bed. I tripped over my feet as I backed into the opposing wall, trying to shake the cold inside me. Shelves stabbed into my back, the pain a welcoming distraction. I breathed heavily, watching Demetri as my body shivered uncomfortably.

He quickly gathered himself from the floor like the toss had little, if any, effect on him. His eyes silently pleaded with me as he cautiously stepped forward, his hand outstretched like a fucking peace offering.

I curled my lip at his pathetic offering, but I couldn't keep my focus on him. I was breathing. I was alive. Memories whipped through my brain, stealing my breath. I wanted to wring them out of my mind like they were just remnants of dirty water. Kieran's face flashed in my mind, twisted in distain, then in pure disgusting delight and I winced, leaning further into the shelf.

'I died,' I whispered hoarsely, licking my chapped lips. Tears ran down my cheeks and tapped my chest rhythmically, soaking into my shirt until I could feel it cool my skin. I looked up at him, wishing he'd tell me I was wrong.

He deflated. "Ecasia," he said, the contradiction of relief and worry present in his voice.

That's no doubt a lie, too.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the stabbing throb that sat in center of my chest to go away. Wood groaning filled the otherwise silent room before it ended with a loud snap. It didn't faze me; not even as I felt the shelf I had been gripping break into pieces in my hands, splintering my skin.