Heaven felt cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and bent her knees so she lay curled on the ground, but still she kept shaking until she woke up. When she opened her eyes, she became shocked. How could she have fallen asleep while on a mission?
All of them were still in the throne hall. Some of her soldiers were still eating and resting, so she had only slept for a short amount of time. Her eyelids felt heavy, her head throbbed in pain, and her body felt sore. She was exhausted after not having slept much for almost three nights.
Sitting up, she looked around. Ilyas sat relaxed on the steps that led to the throne, and Zarin sat alone in a corner. When he saw that she was awake, he came and sat next to her.
"You look tired." He said. "Why don't you sleep some more?"
Heaven shook her head. "I am alright."
She couldn't sleep while her men were awake, even if they had already taken care of everything, and were now waiting for her father and the royal army to arrive.
"Do you still want to be a ruler after this?" He asked.
"Yes." Heaven replied, but didn't care to explain. She didn't want to argue.
Standing up, she decided to get some fresh air so she could feel more awake, but as soon as she got up on her feet the world around her began to spin. Losing her balance, she felt like she was falling before, but Zarin caught her before she could hit the ground.
"Heaven."
He hurried and put his other arm under knees and carried her up.
"I am fine. Put me down." She said, even though she was feeling weak and dizzy.
What was wrong with her?
Callum, Oliver and Ilyas hurried to her to make sure she is alright. "She needs to rest." Zarin said. "I'll take her back to the guest room."
Heaven wanted to protest, but her body refused to listen. Before she could force herself, Zarin was carrying her out of the hall. As soon as they were out of sight, he teleported them to the guest room and lay her down on the bed carefully. He then covered her with a warm blanked and Heaven sighed as the warmth of the sheets took the cold away.
She felt embarrassed for looking weak in front of her soldiers. They would think she was not fit to lead. Maybe she wasn't. If she was going to be like this, then they would never respect her.
Not able to hold her eyes open anymore, she closed them. Sleep pulled her in a way that she couldn't resist, and soon she was surrounded by darkness.
But darkness alone did not come with sleeping. Nightmares followed as well.
In this nightmare, she was already a queen. She sat with a crown on her head somewhere high up. She was looking down on people and guards that gathered in a circle. They were waiting for something as she was.
Soon, two guards holding a man locked in chains appeared from the crowd. The man's face was hidden behind his long black hair. The guards pushed him down on his knees, and then one of them pulled his sword. Looking up at her, he waited for her approval.
Heaven gave the guard a nod, and then he turned back to the man in chains. He drew his sword back, but right before the man got executed he looked up, his hair falling back and revealing his face.
It was Zamiel.
He looked at her with those pained eyes that she so much recognized and that made her heart twist in agony. Standing up hastily, she reached her hand out for the guard to stop as a soundless scream left her lips. But it was too late. Blood spilled everywhere. She felt the hot liquid stain her face. She was horrified as she tried to wipe it away and then looked at the blood on her hand.
She panicked, feeling another scream build up in her throat.
"No!"
Heaven shot her eyes open and sat up. Her pounding heart felt like it would rip its way out of her ribs.
"Heaven!" Zarin hurried to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Her throat felt so dry she could barely respond. Her body trembled uncontrollably and her eyes were wide in horror. She stared emptily in front of her, almost looking through Zarin.
Zarin grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly. "Heaven. What happened?"
Heaven was still dazed. The images of her nightmare still playing out in front of her. Tears filled her eyes. Why did she keep dreaming about this? And how could it feel so real?
She touched her face, feeling wetness on her fingers. But it wasn't blood this time, only her sweat and tears.
"Heaven!"
Through the terrifying images, she saw Zarin's concerned eyes. He grabbed her face. "Are you there?" He asked.
Heaven tried to speak but her lips refused to move so she nodded.
Zarin looked at her carefully. "It was only a nightmare. You are alright." He told her.
Was she alright? She had just seen Zamiel get beheaded in front of her, and she had been the one to allow it. After the promise she made that she would protect him, she let him die.
His eyes, the way he looked at her right before he lost his head, right before his life was taken away, haunted her. It truly felt like she betrayed him.
More tears fell down her cheek, and Zarin wiped them away with his thumb. "It's alright. I am here for you." He said.
Heaven recoiled inside. It felt strange to hear those words coming from him, now. Suddenly, she came back to reality and looked him in the eyes. She saw something in his gaze, but before she could understand what it was, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers.
Heaven stiffened. Her mind froze. It took her a moment to realize what was happening, and her hands flew to his chest to push him, but he pulled away and turned to left before she could.
Heaven followed his gaze just to find Zamiel standing in the middle of the room. Her heart dropped as she looked into his stormy eyes. They flashed silver as if he could cause lightening to strike.
******
???? HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Despite all the hardships and tragic events that happened last year, I felt blessed to have you guys read my story and show so much love and support. Thank you for following me on this journey and making writing less lonely. I hope we can take many more journeys together and celebrate many more new years together. May this new year bring blessings to everyone. Love ❤️