I blew out a loud raspberry. “I’m totally good as new. I was just getting up.” It was pride that led me to try standing again, and foolishness that pushed me to take a wobbly step. I’m not sure why I assumed a few minutes would make a world of difference, but if you can believe it, I wasn’t up for tap dancing just yet. I plummeted to the floor, banging my knees on the wood, yet again.
Kerdik was at my side, hoisting me up in his arms that were sweaty, but more than capable. “Well, that was a mistake. Clearly you’re not healed yet. I took far too much magic from you.”
“Magic and blood,” I amended. “It’s fine. I think maybe I’ve just lost a little too much blood recently. I mean, the stabbing and then the blood and magic donation. Sorry my body’s being a wuss. Totally embarrassing.” He set me down in the bed and covered my lap with the comforter. I shifted my nightgown around me so it wasn’t so twisted, and then blinked up at him. “Could you not tell anyone I fell? I already feel like the weakest link. I still can’t believe I let Roland get the jump on me.”
“Roland was armed, and twice your size. He’s dead now anyway. You don’t have to worry about him.”
I fiddled with the edge of the comforter, wishing I could make the world spin the right way again. Everything had felt so wonky for too long. “When can I take my dad home?”
Kerdik watched my small movements carefully before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Urien’s not going back to Province 1, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I meant my home in Common. I wanted to take him there, so he can live with Lane, Reyn, Draper, Bastien and me.”
Kerdik’s gaze hardened, but he didn’t speak right away. I could tell he was choosing his words carefully. “I’m not sure it’s as simple as you’re thinking. For one, Urien might want to stay here. Redeem Avalon, if he can. You might not love it here, but this is his home. I don’t think he’ll be satisfied letting Morgan roam free after what she did to him. Urien coming back is going to cause a lot of waves throughout Avalon, especially when they find out Morgan was behind it all. What’s left of her province might split off from her, and she doesn’t lose gracefully.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, somehow knowing it wouldn’t be as easy as I needed it to be. “How long do I have to stay here?”
“‘Have to’? You don’t have to stay, but I hope you do. For selfish reasons, of course, but also because Morgan will have her soldiers hunt you down if she learns you’re unprotected.”
“Bastien’s my Guardien. He can keep me safe, right?”
Kerdik looked toward the window, saying nothing for a long time. The silence grew uncomfortable, and then settled between us until he decided on the right words. “He’s your Guardien for as long as you’d like him to be. If you someday decide to move on, you have that right. You can dismiss him, you know.”
My nose crinkled. “Why would I do that? It’s not his fault I got stabbed. No one was expecting Roland to go off the deep end like that.”
Kerdik cleared his throat. “Yes, well. Should you move on from him for any reason, I want you to tell me first thing. It’s too dangerous for you to be unprotected, no matter which world you’re in.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. Bastien and I are together. He asked me to take his Untouchables mark, and I accepted.”
Kerdik’s eyebrows raised, and he turned his chin toward me. “You did? Does he know you said yes?”
“Not yet. I haven’t seen him since Roland was taken to the dungeon.”
Kerdik stood, and then kissed my forehead. “I’ll bring up a tattoo artist who has the necessary tools. If you want to be marked as Untouchable, then we can get that done straightaway.”
“Oh, cool. Thanks.” My eyes darted toward the door. “Shouldn’t Bastien be here for it? I mean, it was his idea.”
“Oh, I’m sure he’ll turn up. And what a lovely surprise you’ll have for him.”
Before I could reply, Kerdik spun on his heel and exited, leaving me to examine the unsettled feeling that was churning in my gut.
Marked
The stooped sixty-year-old artist was nothing like the tattoo professionals in Common. I expected him to wear tons of ink himself, but he was clean, all except a black X on his forehead. I tried not to be put off by it, but it had an ominous vibe of “stay away” to it. “You’re sure this is safe?” I asked, chewing on my lower lip. Kerdik had helped me slide on a shirt over my nightgown, so I was somewhat less exposed for the stranger.
Kerdik held my hand as we sat on the bed, our legs over the side as I examined the tattoo guy with wary eyes. “Of course it’s safe. Bastien already spoke to Bellamy over a week ago, so he’d be ready to mark you as soon as you said yes. Madigan told me as much.”
