30. Chapter 30
Chapter thirty
I wandered aimlessly through the rose maze. Everything around me was awash in a hazy glow, and my eyes swam in and out of focus. I felt lost, yet a strong wave of déjà vu swept over me.
I rounded a corner and stopped as I saw… myself.
Pausing, I watched as the scene unfolded before me. The open rift that stole my life away glowed with that striking blue light, and a past version of me stood on the other side, peering through at the Walker. The familiar events occurred only a few days ago, yet I felt like I was looking at a stranger.
It was like I was a ghost in my own mind.
The Walker glared at the other Rain still standing in Jersey and opened his mouth to speak. Only this time I understood him.
“I take it you're the girl everybody has made such a fuss about? Well come on, I don’t have all day.”
Before I could even take a step toward the rift to warn my past self to run, there was a harsh tug inside me, and the world shifted, dumping me into another memory.
This time Past Rain stood outside the throne room pacing in front of two guards. I watched silently, as the scene once again played out just as I remembered it.
“ Princess, ” the guards intoned, bowing their heads.
“You don’t have to do that,” Past Rain said.
The guard furrowed his brow. “ Do you need help? ”
I wanted to scream yes, I did need help, but once again I was being tossed through a kaleidoscope of images.
Scene after scene, memory after memory played out in front of me, and I was helpless to stop it, or even slow it down.
I watched my past self meet the sisters.
“ Greetings, ” they said in unison.
I watched my father speak to Dey at the breakfast table the first day I met him.
“ I thought you prepared her ?” my father asked.
“ Apologies, my king ,” Dey replied. “ She has not been adjusting well. I mentioned our magic, but I was afraid I might damage her psyche if I tried to tell her too much. She is quite fragile.”
“ Yes, I can see that. This may be a bigger challenge than anticipated, ” my father confirmed.
I watched as I approached Jeylana, and she grabbed my arm.
“ Save yourself ,” she uttered, before her eyes closed once more.
I tried to lock onto that memory. My father told me that she said, 'save us,' but that wasn’t what she had said at all. What could I possibly need saving from? Or who?
I was helpless to stop the pull that dumped me outside Jeylana’s room just as my past self slammed the door shut, panting.
My head whipped toward the stairs. He would be coming soon.
This was when I first met Sin.
Sure enough he rounded a corner, and Past Rain plowed straight into him.
He gripped her shoulders and slammed her into the stone wall. My past self cried out as she struggled to push him away. I saw the expression on Sin’s face go from anger to confusion back to anger.
“ You can’t be here ,” he barked at Past Rain.
“Stop!” she cried out. “You’re hurting me.”
“Do you know what I have done to keep you away from this place? What I have sacrificed? ” he shouted.
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re saying!” Past Rain shot back.
I watched, hypnotized, as Sin pushed her away and stepped back, clenching his fists. Past Rain closed the gap and shoved him, sending him stumbling backward. I laughed at the shock on his face. It wouldn’t be the last time I would catch him off guard.
He quickly recovered and was back in Past Rain's face. “ You're in danger here, and I won’t sit back and watch you die!”
“What is your freaking problem, asshole?” Past Rain glowered at him.
As they stood trapped in a silent standoff, I recalled the feeling of his heat so close to my body. I had known then, felt it then. I thought it was hatred, but now I knew the truth. I just despised how much I was drawn to him. To the darkness haunting his eyes that so closely matched my own.
Sin smirked as my past self took a step back. He’d probably thought I was conceding to him. As if I would ever.
“Don’t you know who I am?” Past Rain snapped. “Princepa.”
Sin laughed. “ Is that what you think you are?” he asked . “You are so much more than that… ” He leaned in closer and growled, “ My lost queen. ”
Then he stalked off down the hall, leaving me and my past self standing there, alone, trying desperately to slow our racing hearts.