Page 37 of Blood Weaver
My lungs screamed for air as we finally broke the surface. I gasped and swam towards the bank with him in my arms, focused on pulling us from the river’s clutches. With great effort I managed to drag him onto the muddy bank until only his calves remained in the water.
“Ronan!” I hovered over him, wincing from the pain in my chest. My vision blurred, and I knew I would pass out as soon as the adrenaline in my body was depleted. “Ronan!” I called out again. I started doing chest compressions and was about to blow more air into his lungs when he gasped and coughed up a bucket of brackish water. “Oh, thank the gods!” I sat back on my haunches and pulled the arrow from my thigh, quickly pressing a hand over the wound.
After coughing up more water, Ronan sat up with a start and met my eyes. He gently gripped my arms and looked me over. “Are you okay?”
I shook my head. The effects of shock were taking hold and I struggled to breathe. “What … what were you thinking?”
I didn’t get the chance to hear his response before my eyes rolled back into my head and I passed out.
12
When my eyes slowly fluttered open, I realized I was in a cave. Flames flickered on the stone walls and the smell of moist dirt tickled my nose. I attempted to sit up, earning a stab of pain in my chest. I pressed a hand over the wound but found it had been treated and wrapped. So had the wound on my shoulder and thigh. I looked over to see Ronan tending a fire. I cleared my throat.
His head darted in my direction and he exclaimed, “You’re awake!” With a broad smile, he walked over to where I lay and helped me sit up and lean against the cave wall. “Easy,” he murmured.
Once I was situated, I looked over at him and shook my head. “Did you do this?” I pointed to my bandaged wounds.
He nodded. “Yeah, I’m not completely useless. Living in the Grasslands, you learn a thing or two about medicine since we only have witch doctors.”
I’d heard about the witch doctors of the Grasslands. They were … unconventional, to say the least. I didn’t believe in that sort of sorcery, but I suppose it had its place. I cleared my throatand looked over at him. “You’re insane. Why would you jump in after me?”
He shrugged and returned to stoking the fire. “I don’t know,” he mumbled. “I guess I don’t want you to die yet.”
“So … your bright idea was to get yourself killed in the process?” I questioned with a raised brow. “Did you take my shirt off?” Every movement caused pain and I tried not to move too much, but my hand went to my chest, suddenly feeling embarrassed that he had to remove my shirt to treat the wound.
“Why, feeling shy?” He smirked as he finished tending the fire and came to sit beside me.
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “Not at all.”
He laughed. “It’s okay, princess. I didn’t peek.”
I attempted to nudge him, but grimaced and pulled my elbow back. The pain was still too fresh.
“Easy,” he repeated. “He aimed for your heart, but luckily the arrow didn’t get that deep.”
“It pierced my lung,” I informed him.
Ronan whipped his head in my direction. “What?”
I waved him off. “I have regenerative properties as a blood mage, so I should be okay in twenty-four hours or so. But if I start coughing up blood after that, I’ll need to go to Lomewood and see a healer.”
“We can’t wait twenty-four hours.” He started to stand.
I gripped his arm and pulled him back down. “I promise I’m okay, Ronan. Besides, it’s not safe to travel right now. The Valorian army might be looking for us.”
“So what are we supposed to do? Wait until they find us, or until you die?” he exclaimed.
I chuckled and winced from the movement. “I’m assuming Silas will lead whoever survived the battle from the Crimson Clan into the forest to find you. I mean, youarethe clan chieftain’s son.”
Ronan snorted, his face grim. “Ifany of them survived. You saw how outnumbered we were.”
I nodded. “Yes, but you jumped into the river after me. Caelan doesn’t care about the others.You’rehis target.”
“Hopefully you’re right,” he murmured.
I didn’t want to overinflate his confidence in my hypothesis. I was learning that Caelan was way more ruthless than I remembered from our youth. I wanted to think it was because of the circumstances in which we found ourselves, but I wasn’t sure if it was true, or if I was trying to convince myself of it.
“I …” I whispered. “I know everyone changes as they get older, and I know he’s not interested in me romantically – at least not themeI am now – but I thought he and I were at least friends,” I whispered. “Now, I mean.”
