Page 38 of Courting the Fae Captain
She tapped her head. “I catalogue everything in here. It’s not a bad thing, Aeris, to let yourself feel. To let someone in. Even better if that someone is motivated to protect you.”
“Sherai,” I said slowly. “I might have to court him under false pretences, but that’s all it is.”
“If you say so,” she said with a knowing grin, followed by a cheeky wink of all things. “But just in case you need my approval or someone to weigh in, I am absolutely on board for things to progress further. Just be sure you’re careful. Family is a tricky thing to navigate, and we don’t always know the depths of that bond until we go to sever it.”
“And I appreciate that,” I said with a chuckle, but my amusement quickly died as I considered her words. “Does this have anything to do with rebelling against the Pentad and, quite possibly, killing his father?”
“Some,” she admitted. “I keep thinking about what we discussed. I was hesitant before, but the more I think about it, the more I’ve realised that if we’re going to die here, I want it to be on my terms.”
I looked at the sincerity in her brown eyes and the determined set of her jaw. “There's something I need to tell you. But first, we need Akira.”
Sherai hunted down our friend while I called for some hot cocoa and biscuits. If the bastards running this castle were going to make us fight for our lives, then they could afford us a little luxury, too. Ten minutes later, the three of us were lounging around the fire in our pyjamas and indulging in our treats.
“Remember back on the island when I told you I found my mother’s journal, along with a book on the Rite?” I said as I handed the journal over to the girls.
Sherai nodded eagerly as she sipped happily from her hot mug. “Yes, I’m so jealous. I would love to get a look at what’s in the archives. Next time, I’ll give you a list of rare tomes you could look for and bring out for me.” She gave a cheeky smile and took another sip of hot chocolate. She was so much more comfortable with us now than even a week ago.
Akira’s brows lifted as she turned through the journal’s pages, wiping a hand on her skirts to remove any crumbs from the biscuit she had just eaten. “I’m still mad you snuck into the archives without me. Talk about rude. I love sneaking.”
I held back a laugh at that. “Well, since we’ve been back, I’ve had time to read it. It details the Wedding Rite and what we can expect. But it also hints at weaknesses in the Pentad. The question now is,” I continued, “are you sure you want to help me now that we have the information to begin?”
I knew what their answer would be. It was a massive, life-risking ask. But we were survivors, allies, friends. We had agreed to rise against the Pentad and the Wedding Rite, even if we were yet to plan outhow. But we weren’t doing it just for us. We were doing it to save the young females after us and free the previously captive females. Sherai and Akira were my family now. We’d created a bond on that island that could never be broken. If it were either of them imprisoned, I’d do anything to set them free. Just as my mother had tried to do with the females she’d fought alongside in her Rite. Those females the world had conveniently forgotten deserved nothing less than our best efforts.
Akira grinned at me, voicing what I’d said to her at the last dinner with the Pentad a week ago. “Do you even have to ask?”
Sherai took our hands, her eyes twinkling as she grinned. “I’m in, Aeris. All the fucking way.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
‘The most toxic herb known to Faekind is that of the lethal Faebane plant. Just several drops of this poison in the bloodstream means certain death. There is no cure, though some claim blood magic can heal even the direst of wounds.’
An Alchemist’s Guide to Herbal Remedies
By Lord Windaire’s request, Margaery went to Domeratt two days ago to tend to a member of his extended family. So, I was working in the apothecary alone one afternoon when I felt a presence approaching. A world turning in on itself as he was rushed in through the servant door with his arms draped around a male I hadn’t seen before and Jaren. Blood oozed from an arrow embedded in his shoulder, and he slumped forward, his head lolling uselessly.Fuck. I couldn’t have imagined the captain being hurt before. Not truly. He was so confident and powerful, more than anyoneI’d ever met. But seeing him like this … so hurt, so vulnerable … something in my chest twisted.
“What happened?” I asked Jaren as I cleared the table and motioned for them to lie Raithe on his side.
“We don’t have time for particulars,” he said through clenched teeth. “Where is the healer?”
The fact that they’d been forced to bring him to the castle for healing and had not had one of their ships’ healers tend to him sooner told me something terribly wrong had happened. I looked Jaren point-blank in the eye. “You will make time because I need to know exactly what happened and how long ago. Margaery is not here, and I don’t need to guess you’re short of options if you’ve brought him here. The other castle healers are at the nearby outpost, so you’re stuck with me.”
Jaren’s face tightened, but he nodded. “We’ve been chasing pirates down the south coast for the last few days. We believe they were headed for Cormoral with a cargo hold of slaves.” He scowled at that. “Our flotilla had almost taken down their frigate when the sea serpents hit. We barely made it out alive. The captain was hit with an errant arrow.”
My heart dropped like an anchor. The Strait of the Sea Serpent was avoided for good reason. Most of the time, those enormous beasts kept to themselves, but if a battle was taking place and blood hit the waters… “And the slaves?” Jaren shook his head, his expression tight. Sadness filled me, but I couldn’t dwell on those lost lives now.“How many hours ago was the captain hit?” I asked as I rested a palm on his forehead. Sweat beaded over his brow, his skin burning to the touch.
“Why does that matter?” the other soldier huffed. “Enough questions and just save him already!”
“It matters,” I said calmly as I hastily braided my hair back, “because depending on the type of poison the arrow was laced with, his life will be considerably shorter than you’d like.”
Jaren’s tanned skin paled several shades. “Poisoned? Are you certain?”
“The blood around the wound is congealed and blackening, and the veins are pulsing erratically. See the tip of the arrow here?” I pointed to the iron that was coated in a viscous black substance. “We need to get the shaft out before I can begin dressing the wound. I need bandages, gauze, hot water, and alcohol. And you better hope there’s an apprentice healer or Blood Mage somewhere in this castle, or we’re screwed.”
“I’ll find someone,” the unfamiliar soldier said before rushing off.
Jaren waited, his voice low. “What are you saying, Aeris?”
“I believe the poison is Faebane, judging by the colour and the captain’s symptoms.”
