by Dyan Chick
My chest tightened and my lower lip trembled. I couldn't leave them. Not after everything. The thought of being apart from even one of them made my heart ache in a way that threatened to break it.
Suddenly, I noticed a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned just in time to see a Sodalis racing toward me. I turned and ran, just missing the snapping jaws.
I had no weapon, no way of fighting the monster. Pumping my arms as hard as I could, I ran toward the fight, knowing my only chance was to bring the creature closer to one of the prince's swords.
Dane was the closest, but he was holding off two beasts at the same time. I changed direction, headed toward Ethan who was on top of one of the creatures pelting it with arrows at close range.
"Ethan," I cried out.
He looked up at me and I watched his expression turn hard as he lifted the bow, aiming at the monster on my tail.
I dropped to the ground and rolled away, hoping the monster wouldn't be able to change course before Ethan's arrows found it. From all fours, I looked up as the Sodalis screamed in rage, three arrows in its face.
The monster stopped its progress and looked toward me, letting out a roar. It was close enough that spit landed on my face and arms. Disgusted, I wiped my eyes off, but didn't break my focus off of the creature.
After several heartbeats, another arrow struck the monster's side and it turned away from me, charging Ethan instead of me.
I only got a moment of relief before three more creatures turned to me. Coming this close, I should have known that my scent would draw them away from the princes.
"What are you doing? Do you want to die?" a strong, clear voice called out behind me.
I sat up and was instantly scooped up into Tristan's arms. He carried me gently, like a bride. I was so surprised, I didn't know what to say or how to react.
"Wait here," he said, setting me down.
Then, he was gone. Vanished in thin air.
I was back in the stone archway. Tristan's Winter Court meeting room. I didn't want to be in there, away from my friends. I wanted to be there for them. I wanted to help.
I charged back the way we'd come, only to find that the stone courtyard seemed to go in an endless circle. There was no way out of there.
Slumping down to the ground, I sat with my head against my knees. It was probably best I stayed out of it, anyway. Without a weapon, they'd have to keep saving me every time one of the monsters broke free of the pack. At least here, I knew I couldn't distract them.
It helped that I'd seen how well they were handling the monsters. Cormac had said that this was his job. Every time those creatures broke free of the Under, he and his friends sent them back. I wondered how much practice he'd had over the years.
I tucked my hands under my armpits to keep them warm. My breath came out in clouds as I paced back and forth in the stone courtyard. How long had it been? There was no sense of time passing in this odd place. The clouds above me didn't seem to move and I couldn't even find the sun. I wondered if this was how the Winter Court was or if all of it was some strange illusion created by Tristan. I had a feeling none of it was real. I was probably pacing through the prairie grasses, but couldn't see them.
I reached down, brushing my fingers against the stone. It felt rough to the touch, nothing unusual about it, but I knew it wasn't real. I pressed my fingers into the rock, willing it to dissolve as it had before. Nothing happened.
I stood back up and shook my head, feeling foolish. Then, that familiar clawing feeling inside my chest returned. This was the first time I'd felt it when I wasn't in a life or death situation. Fear shot through me as a horrifying idea sprung to mind. Maybe one of the princes was in trouble. Was it possible I could sense something through the barrier?
Mentally, I grabbed hold of the tiny internal threat and pulled against the clawing inside me, willing it to escape. Facing the direction I guessed was the barrier, I focused on returning the way I'd come. Let me out, I thought, internally screaming the words over and over. Let me out.
A burst of white light radiated from me and I gasped, still surprised by the magic I created. Squinting into the light I thought back to the last time I used the untrained magic. I'd made myself see through it by asking to see. Let me see, I thought.
Shapes began to come into view and to my surprise, I was not seeing any arches or stone walkways. Instead, I saw bodies moving around in the light.
I moved toward the shapes that I knew were my friends. As I walked toward them, I had to weave around fallen Sodalis. Thankfully, I no longer heard any growls or saw any active beasts.
As I drew nearer, my heart fell into my stomach. One of the figures was lying on the ground, three other figures standing around the fallen prince. Let me see, I screamed the words with such intensity that I felt the meaning of them vibrating in my soul.
With a crack, the light dissipated, leaving me blinking into the sunlight of the grassy field.
Three heads turned to look at me and I looked them up and down, studying them for injuries. Cormac was kneeling on the ground, Dane and Tristan stood next to him. All three of them wore expressions of surprise and then Cormac looked away from me, his brow furrowed as he studied Ethan's unmoving form.
I ran forward around the carcasses of the beasts and through their spilled entrails. I didn't even worry about where my feet fell. All I knew was that I had to get to Ethan.
Once I reached him, I fell to my knees near his head. I pushed a lock of hair away from his forehead and watched his chest for the rise and fall of breath. I let out a gasp of relief when I saw it move then sucked in a short breath of fear when I heard how his breath caught. He was struggling. Aren't Fae supposed to be immortal? Shouldn’t he be up and moving around?
"What happened?" I asked.
Cormac lifted Ethan's tunic then removed the bundle of cloth they'd applied. Two large puncture wounds spanned his torso. One on his stomach, and one at the base of his ribcage. They didn't look like claw marks.
