Page 69 of Rook of Ruin
My brace lights up as the young man’s eyes pops out from the pressure of Finn’s fingers. I try to heal myself, but nothing happens.Heal.Again, nothing happens.
“Finn, it’s not healing.”
I suppress the pain and panic.Heal, damn it!
“What do you have on that fucking knife.” Finn lets him down, quickly picks up the knife, and smells it. He instantly pales. “Who the fuck gave this to you?”
“I d-don’t know, s-some woman gave it to a f-few of us for protection. S-she wasn’t from our village. I-I’m so sorry, I’m s-so sorry.” He starts hiccup crying.
Violence crackles in the air as Alec moves next to me. “What the fuck happened?” His brace glows, and he stares down thesobbing young man. Then he gently takes my arm into his hands, and Alec looks at me, questioning, “Why aren’t you healing yourself?” Then he sees Finn’s face.
“Mate—”
“Send for Vetter.” Alec picks me up and runs, Nora joining us. He lays me gently in the hay of the cart. Finn relays the message to one of their men, and he and Nora climb in as Alec quickly lights the hanging lanterns. He grabs the reins and clicks his tongue twice. The horses take off at full speed.
“I still can’t heal myself,” I say, fucking panicked as my blood weeps down my arm and onto the cart’s hay. The glow of my brace softly lights up our faces.
“We know, love,” Finn says calmly.
I see it. Green-black veins start winding down my arm, just like Matron . . . and I couldn’t save her. Thick tears fall down my face as I remember her. I look at Nora, who avoids my eyes.Coward.
Then I look over at the man with wild black hair. “Finn, please, what is this?”
He doesn’t reply, just picks up my hand and holds it. I begin to fully freak out. No one is talking, they offer no reassuring words.
As steady as I can, I breathe out, “Alec. Tell me.”
I watch as his shoulders droop. “Poison. Fucking poison.”
“I can see that,” I practically scream and then hysterically laugh. “What kind of poison?”
Alec’s voice is so calm, I can barely hear it crack when he says, “Smertefull død.”Painful death.The air is thick with tension.
“The venom milked from Jormungand’s fangs and mixed with wolfsbane,” Finn says quietly, and the tension shatters, like everyone’s hearts.
“Oh.” A fucking mythological sea serpent that died thousands of years ago is apparently actually real, and some idiot took its stupid fucking fangs and squeezed venom from them. Sincethat wasn’t fucking deadly enough, they decide to splash in a poisonous plant for good measure. I’m sickened by the realization. “This is how the Matron died.”Truth. Alec stiffens. “This is really going to hurt.” I laugh nervously. “We should get a Grey Sister.”
“I’m not going to let you die.” The firm belief coming from Alec’s voice should give me enough hope, but I laugh, and it becomes hysterical. I have seen what this poison does; nothing can heal it. Nora and Finn stare down at me as my laughter becomes a sob. I don’t want to leave him.
The stars slowly begin to disappear, and a reddish glow lines the sky. Lying down in the hay, I glance at my body almost completely covered in green-black veins, and the pain is so excruciating, I don’t dare move. I asked Finn and Nora to hold my hands. As painful as it is, I need comfort. They do, as gently as possible. It hurts to breathe. Every jostle of the cart brings fresh agony, and my brace won’t take it away. I’m fading, and they all know it. I’m only now realizing it from the way Nora and Finn keep looking at each other.
“Don’t ever hurt him, please,” I whisper to them. “Your word.” They give it, and I smile, the pain searing. Short, lovely breaths are easier than deep, painful ones.
“Mate, you need to stop the cart and come back here,” Finn tells Alec.
“Almost there,” Alec yells back.
“Get the fuck back here now,” Finn demands. The cart slows, the movement painful. It has me gasping. Finn switches places with Alec, and the cart takes off again. Large, calloused hands hold my own.
“I would have—” I begin, my throat dry and scratchy. “I wish I could have had more time with you.”
“Fight for me. Please,” Alec begs, his voice choked.
“I’ll always fight for you,” I whisper. A strained smile is forced onto his lips. “Promise me you’ll look after Elliot. I don’t want him to be alone.”
“My word, my love,” Alec says softly.
I watch the clouds go by, a whisper on the wind.
