She Dreamed Her Empire Would Burn, So She Set Out to Break Four Collars novel · Chapter 21 of 24
Chapter 21: Not Tired
An arm locked around her waist and hauled her backward.
It was the same arm.
It was the same rough voice, in her ear, saying "Careful."
But this time it did not say it quietly.
The slab hit the floor with a sound, and the whole gallery filled with white dust.
She was on her hands and knees, coughing, with her ears ringing.
The white guards had run on with the litter and the Emperor was somewhere ahead, shouting her name.
"Ru?"
He was lying across her legs.
He had put himself between her and the stone, and a corner of the slab lay across his ribs, and a long jagged piece of marble had cut a gash down the left side of his face.
Blood ran from his temple into his collar.
It was exactly where it had been in the dream.
"I'm fine," said Ru.
He said it in a whisper, and it was not true.
She dragged herself out and got both hands under the edge of the slab and pushed, and it moved a hand's width and slid back.
"Leave it."
"I won't."
"Princess." His eyes were hazy and gold. "Go to the plaza. Read it. I'll catch you up."
"Don't you dare."
She dropped to her knees beside him and put her hands on his chest.
The blood was warm under her palms.
His heart was jumping, thin and fast, like a bird in a hand.
She let the warmth in.
She felt it start to run, the way it had run a thousand times, easy and bright, out of her chest and through her fingers.
And she felt the other thread.
Keep reading free with an account. Start She Dreamed Her Empire Would Burn, So She Set Out to Break Four Collars from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 20 · All chapters · Chapter 22 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend