Page 133 of A Tongue so Sweet and Deadly

With a bloodcurdling cry, she jumped over Merrick and drove it right into the man’s heart, the cracking of his ribs as she broke through them echoing in the night.

Chapter

Fifty-Six

“Merrick!”

Lessia dropped down beside the unmoving Fae, using two fingers to feel for a pulse on his neck. Blowing out a breath after finding a heartbeat, she searched him for injuries, wincing when she found a deep, bleeding wound in his back.

“Is he all right?”

Loche dropped down beside her, flicking his head to get his hair out of his face.

She stared back at him with guilt sloshing in her stomach, but there was no hurt in his eyes, only relief and worry for her guard.

Swallowing the lump of despair in her throat, she responded quietly, “He’s alive, but we need to get him back to the castle.”

Nodding, Loche rose to his feet. “I’ll help you.”

Together, they lifted him off the ground and dragged his body between them as they slowly made their way back across the dark cliffs.

Merrick’s large frame was heavy to carry, and Lessia tried to focus on keeping him upright instead of on the knot of shame that tightened in her gut every time she caught Loche’s eyes over his head.

They were both out of breath by the time they reached the light spilling out of the gates from the courtyard, and as Loche kicked open the creaking metal wicket, guards sprinted up to them, shifting Merrick’s arms over their shoulders.

“Take him to the healer wing,” Loche ordered.

“No.” Merrick regained consciousness, head slumping forward between the two men but voice surprisingly strong. “Just take me to my room. I’ll heal quickly.”

“Merrick, you need someone to look at your wound. It’s deep,” Lessia argued.

“Please, Lessia,” he begged, his voice quivering as he sucked in a breath.

She stared at the Fae.

Not once had she heard him sound like this.

Hadn’t even imagined he ever could.

The vulnerability in his plea tugged at her already broken heart, and when he whispered “Please” once more, she nodded reluctantly.

“Take him to his chambers. I will take care of him.”

When Loche opened his mouth, she shot him a dark glare, and he finally bowed his head, gesturing for the guards to follow her command.

She walked behind them while they half carried, half fought Merrick as he tried to walk by himself to his chambers, shaking her head when the Fae snarled at the two men as they tried to lift him.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the door to his room, but as the guards were about to walk through with him, Merrick hissed, “Only her.”

Rolling her eyes, she thanked the guards and slipped under Merrick’s arm, ignoring his grumblings as she led him to the bed.

After walking back and kicking the door shut, she sat down next to him and started pulling at his cloak.

Merrick let her slip it off, but when she pulled at his tunic, he shoved her hands away.

“We need to clean it, at least,” she grumbled. “Stop acting like a child.”

He tried to push her off again, but when she didn’t give up, he eventually resigned, his head slumping even farther forward than usual as she peeled the blood-soaked tunic off his muscled back.

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