“I don’t care about my leg! My dad’s hurting!”
“Well, it’s painful to draw out poison, but the only other option is to let it stay in him. Is that what you want?” Draper was frustrated that he hadn’t been able to contain me without help.
Kerdik poked his head out, his eyes falling on me. “Perfect. Bring her in here. We need a magic transfusion for Urien, and she doesn’t use hers. I would give him some of mine, but I need it to be able to bring him back after he’s been reinfused with fresh magic.”
Draper and Mad both shook their heads. “No,” Mad said, “She’s already ripped her stitches open, and she lost a lot of blood yesterday. Ye can’t go taking more from her.”
“I’ll do it!” I shouted, making Draper grimace. “Whatever it takes, he can have my magic.”
“Perfect. In you get. Fetch me Jean-Luc. He can help you do it right in here. The fresher the better. Quick, now.”
Draper and Mad exchanged a look of frustration before Draper carried me into the room where my dad was still crying out in agony.
All I Have to Give
“Just a little longer,” Kerdik said more to himself than to me. “Does she have more?”
Jean-Luc glanced up at my pale and sweating face dubiously. He was saying something to me, judging by the intention in his eyes, but I couldn’t hear it. I couldn’t hear much besides my dad howling his pain, and even that was starting to fade from my psychic ear. It felt positively claustrophobic with Jean-Luc, Madigan, Kerdik, Draper and me stuffed in the small room with my dad. I was sitting in the only chair, my abdomen crumpling in on itself as the tube going from my arm to my dad’s took more and more blood from me.
I couldn’t feel my arm anymore, but that hardly mattered. I couldn’t feel my feet or my face, actually, but if it brought my dad back, I would give him all the blood in my body. I needed him to be alive. I needed him to smile at me and give me more than what I’d been dealt. I needed him to call me Rosie and tell me he loved me because we’d been spending so much time getting to know each other, and he genuinely liked me as a person. I needed…
I needed…
Draper caught me when I couldn’t support my weight anymore. I nearly face-planted on the floor, but he steadied me with his shoulder, his arms wrapped around my middle. I wished I could communicate. I wanted to tell him anything that might help get us out of this dark place that never seemed to give us many breaks, but my lips were fuzzy and my jaw went slack.
“This is too much, Kerdik!” Draper shouted. I couldn’t tell if he was far away or right in my ear. Everything sounded like it was underwater, echoing into me, but not making much sense. I felt disconnected from the reality I’d fought to involve myself in. Maybe I should’ve listened to Mad and gone up to my room before Kerdik could grab me.
No. I knew that no matter how inconvenient it all was, I would do it all over again, giving my dad whatever he needed to survive. I’d lived too long without a father. That shiz ended tonight. I wasn’t even aware that I was closing my eyes until drool dribbled out of my parted lips onto Draper’s shoulder.
The last thing I felt was the tube being ripped from my arm, and Jean-Luc’s fingers digging into my skin while Draper yelled my name. Madigan was shouting something, but I had a hard time understanding him on a good day, which this was not.
The darkness took over, plunging me into the black that never stopped scaring me after my time in the well. I’d been sleeping with the lantern on most nights, or at least the curtains open, so the moon could light the room. I hoped that when I closed my eyes, the small light I insisted upon would still be shining on my grim parts, giving hope to my despair. I was gone from myself, from it all, actually. The well surrounded me, encasing me on all sides. The walls of my father’s room were replaced with the slick stones that had been too smooth and shallow to climb up. As much as I wanted to be free, I was stuck in the well, in the black that felt like it ate at my thinned skin.
Demi shivered next to me in my mind, but I had nothing to warm him with. We huddled together, two petrified children who’d been ravaged by Avalon.
I’m not sure how long I was out for, but it was no exaggeration to say that an eternity was a good guess. I hoped and waited for Bastien to find me, to take the lid off the well and hoist me up from the pit, but he didn’t save the day this time. I prayed that Lane would find me, using that instinctual mother-daughter bond that served us so well on many occasions. I needed someone to find me, to know that even though I was gone from the earth, I was still there, waiting and calling for anyone to rescue me from all that threatened to hold me down.
