Page 19 of Vathia
Jesper laughs and tackles Aemon to the floor. “I will defend your honor, Princess!”
Killian comes and stands at my side as we both shake our heads at them. I take Kill’s hand and tug him over to my closet and give him the gift I made before handing out the others. Clasping my hands in front of me, I hold my breath waiting to see what they would think. Mother says that the gifts you make or do for someone have more meaning than ones you buy. So I wanted to make my best friends something special, so even when I’m not with them, they will always have a piece of me. I watch as each of them pull out a bracelet that I had my Elemi father help me make. Each bracelet has both of our names carved into the wooden beads. It’s nothing fancy but… I hope they like them.
Jesper bounces over to me. “Help me put it on?” He tilts his head holding out his wrist and it takes a few tries but I manage to secure it on him before he scoops me up in a hug, each of them doing the same.
“Thank you, Mae,” Aemon mumbles, staring at his bracelet.
I stand straighter, grinning. “Of course!”
One by one, they each pass me a small gift but right as I go to open them my mother comes into my room, with a concerned expression etched on her face, a hardness I don’t usually see there. “I think you four best be heading off. Your fathers are waiting for you.”
I run to my mother, grabbing her skirts. “But mother, they just got here!”
She reaches down and cups my cheek and there’s a sadness in her gaze. She brushes a light brown lock of hair behind her pointed ear. “I know, my Jewel. Say your goodbyes. We will try to arrange something soon.”
A part of me didn’t know then, but that was the last time I would see them because that was the night my world came crumbling down around me.
CHAPTER TEN
THE BURNS ACROSS MY STOMACH blister, red and ugly, searing with white hot pain, and my shoulder thrums with a constant sharp pain where my father staked me. I groan as I shift my hips, and a part of me breaks at seeing the mate mark destroyed by Evera’s fit of rage. Thankfully she left afterwards as my wounds and lack of attraction towards her made it impossible for me to get it up, no matter how hard she tried. I don’t think I’ve ever been so glad for my male-hood to stay limp in bed. The mere thought of what could have happened makes bile rise in my throat.
I need to get out of here. I need to get back toher, to make sure she’s safe, and maybe hide her in the mountains. No, I fight with myself. I can’t risk her anywhere near Allondë, nowhere near my father.
The dim candlelight flickers as a cold chill wraps over me. I tug on the restraints, hissing as the iron rubs into my already raw skin. How could this have gone so wrong? I should have listened to Killian. The plan was supposed to be simple: appease my father and keep the eyes of the Lords off of us, and then getto Vathia to figure out how we were going to adjust the plan to fit this new development.
Even Milly, who was supposed to help me this afternoon, has left me. I can only count on myself to get free. No one has disturbed me today, and I can’t tell if it’s a good or bad thing. I just know I have very little time to get out. Then I’ll need to hide somewhere and lay low until I heal enough and get this tonic out of my system, call my dragon to me and endure the journey across the realm.
Hope seems like such a fragile thing—one stone can get plucked from the pile and it can all go tumbling down.
Think, Talyn, think.
There’s nothing nearby that I can reach to use to pick the lock; even so, it would have to be long enough to reach from my mouth to the keyhole. I still can’t sense my magick, the bond with Zaddro or… the other one. And just like that, the small flickering light of hope extinguishes.
The door cracks open and I harden my emotions, bracing for whatever is about to happen next.
“Lord Talyn?” a small voice whispers.
Relief rushes through me like the currents in the Wraithwater Channel. “Milly?” I whisper, taking in the crisp black dress uniform that my father makes the help wear. “It’s not safe.”
She scurries over to me and climbs up on the bed, careful not to rub the iron against my skin but hurrying to unlock the restraints. “After what happened, my Lord, I thought it would be wise to request some help to have you escape the property. I had to wait for Lord Craven’s guests to retire for the evening as well. I came as soon as I could,” she whispers quickly as the iron cuffs fall from my wrists. “The Lord will be back sometime in the morning. We don’t have long. I’m sorry I don’t have anything for your wounds, but we must hurry.”
She finishes releasing me from this nightmare and I struggle to sit up. Every movement is filled with white-hot pain, but I push through it. Taking more effort than I thought possible, I go to the drawers and search for pants. Something. Anything to cover myself, but I leave my chest bare. Any fabric would stick to the fresh burn that covers most of my torso. When I’m ready, I turn to Milly. “Let’s go. You’re coming with me too.”
She shakes her head. “I must not. The other brownies will cover for me. I will be okay, but you will not be if you stay here.” Milly rushes to the door of the room and peeks her head out, making sure the coast is clear as I struggle to follow her.
We carefully pick our way down the hall. Sweat drips down my face leaving a trail of droplets behind on the cold floor. My body shakes with exertion as I continue to keep my steps light. My injuries must be worse than I thought.
Milly dutifully makes sure the coast is clear while keeping a worried, watchful eye on me, and as we get to the side entrance of my father’s estate, I lean against the wall next to the unopened door, panting.
“Come with me, Mil. It won’t be safe for you here if he even hears a whisper that you’ve helped me. Please,” I beg, hissing with every breath I take.
She shakes her head again, her long bat-like ears flopping as she peers up at me with wide, glossy eyes. “No. My duty is here. I couldn’t leave all the others to save myself. It would be a death sentence for them. I’m going to say this quickly, but your father is an evil man, Lord Talyn. We’ve heard whispers of some of the things he’s been doing. No one is safe. Especially your sister. Please find her and take care of her.”
I nod. “Cynder is safe. I swear.”
“Good. Now, when you get to the end of the road, you will have an escort waiting for you. And Lord Talyn? Do not come back here unless it’s to end the evil that roams this realm,” shestates sternly as she opens the door and ushers me out. “I’ll see you again, Lord Talyn. Stay safe and hurry. There’s not much time left.” As I go to step away she grabs my pant leg. “Stay out of the mountains,” she hisses in fear, so much unlike the Milly I know. Her hand darts up and pushes me back, the slight pressure on my burns causing nausea to build up.
When I finally catch my breath, I turn around to ask her to come with me again, but the door is already shut and the lock clicks as it engages. My heart is heavy, but she’s always been stubborn, and if I wasn’t so injured I’d take her from here, but I can barely carry myself. My feet drag along the cobblestone, my vision tunneling at the corners the further I get. I just need to get to the end of the driveway and everything will be okay. I keep repeating the phrase in my head. I almost make it to the end when my body gives out on me.