Bellamy’s hands trembled as he took out a heavy steel quill, complete with a steel feather on the end. It did not bode well with me that the dude doing my tattoo had the shakes. “If you’re ready, your majesty.”
“What’s that?” I asked of the small black pot he unscrewed.
Bellamy was patient with me, though he didn’t need to be. That was my thirtieth question so far. I knew I was being annoying, but I was so nervous. “It’s the ink. Since this isn’t an average tattoo, but the mark of an Untouchable, a little of Bastien the Bold’s blood was mixed in with the ink. It imbibes the wearer with magic that connects the two of you.”
“Huh. Anything crazy? Like, will I be able to shoot hummus out my fingertips if I get hungry?”
Bellamy managed a small smile, his bald head wrinkling. “It’s more an indicator if something’s wrong.”
Kerdik unbuttoned the cuff on his white dress shirt and rolled up his sleeve. “Mix a little of my blood in there, too.”
Bellamy’s mouth fell open. “Surely you don’t think me worthy to touch your blood, Master Kerdik.”
Kerdik’s chin lifted, and his voice came out snippy. “Of course you’re not, but it must be done anyway. The princess belongs to me; I won’t leave her unprotected. Mark her with Bastien’s blood, and also with mine.”
I bumped my shoulder to his, leaning into him easily, like how good friends were meant to do. “You don’t have to do that.”
His eyes sharpened. “You don’t want to wear my blood? You don’t wish for my protection?”
Bellamy took a step back, wary of Kerdik’s childish temper. I rolled my eyes. “Of course I think it’s the sweetest thing, but there’s nothing I can do that’s the equivalent. I mean, your protection comes with some clout. I can barely get out of bed to help if you needed something. Say some old lady comes into the castle and whacks you over the head with her purse, and you needed backup. What could I do from my bed to save you from her elderly wrath?” Kerdik’s chuckle did my heart a world of good. “I don’t feel right taking something big from you, and giving you nothing. That’s not a friendship.”
Kerdik reached up and touched his fingers under my chin, feathering them along the sensitive flesh. “But darling, don’t you know? You love me, and that’s given me everything I need. Your love is my protection, and I wear it proudly everywhere I go. Using my blood with the ink is mostly selfish on my part. I need you whole and well. This ensures that you stay mine, and I always remain yours.”
I leaned my chin on his shoulder, sighing contentedly at the sweetness he never seemed to run short on these days. “How’d I get so lucky?”
I could feel his cheek lifting in a bashful smile. Then his tone sharpened as he addressed the stunned Bellamy. “I’ll give you my blood, and then you’ll mark her. I’ll burn the rest of your ink that has my blood and Bastien’s, so it doesn’t get used for anything else.”
“Yes, your grace.”
After Kerdik cut a small slice across his finger and dribbled a few drops into the ink pot, Bellamy started in on his work. I’d never had a tattoo before, and wasn’t sure how much this one lined up with the more traditional ones in Common. The quill scratched deep into my skin, feeling like an acidic claw from a cat, r
aking in slow motion over the thin flesh of my left wrist. Kerdik held my arm still so I didn’t rip my hand away when the slices grew too hot for comfort. He turned my forehead into his neck, cradling my head to his shoulder so I didn’t see the blood dripping down my skin, or the angry red that burned me like a blush rising from my wrist.
The tattoo on my neck took longer, was awful to grit my teeth through, and I don’t feel like describing the pain of it. It was so bad that I almost cried right there on Kerdik’s shoulder. Luckily, I’m never doing it again. End of story.
When it was finally over, Bellamy was visibly sweating. He kept shooting Kerdik furtive glances, but said nothing. No doubt this was the most stressful tattoo he’d ever done, but in the end, it looked exactly as I expected it to. It perfectly matched Bastien’s, Link’s and Mad’s, and I couldn’t wait to show them. It felt like a rite of passage into the cool kids’ club, and finally, finally I was ready to make that leap. I was cleaned up and bandaged, grinning from the high of getting my very first tattoos.
Bellamy packed up and nearly ran for the door. I caught him before he vanished and said, “Thanks, man. I’ll be sure to tell Bastien what a great job you did. I appreciate you making a house call like this.”
