dreams whisper through silence by mae 233

Chapter 233 

Ellie’s POV 

“I’m fine,” I said. “Really. 

“Ellie.” He hadn’t let go of my arm yet. “You passed out. You were unconscious on the ground for almost two minutes.” 

Only two minutes? That came as a surprise, because it felt like I had completely relived my past life in that amount of time. 

“And now you’re running around the festival field like a chicken with its head cut off.” Dominic looked at me intensely. “Did you hit your head when you fell? Maybe we should take you to the medical tent-” 

He began pulling me in that direction, but I dug my heels into the dirt and pulled my arm away. “I didn’t hit my head, Dominic. I’m fine.” 

He shot me an arch look. “You’re not acting fine. Why did you pass out, anyway?” 

“I’m, uh…” I scrambled to come up with an excuse that was easier than trying to explain that I saw an assassin from my past life and quickly said, “I’m on my period.” 

Dominic blinked. His shoulders relaxed a little. “Oh. Are you feeling anemic?” 

“Yes.” 

“Have you eaten?” 

“I’m really fine,” I said, sighing. “Please, Dominic. Stop pressing.” 

He pursed his lips, clearly not wanting to let this go. Then, softer now, he said, “Forgive me. I’m just worried about you, alright?” 

His words stuck me square in the chest, and for a moment, I almost forgave him. The pang of comfort I felt at the thought that he might actually care, that this wasn’t all just a temporary act to gain my trust, was difficult to ignore. 

But then I thought about the end of my past life. The empty chair beside my bed. The crown on Vivian’s head. My mother’s execution, ordered by Dominic himself. 

Bitterness quickly replaced the warm feelings. I was not about to fall for this. Not now. 

“Go enjoy the festival,” I said. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’m just gonna… go change my tampon.” 

I left before he could respond. 

The truth was, my head did hurt. Not from hitting the ground, but from the inside, that specific kind of ache that came from being pulled back through a memory I had spent a long time trying to bury. 

The wolfsbane. The purple veins crawling up my neck. The way the pain at the end was so different from the clean, sharp sting of the blade going in that it felt almost like a different injury entirely. 

I pressed my fingers to my side without thinking, right where the scar would have been, and then dropped my hand. 

1/2 

+30 Bonus 

The fabric in my pocket felt very small for something that weighty. 

I needed to find Abigail. Kanyone was going to help me with this, it would be her. 

But although I searched the festival grounds for her, she wasn’t here. The last time we had talked, she’d mentioned that it wasn’t time yet. She hadn’t returned to the pack. 

I sighed, scratching my head as I scanned the festival grounds. The assassin was definitely long gone by now, and the only lead I had was a scrap of fabric that might be completely unrelated. 

Just then, I spotted another familiar face: Lucas. He was standing near the entrance to the festival grounds, leaning against the fence post and watching the crowd. He spotted me before I reached him, and the moment he took in my expression, he straightened up. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

“I fainted,” I said. 

“I heard.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “What’s going on? Did he hurt you?” 

My jaw tightened. “It’s not like that, Lucas. Even you know that.” 

“I don’t know much of anything anymore.” 

I couldn’t help but laugh a little at that, although the sound was completely humorless. We stood there for a moment, neither of us speaking as I thumbed the piece of fabric in my pocket. 

Then, I asked, “Hey. Can you help me with something?” 

“Anything.” 

“Not here,” I said, glancing around. “Follow me.” 

I led us away from the thickest part of the crowd, around the back of the vendor row where it was quieter. The noise of the festival dulled behind us. A couple of kids ran past, and I waited until they were gone before I stopped walking and turned to face him. 

“I saw someone,” I said. “Someone I recognized. Someone who might be dangerous.” 

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