I wanted to superhero myself out of the hole I’d been shoved into, but I couldn’t so much as lift my arm to save myself. When Lane didn’t come, and Bastien didn’t show his face, I decided to stay down for as long as the darkness would have me. The darkness was quiet. Demi was with me in the dark.
Link’s Anaconda
When the light entered my room, I felt it before I saw it. The warm patch on my arm made me want to shift closer so I could be nearer the purity that soaked into my skin.
I heard giggling that had the hint of innuendo to it, accompanied by a low, throaty chuckle I recognized as Link’s. The distinct sound of spit being swapped stung my ears. I remained immobile so I didn’t have to let them know I was awake through the makeout. Link had been a good friend to Bastien, and had even taken Province 9’s problems to heart, rebuilding and helping where he was needed. He was loyal to the Untouchables, and to me by extension. He’d been mired in work lately; I couldn’t begrudge him a little teenaged fun.
“Oh, Link, right there,” the woman groaned.
Internally I rolled my eyes. At least they weren’t on the bed next to me. That would be awkward.
“Ye like tha?”
You wouldn’t think the word “yes” would give me the urge to bathe the filth off my skin, but the way she moaned it sure did. The two of them carried on until I heard the telltale click of a belt buckle, and the downward slide of Link’s zipper. I raised my hand but kept my eyes shut. “Third party in the room, peeps. Pants stay on.”
The woman squealed her embarrassment, and then I heard her swat indignantly at Link. “You said the princess wouldn’t wake! You said she’d been out for days!” I heard her standing and scampering toward the door. “A thousand apologies, your majesty. A thousand will never be enough. I’m so ashamed!”
“It’s cool.” I motioned to my lashes. “I’ve kept my eyes closed, so I don’t know who you are. Might want to keep it that way, yeah? Then you don’t have to feel embarrassed, because I’m still in the dark about it all.”
“Of course, your highness. Never has there been a ruler more gracious.” She stammered another apology before she fled the room, I’m guessing red-faced and in a tizzy.
“So, whatcha been doing?” I asked nonchalantly, opening my eyes to take in the noonday light. “Don’t tell me who you’ve been doing; I don’t think she could take it if I knew.”
Link snorted, doing his belt back up and straightening his black t-shirt. “How much of tha did ye catch?”
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, noticing for the first time that I was wearing one of the cotton strappy nightgowns I liked. “Enough for her to complain you were only packing three inches. Not so much that I had to witness your inchworm in action.”
Link stared at me, dumbfounded, and then threw his head back with a loud belly laugh. “Ho! I didn’t know Bastien found himself such a firecracker. Inchworm! Tha’s funny.” He looked pointedly down at his crotch, frowning in dismay. “But it’s not a wee worm. I’ve got a solid Anaconda.”
Of course, this spiraled me into a rendition of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s greatest hit. I mean, how was I expected not to rap the best song in the world after he threw me a bone like that? “‘My anaconda don’t want none unless you’ve got buns, hun.’” I rapped a few more lines until they got too filthy for me to say in front of a dude who had no idea where I was pulling
this from.
Link was howling on his knees by the time I trailed off, clutching his stomach while he laughed. “Please tell me ye made tha up just now. Grand tha was, Rosie!”
I tried to scoot my way up the bed so I could sit up, but my muscles protested being put to such arduous use. Being able to rap made me foolhardy, I guess. I ended up just lying there like a dead fish. “Nah, I didn’t make it up. Wish I did. Best song ever.” I tried again to sit up, but couldn’t manage more than staring up at the ceiling and moving my arms a little. “Is Lane back yet?”
Link finally stood, wiping the tears from his eyes. Link was great at smiling when it wasn’t done with a psychotic flair to it. “No. She’s still visiting Duke Lot with Reyn, Remy and Damond.”
“Where’s Abraham Lincoln and Hamish?” I’d missed my constant companions.
“Ah. Well, since your magic was drained, Draper was worried the animals might get frustrated when ye couldn’t hear them. Not many things worse to lock ye in a room with than a surly bear, so they’re making themselves useful outside. Plus, they’d only keep yapping to ye, and ye’d never wake up because they’d be constantly draining ye. Outside’s where they belong anyways.”
