Page 65 of Wings of Lies
Aspen stood as she entered. “She’s bleeding out. Help her.” Long gone was the male with melted seas of worry, replaced by the authority of a commanding prince. The arrogant asshole was back. I snorted to myself.
“How? She was finally stable!” Hana exclaimed, astonished, ignoring his tone. She lifted something from my sides, gazing at my open wounds. Quickly, she set down her black bag and grabbed supplies. “This is going to hurt. Deep breaths, okay?” Tender ruby eyes nodded down to my torso.
“Okay.”
“And I need you to drink this. It’s a coagulant serum. It will counteract the rest of the Hellhound’s saliva.” She held a vial to my lips, and I let her tip the bitter liquid into my mouth.
“How did this happen? And why didn’t you get me the moment she woke up? Did you want her to bleed to death after nearly biting my head off to save her?” Hana did not sound happy—more like downright pissed off.
I giggled. Aspen was getting scolded.
My thoughts turned disjointed as everything blurred together. I squeezed my eyes shut, relieved by the lack of weirdness. Their words became softer.
“I don’t know. We were talking. I got distracted.” He paused. “I said some things and her powers did the rest.”
He said a lot of things.
“You never thought about the stitches, bandages, or serum.” It wasn’t a question.
“No.”
Was that regret in his tone?
Hana huffed. “Well, hopefully, her accelerated healing can replenish what she’s lost. The serum should help soon, too,” she sighed. “Does she know?”
My sides burned as Hana poured something into each slice along my ribs, then turned me with Aspen’s help to do the same to my thighs. They moved me back, and I lay limp and barely conscious. I could feel my body twitch in pain, but my eyes never opened, only aware enough to hear the fading tones of their conversation.
“No,” he said, frustrated. “She knows nothing about Elora either. Why would she come here?” He stomped back and forth. “Why doesn’t she remember? Why didn’t she fucking listen to me?”
“Did you ever think of asking her?” Hana supplied.
He scoffed, “Why would I do that? Her memories are gone.”
“Maybe to help her?”
There was a long pause before he answered. “Hana, I think you need to stop drinking the earthly wine. It’s obviously messed with your mind.” He sighed, a sound I never heard from him before. “She’s here now. Magda said…”
“She’s a witch who plays with emotions for power. Her words can mean many things.”
“True.”
“Will you tell her? Help her?”
He laughed, a bitter, ruthless sound. “No. The queen will either use her or lose her, like all the others.”
“Always so loyal.”
Aspen gave another bitter laugh. “Either loyalty or death.”
“Or taking my advice from before. Get out. Find a different life. Let her?—”
“Stop! I won’t listen to your pointless advice. It’s too late. I will never betray my queen,” Aspen declared.
“So she’ll be another Nalini?” she whispered.
My ears started to ring with how quiet it became.
“Don’t ever speak her name to me again.” The door opened, then slammed.
