Page 127 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
“You mean he was smart.” Although Everly said it as a tease, I heard the worry she tried to hide.
“No, I mean wuss.” I could almost picture Elias’s smile and tried to focus on that while he continued talking. “I climbed to the highest part of the east tower and strapped it on my back. With all the confidence of a fifteen-year-old, I spread out my wings and jumped.” He chuckled.
I licked my lips, wishing away the nausea that roiled in my stomach.
“Did you fly?” I asked.
Brenton laughed. “No, but he did manage to break a few bones and scare the life out of his poor parents.”
“I learned a valuable lesson, though,” Elias said.
“You shouldn’t jump from the highest tower of your castle?” I questioned.
This time, the pain peaked, the nausea pitching so hard, I vomited, arching my head over the edge of the couch. And I kept vomiting as Elias’s magic continued to pull while his hand ran soothingly over the back of my head and Brenton squeezed my hand.
I opened my eyes to see where I’d vomited, but my vision was still spotty and only made the dizziness worse. Groaning, I closed my eyes again.
“What did you learn?” I whispered.
With a napkin, someone wiped the dribble from my mouth.
“I learned that I could heal myself,” Elias said.
I huffed out a laugh.
“Since my parents didn’t forbid me from trying again, George and I built another set of wings while Everly and Brenton supervised. This one was made of bed sheets and wire, which was Brenton’s idea.”
“I can’t imagine that worked,” I said.
“It didn’t,” he answered. “At least the second time, I wasn’t as high up and only broke two bones.”
With a final tug on my back, I felt it the moment Elias called back his magic. He poured a warm liquid over my back that trickled into the back of my pants.
I tried opening my eyes again, and although the dizziness had abated, my surroundings remained hazy.
“Did you try again?” I asked, licking my lips.
“Several times with the same result.” He patted my back with a cool cloth, which felt amazing on my heated skin. “My father felt bad for me and somehow convinced his Guardian to take me up with him.”
I tipped my head to the side and tried to make out his features behind the haze.
“How was it?” I asked.
“Incredible,” he breathed out.
Although I couldn’t see him, I smiled at him. Slowly, my vision returned, and I reached a finger to Elias’s lips that were pulled down in concern. I ran my finger over them and felt the way his breath stammered. Clenching my hand, I pulled it away.
“I’m okay,” I told him when his frown remained. I arched my back to test it and sighed with relief when it no longer hurt. “Thank you.”
One side of his lips quirked up.
I sat up slowly, breathing through the remaining dizziness. When Everly handed me a shirt, I slid it on before I reached again for Brenton’s hand. I turned my attention to Brenton when he squeezed my hand, looking at the spot on the floor I must’ve vomited on but found it clean.
“Nalari cleared it up,” Brenton told me, wrinkling his nose. “Good thing too because some got on my nose.”
Stifling a laugh, I covered my mouth with my hand. “It didn’t.”
I looked at the four fae, who all wore small smiles.
