The Knight (The Heir #1.5)

23. Shattered Heir Bonus Scene

Shattered Heir Bonus Scene

T he trail back to our make-shift camp was my own personal death march. What else other than the death of everything I loved was I walking toward? Still, I kept moving because I knew that I couldn’t stay there, alone on that trail. The shadows of the trees on the forest floor danced before me as if mocking me by displaying the dark pain that was swelling and smoldering inside of me. The blood from my fingertips and legs dripped into the dirt and onto the brittle leaves as I passed, leaving a trail of crimson sorrow in my wake. I was panting. I could hear my own breaths coming out labored, and there was a ringing in my ears—as if bombs had just exploded in front of me, and all sound was muffled. It wasn’t a bomb; it was Shad’s horror-filled scream that caused the ringing in my ears. Had I gone deaf from it? Each step I made could be measured in ragged breaths and blood splatters. I paid my toll to the forest for each and every movement forward. I thought that each step I took would be my last. I didn’t know if I had enough energy inside of me to keep moving, to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I didn’t have the energy, but the monster—the beast inside me? She did. I let the beast overtake me as I walked, let the hatred and anger rage inside me. Anyone looking at me would have seen a bloody and bruised girl, struggling just to walk there in that forest, but inside of me, all Hell was breaking loose, and it consumed me. I let it burn.

There was a slight part of me that questioned those beastly shadows, flickering over my melody. There was a brief moment when I had the chance to push against them and shove those shadows away, but I didn’t; I was stronger with them. I didn't think about why I had to keep walking; I only understood that I had to—and that was enough for the monster of anger inside of me, for each step brought me closer and closer to my destination.

After what felt like hours, with a small sliver of light left in the day, I reached our campsite. I fell to my already bruised and bloodied knees as I saw the familiar sight of our tents. I tamed the monster inside of me, telling her to rest, that she had done her job, and I breathed in and out slowly, trying to let my melody recover from the darkness of the shadows.

“Emma!” a warm voice, that I knew, shouted. I could hear again, and I registered a whimper of a cry, and then, I was in someone’s arms. I was picked up and placed at the fire pit. I sank down on a log, letting my head fall into my hands. My head felt so heavy that I couldn’t continue to hold it up. I set my elbows on my thighs. As I glanced down at my legs, hands, and shirt, it seemed that every single inch of me was caked and covered with crimson blood. Was it mine? Was I bleeding everywhere? I couldn’t remember. Hands were on my body and touching my face. Blue eyes looked at me, worried, as words were spoken, words that didn’t register with me, so I didn’t respond. My melody had gone silent, and so had the monster. It was as if they both knew that I needed tending to—or I would die.

“Here, hold this.”

I made out the words as something cold was wrapped around my fingertips. I looked down to see a wet towel in my hands.

“Wipe that dirt away, or it will get infected,” the voice continued.

I didn’t respond, but I did follow the directions. I needed to survive, so I did what I had to do. I looked long at my hands, bloodied and bruised and covered with dirt. I moved the towel over the dirt and scrubbed. I scrubbed and scrubbed, wiping away all the filth, all the rocks, all the grime, and all the mud away. I feverishly wiped and scratched, trying to clean myself, to rid myself of the horrid place which I had just escaped: from the look in Cade’s eyes; from the cry of horror from Shad’s lips; from Ryker’s bruised and broken, half-dead body on the floor of the cave; from black, soulless eyes. Warm hands were placed on top of mine, and I stopped.

“You will hurt yourself even more; it’s already clean. Here, let me bandage it.”

I said nothing as bandages were wrapped around each individual finger. I closed my eyes and tried to remember where I was. I am in the forest; this is Mary; she is helping me , I repeated in my head over and over again, hoping that the monster that wanted blood wouldn't force me to attack Mary in my rage.

“Let me get your legs now,” she said softly, and I placed my hands in my lap.

