THE NIGHTMARE

Chapter 71

I shook my head and tried hard to focus. As far as I was concerned, in these past few minutes Rafael had accomplished a lot more than Valerian had in all the months I’d spent with him. He had saved my life, but it seems that his efforts had only earned him heavier chains and subduing spells. I sighed. Too much had happened in just the span of a few hours and I didn’t know if I could bear it all.

When Dragos summoned Valerian to his chambers, I had been so saddened at the thought of him leaving me. I remembered how his summons had made me feel, but I looked at him now and I couldn’t hide my disgust. He had just hurt me badly, physically and emotionally. What had he gained by lying to me about his past? This was not just about some girl he spent a few nights with. Valerian had deliberately withheld information from me about his wife. The claw marks on my arm were healed but the muscles underneath my arm still throbbed in pain. I didn’t care whether Ivan or any of the guards were within