"The Sodalis bit him," Dane said, a growl in his voice.
"Why isn't he healing?" I asked.
"It was a female Sodalis," Cormac said.
"So?" I asked, desperation seeping into my voice.
"We've never seen a female here. They usually stay in the Under. They carry venom in their bite," Cormac said.
"He'll recover, though, right?" I'd seen the others heal from wounds that should have killed them. I'd healed from my own share of wounds that should have killed me.
"Do you see any healers here?" Tristan asked.
I glared at him. "He's recovered without a healer before."
"This is different," Cormac said.
"We have to help him," I said.
"We can take him to my palace," Tristan said. "It's close. The slide won't be as difficult on him. I'll call for a healer."
Cormac nodded, then slid his arms under Ethan and lifted him.
"You'll all need to be touching me," Tristan said. "Or you won't pass through the barrier."
Tristan wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. I hardly felt the touch. I was too focused on watching Ethan's ragged breaths.
A moment later, everything went black.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
We walked through a gray stone corridor that passed in a blur. I kept my eyes locked on Cormac's back as he carried Ethan's unconscious form to wherever Tristan was taking us.
After all the things I'd heard about the Winter Prince, I didn't expect him to bring us to his home to treat a fallen Fae. This wasn't part of our bargain. He only agreed to help me and let them in to seal the tear. He didn't agree to help Ethan. I wondered how much of his reputation was earned or how much was speculation.
"In here," Tristan said, opening a large wood door.
Someone grabbed my upper arm. I turned to see Dane with a serious expression on his face. He pulled me back away from the room that Tristan, Cormac and Ethan went into. I stepped toward him. "What
is it?"
"You have to know," he said, his lips turning down into a frown, "we don't have much experience with this venom."
My brow furrowed and I searched his eyes for some sign of hope. None of Dane's usual mischievous glimmer was present.
"If a healer can't get to him fast enough..."
"No," I said. "Don't finish that statement."
Tears welled up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I blinked and they streamed down my cheek. I pulled my arm away from Dane's grasp and shook my head. "That's not going to happen."
Wiping my eyes, I turned away from him and walked into the room.
Ethan was on a large canopy bed, the curtains tied open so we could see him better. Tristan nodded at me as he walked to the door. He paused and rested his hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to do what I can to save your friend. In the Winter Court, we take care of our own. And I know what Ethan means to you."
He gently squeezed my shoulder and left the room.
My head spun as I walked over to where Cormac sat on the edge of the bed next to Ethan. Tristan wasn't helping because of the deal I'd made him. He was helping because he thought I was a Winter Fae. Maybe it wasn't the worst thing to be from the Winter Court.
Cormac stood as I approached. "Dane and I have to go find the tear. We can't let this go on. If there are more female Sodalis that get through, it's going to mean a lot of dead Fae. We can't have that."
I nodded. "I know."
"Tristan is going to summon a healer," Cormac said.
I wasn't sure if he was trying to calm me or if he was trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing.
"I'll stay with him," I said.
Cormac nodded.
Tristan returned to the room, a pile of towels in hand. He set them on the bed next to Ethan. "The healer is on her way, but it could be a few hours."
"He doesn't have a few hours," Dane said.
"I know, but it's the best I can do," Tristan said. "I've sent messengers. Someone might come sooner."
"Can't she just slide here?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Not all Fae can slide."
I frowned, then walked over to Ethan. He'd healed me and I'd even helped him heal Cormac. I looked up at the princes standing near the door. "I'll do it."
"No, Cassia," Cormac said. "That's more magic than you can wield."
"Winter Fae aren't known for healing abilities," Tristan said.
"She's not a Winter Fae," Dane said.
"She got through the barrier. That makes her a Winter Fae," Cormac said.
"I've seen her heal before," Cormac said.
"She's also got a talent for animals. She could be Autumn, like you." Dane lifted his chin toward Cormac.
"Which court I belong to isn't important," I said. "I have to try to heal Ethan. Even if it's just enough to keep him alive until a proper healer arrives."
"Let her try," Tristan said, shrugging his shoulders. "It can't hurt."
"I don't want you overdoing it," Cormac said. "You don't know your limits."
"We'll be fine here," I said. "Go seal that tear before any more of those monsters get through."
Cormac's jaw tensed. It looked like he was trying to decide if he should sit here with me or go do his job, but that didn't make sense. Still, I felt like I needed to give him an extra push. "Cormac, go. Do your job."
He nodded, then cleared his throat. "Let's go, Dane."
"Be careful, love," Dane said.
"I will," I said. "All of you be careful, too. Please. Come back to me in one piece."
Cormac and Dane left the room and Tristan hesitated at the door.
"You're going to help them, right?" I asked.
"Can you really heal?" he asked.
I nodded.
He lifted an eyebrow. "We're going to have a lot to talk about when we get back."
"That's fine, just go," I said.
Tristan walked to the doorway, then gave me a backward glance. "If you feel tired and dizzy, stop. That's the magic's way of telling you it's too much."
I nodded. "Thanks."
