Queen Seraphira jolted awake with a gasp, her chest heaving as she shot upright in bed. Her heart was racing, her blood still pumping with the adrenaline of nearly killing that bastard.
How dare he? How dare he mock her restraint and mistake it for weakness? Just because she had chosen peace did not mean she was incapable of war. He was lucky tonight because he won't be the next time they meet.
A sudden cough broke through the Queen's fury. Then another and another and harder now, rattling through her chest.
Seraphira leaned forward, hand clutched over her mouth until the cough finally ended. Then she slowly pulled her hand away, and her eyes widened at what she saw.
Her eyes widened because a bright smear of red glistened in her palm.
It was blood.
Queen Seraphira stared at it in stunned silence.
"What the hell…?" She whispered, shocked.
Then she pushed herself off the bed, determined to stand but the moment her feet touched the cold floor, her world tilted.