“Where’s Bastien? How about Kerdik? Did my dad wake up yet?”
Link’s guarded expression told me something wasn’t quite as peachy as the forced lightness of his tone made it all sound. “Most everyone’s helping your Da. He’s awake, and all’s well, but it’s taking time for his muscles to be of any use.”
“I guess that makes sense. He’s awake, though? It actually worked?” Joy danced in my eyes at the prospect of being able to hang out with Superman.
“Aye. T’almost didn’t. Almost killed ye both. Mad had quite a few words with Master Kerdik over tha. Then when your Da came to, he started in on Master Kerdik all over again. Never thought I’d see the warlock show actual contrition, but Master Kerdik’s barely left your side, other than to go see to King Urien.”
I mulled this over and tried to put my thoughts in proper working order. “Do a girl a solid and help me up? I need to go see him.”
Link shook his head. “You’re supposed to be resting.”
“Um, you just told your little hottie that I’d been out for days. I think I’ve had enough rest.”
“Okay, then. Get on outta tha bed and dance me a jig. Ye should be able to if ye’ve had enough rest.”
I glared at him and clenched my fists at my sides. “Come on, Link. Be serious. How am I supposed to get anything done if I’m stuck here?”
“Ye aren’t supposed to get anything done. Tha’s the point of bedrest.”
“Oh, you’re hopeless.” I thumbed the comforter that was draped around my waist. “Could you at least help me to sit up? I feel ridiculous like this. My brain’s working, but the rest of my body is being a wuss.”
Link’s arms around my shoulders were steady, moving me to sit up against the pillow he propped up to the headboard. “There ye are.” He winced when his hand palmed my back as he stood, bent over at my bedside. “You’re too thin. King Urien had a freezing charm to preserve him while he was out, so he has muscle still and weight to his face. Ye can’t go sleeping for days on end. You’re just a wee thing.”
“Well, I didn’t do it on purpose.” I studied my wrists, grimacing at the thinness that had come from being starved in the well, and then passing out for days on end. I was starting to get too skinny to be a serious threat on the soccer field, which didn’t sit well with me. “Can I go get some food?”
“Aye. I’ll have some sent up for ye.” He grinned at me. “How did ye put it? We like our ladies with back?”
I smirked at him, glad that in my first few minutes awake, I’d managed to make someone smile. The Untouchables were a strange bunch, but I was starting to feel at home with them. I looked up at Link, grateful that he’d always been good to Bastien, and thus, nice to me. “While you’re putting in requests, how hard would it be to get someone up here to put Bastien’s mark on me?”
Link froze, his eyes wide, and neck shrinking. The suddenly stooped posture of his shoulders made him look… guilty? “Um, tha can be arranged. Might want to wait until you’re on your feet.”
My nose wrinkled. “Why? You three were all about me getting it right away. I’ve been thinking that maybe I’d get stabbed less with the mark.” I shrugged, trying to make a joke, though Link had suddenly grown serious. “Sure, some stabbing, but definitely less.”
Link offered up a one-noted perfunctory laugh, and then rubbed the nape of his neck like he was trying to hide something. “I’ll go get ye some food. No getting stabbed while I’m gone, ye hear?”
“Well, there goes my plans for the afternoon. You’re no fun.” I waited until he was gone to try my hand at getting dressed, so I could go down and see my dad. My clothes were all the way in the wardrobe, which was on the other side of the long room. I flopped my legs over the edge of the bed, giving myself a pep talk before attempting to put weight on my feet. I’d been injured lots of times in the various sports I’d played. Each time back on my feet brought about the same mentality, no matter the injury: deal with it.
My toes wiggled before they tapped on the floor, but the second I stood, my legs crumpled like a Jenga tower. I wasn’t expecting total defeat, nor was I expecting to bang my head so hard on the nightstand on the way down that I passed clean out on the floor.
