“Amias is still out there.” I spit the words out. “I need to save him! He’s saved my ass multiple times, and he loved me.” What could Amara be doing to him? Is she torturing him? Could she have killed him?
I rip the thin hospital sheet off of me and swing my feet off the bed. I need to get to Amara City as soon as I can. There's no stopping for anyone.
“Ignatia.” A firm hand grabs my shoulder as Dante comes to stand in front of me. “Calm down. Let me explain.”
I shrug his hand away. “Get off of me!” I bare my teeth. “You're not stopping me!”
He folds his arms in front of him. “We have a sanctuary for dreamscreechers like you! Where you’ll be with the people of Somnia!”
I ball my hands in frustration. “I can’t leave-” I pause and raise my brows. “Sanctuary?” For dreamscreechers?
“Yes, which brings us to our operation.” Dante says firmly. “It's not just for your safety that you're back in Caelestia.”
I free my fingers from my fists and lay them down on either side of me. I stay seated on the bed. I didn't know there was a sanctuary for us.
Dante continues.“I've opened up a sanctuary for dreamscreechers here in Caelestia. It's fairly new, only ten years in the making. Most people in Somnia don't know about it because it's risky to talk about it with Vasilisa's rule. Dreamscreechers that were able to escape both Somnia and Amara come here for safety. We are trying to train our younger able-bodied dreamscreechers to fight against Vasilisa.
“Here, we've been raising an army ever since Vasilisa went insane. We know you've defeated Vasilisa in battle, and we need a princess willing to take back her kingdom.” Dante’s brows raise. “I'd like for you to join us in the fight and take back the kingdom.”
I scrunch my brows together. “But… isn't Vasilisa dead?” I look at Minerva and Lumi.
Minvera shrugs. “We have spies in Somnia that told us she's back in Somnia. There's no clue as to how her condition is though.”
“Back in Somnia?” My eyes widen. No! I had her! She couldn't move! She was dying! “How? I almost killed her!” Maybe I should've used up my last bit of energy on her after all.
“Almost,” Minerva corrects.“And if we get word that she's healing, she’ll be back again.”
My heart punches into my flesh, letting guilt kept in there flood over my body. Why the fuck was I so confident that she would die out there in Amara? And who the fuck wantsheralive?
“But you have the skills to save the kingdom and get rid of her permanently,” Dante says. “If I can just get you to sign some papers and get you into the sanctuary system, we can help you.”
I think on it for a moment. This sounds like a great idea. I get to fight for my people and avenge those I've lost. No mistakes for death with an army behind me. Then I can take her throne and help the people that she had tortured.
But there's still one thing. “What about Amias?”
Dante cocks a brow, as if it were a ridiculous question. “What about him?”
“I still need to save him.” I nod curtly. “He promised he would help Somnia and get the Amara kingdom to expect us. He risked everything, nearly dying multiple times. Under Amara right now, he's probably getting abused and tormented because they cleansed him.” My body shudders at the thought. “He needs me. I need to break him free.”
Dante scoffs. “Amias is the prince of Amara. He's the enemy, especially after the cleansing.”
I jolt back at the words. What the fuck? “Then I need to find a way to convince him while-”
“Ignatia. Amias is nothing but trouble for our kingdom. You really think the grandson of a family that wants to kill us will be a great king?”
“Excuse me?”
“It's like what happened with Rayden,” Lumi murmurs beside him. “He tried to save her and look at where that got him.”
My heart drums in frustration. No. I could find a way to be different. I have to. “So if I go after Amias, will you still let me help the sanctuary?”
Dante shrugs. “I can't allow the enemy to be in our safe place. I can't stop you from seeing him or sleeping with him, but I can't have the princess getting herself killed over Amara’sgrandson.” He squints. “So no, you won't be allowed to join our cause and you'd be abandoning your people to be with the villain.”
I bite my tongue. He's not like that! “Amias has saved my life multiple times. He went through the cleansing ceremony for me. I don't care what the conditions are in Amara right now, I'm not abandoning him.”
“So you're willing to sacrifice your kingdom for Amara’s grandson?”
“Loving him isn't a sacrifice for the kingdom. But if it is considered that, then fine. I'd rathersacrificethe kingdom than abandon the one person who actuallysacrificedfor me.” My heart belongs to him. There's no changing that.