I still couldn’t feel them. I couldn’t feel anything except the beating of my heart and the pounding in my head. I watched as she cut off my pants’ legs to expose the cuts on my knees. She poured some antiseptic into my wounds and patted them softly; then she bandaged them. She stood up and reached for me, touching my shoulders.

I pulled away, surprised by the contact, afraid that I would hurt her. She just fixed you; do not hurt her, I told myself, even though it was mostly for the benefit of the monster within me.

“You are okay, Emma,” she said, and I looked into her blue eyes, so familiar, so warm, and so kind. She wasn’t touched by the horror; she was clean of it. I gasped as she pulled me into her arms, and I sobbed.

“We have to go now, Emma. It isn’t safe to stay here. Ryker and Keil have already gone. I have been waiting for the two of you. Ryker was so badly injured that Keil had to hike down to find cell service in order to get a helicopter to fly him off of this mountain and to the nearest hospital.”

I heard the words she spoke, but it was like my brain was extra slow at computing the meaning, as if my brain was a computer, and it wasn’t connected to the wifi, or it was, but running at a super slow speed. I sat there in silence for a few minutes after she finished, and I nodded my head.

“Shad?” I asked as I spoke for the first time in what felt like a lifetime.

“He went into his tent. Was his soul really taken?” she asked, her voice hopeful that Keil had told her wrong.

“He is soulless now,” I said, trying to stop the tears from flooding my vision, but it was useless. Mary nodded, but I could feel an air of change within her. Sadness flowed to me from her in waves.

“I am sorry, Emma,” she said, her eyes cast down.

“I will save him,” I responded quickly, standing up.

“Emma, there is nothing anyone can do for a soulless,” she whispered, tears dripping down her face.

“I can save him, I will,” I repeated. Her eyes were sad, and she nodded, defeat echoing in her movement.

“I will go get him. We need to leave right away.”

“Even though it’s night?” I asked, suddenly realizing it had become completely dark.

“Keil said that we needed to get off of this mountain as soon as you both were back.” She stood and walked to the tent which Shad and Keil had shared the night before.

How had everything happened so quickly? I heard the zipping of zippers and turned around to see Shad standing outside of the tent, talking to Mary. I couldn’t hear them because I was either too far away, or I was still blocking things out. I didn’t feel as if I was in full control of myself anymore. I looked over at our campsite: a small ring for the fire pit, a few logs to sit on, one small tent, and three backpacks. Mary must have packed our tent away already. I watched as Mary took down the remaining tent by herself. Shad stared into the forest. I tried to focus on Mary, not on Shad, but it was difficult. Does he know me? Does he know or remember Mary? What is he like now? I wanted to run into his arms and have him comfort me. I wanted to kiss every inch of his face. But earlier, when I had reached for his hand, he had swatted it away. He didn’t want me, or need me—not anymore.

Book Two coming soon! Pre-order today!

I will save him, no matter the cost.

Not only were her parents murdered before her eyes, her best friend was beaten, the boy she loved had his soul taken, but she also had to come to terms with her new identity as a princess from a magical realm where peoples’ souls actually sing. But Emma’s newest problem—how to save the boy she loves before there was nothing left to save—felt entirely impossible to overcome. Yes, it is a lot for any teenager to deal with. If she had her Shad, not the soulless boy who looked like him at her side, she knew nothing would be too much for her to handle.

However, when Cadian shows up at her school, Emma adds him to her lengthy list of problems. She tries to keep away from him, but with Shad’s melody inside of Cadian, it makes everything more complicated. The hatred she harbors for him starts to change. Is he playing a game? Or is it possible that when he has a soul, he isn't as evil as she once believed him to be?

Emma knows that time is running out for Shad. Forced to go against everything she holds dear, to get closer to the one person she hates more than anyone, she is determined to steal back Shad’s soul.

This is book two in The Heir Series, a portal fantasy romance coming 2025.