Chapter Thirteen
MERRICK - NOW
DAY TWENTY-FIVE
Fifteen days had passed since Era and I were intimate for the first time, which meant that I’d buried myself inside her fourteen times now. Soon to be fifteen this evening, I prayed.
We couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves—not after experiencing how euphoric it was to make love to each other. I could admit that our desire to leave this place had waned, that we’d grown accustomed to our daily routine over the last two weeks.
But there’d be instances where we’d worry, where we’d become stir crazy. Where I’d miss my sister, my cousin, our friends…It felt like months had gone by, yet as if no time had passed at all. Still, the winter storm howled outside the cabin windows, with no end in sight.
I imagined there was still plenty we didn’t know about each other, as covering over twenty years of life experience in twenty-five days would be impossible. But every day we learned something new, and every day I loved her even more.
I was strolling out of the bathroom, tying my hair back as Era was waking up, her naked body snug under the comforter. “Good morning, beautiful,” I greeted tenderly.
She rubbed her eyes, her head tilting in my direction. After a few lazy blinks, her gaze focused on me, her expression scrunching into a frown. “Who…who are you?”
Time stilled.
My eyes flared.
My stomach rolled.
“Who am I?” I uttered breathlessly. “What do you mean?”
Her eyelids fluttered a few times, her focus slowly shifting around the room. “Where am I?”
Panic surged through my veins as I recalled a passage Era had read to me a couple of weeks ago.
All dark souls of the land dwellers shall remain trapped in the Realm of Dreams, never seeing the light of day again, until even their own name is forgotten.
No…we hadn’t even been here a month! She couldn’t be forgetting things. She couldn’t be.
My gaze blurred, and Era’s wide eyes shot over to me. “Merrick.”
I exhaled, a single tear slipping down my cheek. “Please tell me you haven’t forgotten who I am.”
Her face crumpled, her palm clutching her chest. “Gods…” She shook her head, her fingers massaging her temples. “I’m sorry… I woke up feeling confused.”
“Fucking hell,” I breathed, sniffling as I hurried over to her. “You scared the shit out of me.”
Just as I embraced her, she broke into a pitiful sob.
“Era,” I comforted. “Hey—”
“I—I can’t forget you…” she whimpered, her fingers digging into my skin as if she could be ripped away from me at any moment. “Merrick, we need to get out of here!”
“I know, baby. I know.” I shushed her, stroking her back as her weeping died down. “We will get out of here. We will.”
After a few heavy breaths, the silence that stretched between us vanished, Era’s body jerking in my hold as one of the windows in the bedroom shattered.
Freezing wind whipped throughout the room, and my panicked gaze shot to the lone stone on the floor—the culprit of the damaged glass.
Only a moment passed before several more rocks burst through the room, breaking every one of the remaining windows.
The wind was so intense that the remnants of the damage flew around us.
“ERA!” I shouted, shielding her from the onslaught of glass and stone. Each piece that swiped my skin stung painfully, and I guided us to the bathroom as quickly as I could, roaring as I fought with the unforgiving wind to slam the door shut.
Era’s palm hit her chest, heaving after she took in breath after breath, and I finally managed to seal us safely inside. When I spun to face her, I muttered, “Godsdamnit,” before raising my glowing palm to the gash on her cheek, her blood warm and wet against my flesh.
The air whipped against the door, rattling the room. “What’s happening?” she questioned breathlessly. “What is this trying to tell us?”
I didn’t answer, too focused on healing the cut. That was until I saw it—saw what was responsible for all this. Some of the stones had made it into the room before I’d sealed us inside.
“What are those?” Era whispered as I knelt to retrieve one of the many painted rocks that lay on the wooden floors.
My lips trembled as I studied the design. As I remembered where it came from.
“Merrick?” Era asked softly.
I scanned the ground for answers, the wheels in my mind starting to spin. “We got our first key after you told me about your childhood,” I whispered. I looked down at the soft stone with a yellow sun painted on it. “The book…”
The Valley shall show you the realities you refuse to accept. Then, and only then, shall you be freed.
“Realities we refuse to accept…dark times…” I swallowed, squeezing the rock in my grasp. “A story for each.”
I opened my palm, handing it over to Era, and she swallowed anxiously. “You’ve seen this before? Who painted them?”
I nodded, nausea creeping up my throat. “My sister did.”