He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Finally alone, I let out a sigh of relief and turned my attention to Ethan. His face was pale and his full lips were purple.
My brow furrowed and my chest tightened at the sight of him. I had to help him. We couldn't afford to wait for a healer. I knew that I'd do whatever I could to help him. He'd saved me when I was wet and injured and alone on the road. It was my turn to save him.
I crawled onto the bed next to him and leaned down, kissing his forehead gently. "Ethan, you do not have my permission to go. I need you to help me with this. You hear me? I'm going to do what I can, but I could use your help here."
My throat tightened and I swallowed back the threatening tears. I needed to stay focused here, not emotional. Taking a deep breath, I lifted his shredded tunic and removed the crimson shreds of fabric from the wounds. The blood had soaked through and while it wasn't gushing as much, it was still wet. Usually, Ethan was able to stop the bleeding on his own. I'd learned that the Fae were generally fast healers, but those with healing abilities were even more efficient. The fact that the wounds were still seeping wasn't a good sign.
Grabbing some of the towels that Tristan had left on the bed, I pressed them to the wounds. Ethan flinched, probably reacting to the pain.
"Sorry," I said, trying to be more gentle. Maintaining the pressure on the punctures, I focused on sending whatever magic I had to Ethan. Nobody had taught me how to use magic formally, but I knew it was there. I'd worked next to Ethan once, the two of us channeling whatever it was that helped heal someone. Thinking back to that moment, I recalled how I'd felt that flicker of a spark deep inside me. It was different than the violent clawing I felt when I used the light. This felt like warmth. In a way, the magic reminded me of Ethan. It was gentle and kind and brought comfort.
Closing my eyes, I held onto that feeling while pressing my palms into the towels on top of the injuries. My shoulders felt warm, like I'd spent too much time in the sun, and that heat traveled down my arms into my hands and fingers. I didn't budge. I stayed where I was, sending whatever I could to Ethan. I needed him to come back to us. I needed him to recover from this. Like all of the princes, I couldn't imagine my life without him. Ethan was pure comfort and joy. While he was around, I felt safe and cared for. I knew he'd look out for me and would never say an unkind word.
A wave of dizziness washed through me and I opened my eyes to check the progress. I lifted the towels and frowned. The wounds looked like they were seeping less, but the skin wasn't closing yet. I glanced at the towels. They were covered in yellow goo. I wrinkled my nose and tossed the towels to the side, grabbing a fresh pair from the stack on the bed.
Taking another deep breath, I pressed my palms on top of the towels and focused on sending my magic to Ethan. With each ticking moment, I felt more and more lightheaded, but I pressed on, ignoring Tristan's words. I knew I wasn't there yet. And Ethan deserved to be saved.
I peeked at the injury again, and again discarded the towels, switching them out for clean ones. The punctures were still the same, less bleeding, but no sign of healing. Frowning, I added clean towels and resumed my position.
My chin dropped to my chest and I shook my head, startled at the sudden exhaustion that overtook me. Had I fallen asleep? I checked the towels again and there was less yellow goo, but still no skin healing.
Frustrated, I changed out the towels again and resumed the process. After a few more minutes, the world was spinning so badly, I couldn't sit up anymore. I knew I'd overdone it, but I didn't care. If I gave Ethan enough of a chance to stay alive until a real healer arrived, I did what I needed to do.
Exhausted, I lay down next to Ethan and closed my eyes.
Chapter Thirty
"What did you do?" Ethan's voice swirled around me, coming in and out of focus.
I felt heavy, and let my eyelids flutter before forci
ng them open. Ethan's beautiful face hovered inches above mine. He smiled at me and my heart leaped.
"You're alive." I breathed out the words like a prayer.
He ran his fingers through my hair and shook his head. "I thought I'd lost you."
"Me?" I asked. "You were the one that was bleeding to death." At the memory of his injury, I sat up, intending to check that he was healed. My head spun and I fell back onto the bed.
"Stay down," Ethan said. "I'm fine. I woke to find a healer sitting in the corner, but she didn't heal me. She said I was mended before she arrived."
My lips parted, but I didn't have any words. I was too happy to see him alive and well. I reached toward his face, tracing his pink lips with my fingertips. "I thought you were going to die."
"You shouldn't have used so much magic," he said. "I'm not worth the risk."
"Yes, you are." I stared into his clear blue eyes. How did I make him understand how much he meant to me? I'd never felt a true connection to any human being before and here I was, feeling completely at ease with this Fae prince. It was as if we'd known each other our whole lives. Like we'd simply been apart for a few days but fell back into our old habits.
He leaned closer, slowly pausing with his lips above mine. I felt his warm breath on my skin and every inch of me felt like it was on fire. My breath hitched in anticipation and he pressed his lips against mine. His kiss was soft yet hungry and his lips moved with mine as if they were dancing. It was familiar and warm and maddening all at the same time.
His fingers wove through my hair, his hand cradling the back of my head, pressing me harder into him. I reached around him, digging my nails into the fabric of his ruined tunic and pulling him against me. His strong chest pressed against my breasts, making them ache for attention.
Ethan broke away for a moment, his shallow breaths matching my own. "Forgive me."