Tricks and Tatts
“I was gone for two minutes!” I heard Link yell. He was slapping my cheeks and flicking water droplets onto my face until I finally came to. The world swam in my vision, and if there was anything in my stomach, I would’ve puked it out right then and there. “I’m about to tie ye to this bed to make sure ye don’t hurt yourself. Let me guess, ye were trying to walk to your Da? Jays, you’re predictable.”
I moaned through my headache that seemed to split my cranium when I pried open my eyes. “Ouch.”
“‘Ouch,’” Link scoffed as he lifted me off the floor and put me back in the bed. He grumbled as he flopped onto the mattress next to me on his belly, grabbing a bowl of oatmeal off the tray. “Here. See if this will put some meat on your bones.”
I wanted to make a vegetarian joke, but my brain was too fuzzy after the fall. “Can I at least have some clothes? It’s the middle of the day, and I’m wearing my nightgown.”
“Aye. Eat tha, and I’ll send in a handmaiden to help ye change.”
I hated that I needed help. “Lane’s not back yet?”
“In the two minutes since ye last saw me? No, I can’t say Lane’s back yet.”
My hand was feeble and uncoordinated, but I managed to get the spoon to my mouth without dropping the warm groats all over myself. Bonus. If I could feed myself, dressing myself wouldn’t be too far behind. “Did Roland…” I couldn’t bring myself to ask if he’d died, but part of me needed to know. Maybe it was all a bad dream, and Roland was in the next room, not hating me by some miracle. Maybe he had a heart after all, along with two functioning eyes and all ten fingers.
Link didn’t bother sugarcoating it for the viewers. “Roland died a couple days ago. About a minute after your Da woke up, Mad slit his throat.” He drew a line across his own neck with his thumb, in case I was so slow that I didn’t understand the mechanics of slitting someone’s throat. “Gone and buried already. No ceremony because he attacked the throne, so he died a prisoner, and they don’t get big funerals.”
“Oh. I guess that makes sense.” I swallowed my oatmeal, though it felt like a brick sliding down my esophagus. “How’s Bastien taking it all?”
Again, that evasive look. “He’ll be alright. Tell me about your life in Common.”
I stuck the spoon in my mouth, giving Link a look that lasted well beyond what normal eye contact was supposed to. “What aren’t you telling me? Is Bastien okay?” When Link didn’t immediately answer, I shoved the bowl at him and ripped the covers off my legs. “Is he hurt somewhere? He wouldn’t stay away this long if
he knew I was awake. Something’s wrong! You let me just lie around up here while he’s hurt? He’s going to think no one’s coming for him. We have to go, Link!”
When I tried to get out of the bed, Link steadied me with his hand on my arm. “Easy, wee Rose. He’s not injured. Just a little lost.” He let out a whistle. “Wow. Ye really do love him. I didn’t think you’d up and go after him; ye can’t even walk yet.”
“Of course I love him. Where is he?”
When a knock interrupted just when Link hesitantly opened his mouth, he blew out a gust of relief and popped up from the bed. “I’ll get it!” He flung open the door, letting Kerdik in with more gusto than usual. “You’re good with Master Kerdik, then?” He didn’t wait for my response. “Grand. I’ll go downstairs and check on… your surprise.” It was as if the idea just occurred to him. “Yeah! Bastien’s working on a surprise for ye, and tha’s why he’s not up here. I’ll go help him so he can come back up when he’s finished. With the surprise. The surprise for ye.” He banged the door shut, leaving me alone with Kerdik before I could throw another question at him. I wanted to say that I didn’t need a surprise; I just wanted Bastien.
My eyes fell on Kerdik, who looked ruffled and untucked. “Hey, Kerdik. How’s tricks?”
“Tricks are slow, but steady. Urien’s able to speak now, but just barely. Healing him is taking a fair amount of magic.” He glanced at me with guilty eyes. “I shouldn’t have taken so much from you. I needed the help, but I should’ve been more careful. Draper, Madigan and Jean-Luc were… not pleased.”
I quirked my eyebrow at him. “Not used to feeling remorse, huh.” I waved my hand to clear the air, like it was no big deal. “It’s cool. I lived.”
“Now I feel even worse. You’re pale as a sheet. You’re confined to your bed!”
Stupid Girl Page 26
