Page 43 of Owned By the Fae
Wake up!
I startle, afraid I’ve slept away my advantage, but I see from the sky that the sun has only just set. I’ve only been out for a few minutes, and I send a silent thanks to the Harbinger, who I know woke me up in time and, somehow, is probably the only reason I’m able to stand after whatever Rikoth had my food dosed with.
My feet leaden, I stumble away from the moat towards the village down the hill that I could see from my window, trying to keep my plan in the forefront of my mind though the stew is making everything jumbled and hazy.
Worry seeps into my thoughts. Will Kal help me? It doesn’t matter, I decide. Even if he doesn’t care about what happens to me, surely he won’t let a faeling suffer ...if I can explain everything ... Where did that healer say they were? At the top of the village in one of the newer houses?
Head swimming, I try to stay out of sight. Somehow, I’ve kept hold of the bath sheet, but that’s all I have to cover myself with.
My body hurts. I have to stop. I stumble, having to use the walls of the houses and buildings to keep myself upright. Luckily, the streets seem to be deserted, and I can hear cheering from where the arena is, so there must be some demonstration or maybe a festival tonight.
I find myself at the top of the village and blink at the three identical houses in front of me. I realize with a sinking feelingthat I have no idea which one The Cunty Betrayers are being housed in. I didn’t think …
There are some bushes nearby, and I retreat into the middle of them to wait out of sight, curling into a shivering ball and trying not to lose consciousness again.
A few minutes go by before I see someone I don't recognize going into the first house so that one probably isn’t theirs.
I wait a little longer, my eyelids drooping as I struggle to stay awake. If I don’t move, I’m going to fall asleep here, I realize, and it's by sheer force of will that I stand on shaky legs and go to the second house.
The odds are at least fair that this will be the right one. I can't delay any longer, or I’ll be caught. I try the door, but it’s locked. I clench my eyes shut as I knock on it and pray to all the gods I can think of that Kal answers.
At first, I don't hear anything and I wonder if perhaps they're at the arena with everyone else. I wonder if I can break in somehow. But then I hear footsteps, and the door opens. I flinch as I see it's Dane, not Kal. I step backward almost involuntarily at the look on his face that I don’t understand in my drugged state. He stares at me with wide eyes.
‘Lia?’ he asks quietly, looking at me with concern that’s rapidly morphing into the same emotion I saw in the healer’s eyes. I flinch under his perusal.
‘I didn't know where else to go.’
Dane
The Harbinger.
Is at my door.
Shock freezes me to the spot, but I still manage to catch her as she sways and begins to fall off the step.
I take stock of the situation quickly. Varrik won’t know she’s here yet. I should take her directly back to the keep before anyone realizes she’s gone, but I find myself looking around to see if anyone else has noticed she’s here instead. There’s no one. All of them are at the arena watching the practice fights before the festival revelries begin.
So, instead of doing my duty, I pull her inside, thankful that neither Grey nor Kallum are here to witness my actions.
I shut the door and look down at her wavering form in front of me. She looks a bit worse for wear. Has she been swimming?
I frown. What I first thought was a dress in the low light outside is actually just a sheet around her. I know I shouldn’t keep her here, but my arms on her shoulders tighten at the thought of taking her anywhere else, and instead, I pick her up and bring her slowly up the stairs to my room.
‘What am I doing?’ I ask myself aloud as I glance out the window.
I don’t know, but I should have some time until the others return to think of something.
I lay her down on my bed and drag the nearby chair over to sit on while I stare at her. She actually looks well, considering that the others have been fearing the worst, and I scoff. Kal and Grey have been adamant that something’s wrong, but she appears healthier than when we first got here. I allow myself a small smile at their expense, knowing that I was right and they were wrong. I'd love to tell them that, but I’ve already decided that I'm not going to let them know that she was ever here if I can possibly help it.
I make a split decision. There’s really nothing else I can do but take her back to the keep. But I decide to let her sleep for a bit first as she’s clearly very tired, and I don’t fancy carrying herall the way back. The others can’t find out she was here, though. I make a mental note to dispel her scent from the house before the others get back.
A sudden thought has me hesitating and I glance around the room suspiciously. Kallum has been lurking around a lot lately, using his skill to go unnoticed even in the house. Ithinkhe’s at the arena, but would I know if he was here? There's always a chance with him at the moment. He never does what he's supposed to do or what I would expect from him, even at the best of times, but now … After all these years, I should know him, but he's always been unpredictable.
I lean my elbows on my thighs and steeple my fingers as I watch the slow rise and fall of the Harbinger’s chest.
‘How did you escape the keep?’ I muttered to myself.
Almost without realizing what I'm doing, my fingers move up to brush some hair from her face.
