Page 3 of Villainess's Redemption
He nodded weakly, face ashen. Slipping his arm over my shoulder, I struggled to lift his dead weight. I heaved him to his feet, staggered momentarily by his weight. Together, we slowly made our way toward the entrance., my teeth gritted with effort.
Seb was no weakling, but the grueling labor and near-constant hunger had worn him down to exhaustion. My own arms shook with the effort of bearing him up. I paused often to rest, muscles burning.
I finally emerged, breathing hard. The overseer’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Seb’s limp form.
“Take him home,” he growled. “And tell him to come back tomorrow. If he misses work there’ll be hell to pay.”
Anger flared again, but I bit it back. Later. For now, I needed to get Seb home. I spared one last withering glare at the overseer as we passed, promising I’d make him pay for this someday. Somehow.
Adjusting my grip, I set off into the night.
The long walk home was a blur of pain and exhaustion. More than once Seb’s legs buckled and I barely kept us both from toppling into the dirt. His weight pressed heavily against my side, nearly dragging us both down with each stumbling step. My back and shoulders screamed in protest under the strain, but I locked my knees and gripped him tighter. We had to keep moving.
The night seemed to grow darker and colder with every agonizing step. My breath came in short, pained gasps that joined Seb’s ragged ones. I couldn’t stop shivering as the chill wind cut through my threadbare cloak and dress, sapping what little strength I had left.
We trudged along in pained silence, the mines slowly fading into the distance behind us. Seb drifted in and out of consciousness, mumbling incoherently under his breath. I murmured words of encouragement, as much to bolster my own flagging spirits as his.
“Just a little further now. We’re almost there,” The lies tasted bitter on my tongue. We still had so far to go.
I wasn’t sure how much time had passed. Minutes blurred into hours in my exhaustion. The night stretched on interminably, the dusty road never-ending. Seb grew heavier against my side, his head lolling as he slipped back into unconsciousness. My knees trembled violently, threatening to give out and send us both crashing to the ground.
Just when I thought I couldn’t take another step, our shack finally appeared in the distance. Tears of relief pricked my eyes at the sight. Its sagging, misshapen form had never looked so welcoming.
“Seb, look! We made it,” I said through gasping breaths. He didn’t respond, lost to oblivion.
As we approached, the door flew open and Mother came rushing out, face pinched with worry. Without a word she darted to Seb’s other side, pulling his limp arm across her shoulders to help bear his weight. Together, we half-carried, half-dragged him inside.
We brought Seb over to his makeshift bed in the corner and as gently as we could, laid him down on the thin straw mattress. He let out a faint groan as his battered body made contact but otherwise remained still, his chest rising and falling shallowly.
I sank to my knees beside him, every muscle in my body screaming in protest. But none of that mattered now. We’d made it home.
Mother hurried to stoke the dying embers in the fireplace, her movements frantic.
“What happened?” she asked, voice tight with fear as she added a few precious pieces of wood to the flames. “Is he…will he…?” She couldn’t seem to form the words, tears glistening in her eyes.
“He’s alive,” I assured her hoarsely. “But he’s in bad shape. Broken ribs, and who knows what else. I couldn’t see properly in the dark,” I hesitated. “The overseer said he fainted fromexhaustion. They left him there on the ground until I came for him.”
Mother’s hands curled into fists, knuckles going white. “Those monsters,” she seethed. For a moment rage transformed her worn, timid features. Then just as quickly it faded, shoulders slumping in defeat. What could we do against such powerful people? We were less than nothing here.
I gently lifted Seb’s shirt, biting my lip at the massive purple-black bruise spreading across his ribcage. Definitely broken. The overseer was lucky I didn’t have the chance to wrap my hands around his thick neck. Not that it would have helped. I didn’t have any fighting skills.
I gasped as I turned him over. Now in the light, I could see better—his entire back was ripped to shreds. Those monsters whipped my brother.
“Oh Seb, I’m so sorry,” I whispered just as Mother came with water and a rag. She let out a sob but quickly covered her mouth with her hands.
Sebastian stirred. I tried to remove his shirt to clean his wounds but he hissed, his voice full of anger. “Don’t touch me. What’s the use of crying now? You should’ve thought about it before.”
I deserved that. I truly did.
I reigned in my tears, “I know you hate me, Seb and I can’t change the past. I wish, I really wish I could go back in the past and change it. But I can’t and it fills me with regret to see you like this,” My voice cracked. “Please, Seb. Just let me help.”
Sebastian’s voice was hoarse with emotion when he replied, “I’m sorry Lya. It’s alright. We’re alright.”
I nodded, throat tight. He was home. He was safe. I squeezed his hand, allowing myself a small sob of relief and regret. I should have been there, should have stopped this somehow.
Mother handed me a rag and bowl of water. Together, we cleaned and bandaged Seb’s injuries as best we could with our limited supplies, apologizing as he flinched. It wasn’t right. None of this was. If I could turn back time, undo the choices that led us here…
But it was too late for regrets. All I could do was take care of my family now.