Bellamy shook his head. “No. Don’t tell Bastien it was me who marked you. I was never here.” He winced. “But he’ll know because he gave me his blood last week to use for it. He’ll know it was me!”
I was so confused that I didn’t find the words to ask him what he meant before he ran out of the room. “Well, what was that about?”
Kerdik moved my feet back onto the mattress. “Bastien’s been in a state since Roland was executed. Causing trouble in the village.” He picked up a bowl of cut up fruit from the nightstand and fed me a piece. The strawberry was sumptuous, and tasted like tart sunshine on my tongue. He filled me in on my dad’s slow progress while feeding me bite after bite as I reclined against the pillows that were propped up against my headboard. “I’m hoping to have Urien walking in a few hours. I’ve been giving him small transfusions of my own magic, which works far quicker than anything else.”
“You love him,” I stated, seeing clearly what it looked like when Kerdik truly cared.
“I do. Urien’s one of my few true friends.”
When he pressed another berry to my lips, I pulled back with a grimace. “Whoa. I just realized you’re feeding me. Sorry. I can do that.”
“I don’t mind.”
“But I do. I don’t want you to always be taking care of me. I promise I’ll try to get stabbed less from here on out.” I arrested the bowl from his hands and set it on my lap. I popped another berry in my mouth and chewed thoughtfully. “Should I be worried that Bastien’s not back yet?”
“Do you want to spend your time worrying?”
“I guess not. It feels weird that he wasn’t here when I got my tattoo, you know? It was such a big deal to him. He’ll be happy about the surprise, right?” I munched on some more fruit while I thought aloud. “Link said he was working on a surprise for me. This is a good one for him, right?”
Kerdik studied my face, a sharpness glinting on his features. “I simply can’t wait to see his face when he finds out you’ve been marked as his.”
My Big Speech
“Okay, he can’t lean on you, Rosie. You’re barely stable yourself. Here, Uncle. Use my arm.” Draper offered his elbow to my dad. My brother’s calm authority made both of us feel a little more at ease with our limited progress.
“I remember when Roland was born. He knew you when you were just a baby. I can’t believe he would attack you like that, sweetheart.”
I beamed up at Urien as Kerdik helped me to sit in a chair in the corner of my dad’s room. “I know I’m supposed to be paying attention to what you’re saying, but all I can think is, ‘I have a dad!’”
Urien chuckled, which he did often. He had a soft lightness to his features I hadn’t noticed when his body had been asleep. His hair went down to the middle of his neck, curling on the ends after he’d been bathed and dressed for the day. Richard the Lionhearted, in the flesh. “Indeed, you have a father, and I intend to be the best one Avalon has ever seen.”
I grinned like a goofball up at him. Since I’d come to his room to offer what limited help I could, my eyes saw only his. He was broad-chested and wore his button-up dress shirt like a king. He was tall, had a strong chin, and hands that could build a medieval castle complete with a kingdom of loyal subjects out of rocks and mud. His blue eyes stood out from his caramel-colored hair, twinkling each time he looked at me. My dad was utterly and completely magic.
My dad. Like, a dad who belongs to me. I started daydreaming about the fun adventures we could have together. Maybe he could teach me how to use a bow and arrow. Maybe we could play catch together.
Draper had been talking to me, but I only caught the tail end of whatever he’d been saying. I turned my gaze to him, my brow wrinkled. “I’m sorry, what? I missed it.”
Draper sniggered at my inability to focus on anything other than my dad. “I was asking if you were in pain still. Your legs. Your wrist. Your neck.”
I glanced down at my jeans, shifting to feel the bandages beneath. “I couldn’t feel pain if you knocked me over the head with a brick. I’m too happy.”
“You’re going to have to go out soon,” my dad reminded me. My dad.
“I know. Just soaking it all in. I don’t want to leave you. I feel like the second I turn my head, you’ll be back in that bed all over again.”
Urien smiled, looking regal, even though he was walking like a zombie with arthritis. “I feel the same way about you, dear. But this is the crown. The people will grow restless if they don’t hear from us. Roland’s death was hard on them, and many still don’t understand it. It’s good for them to see your lovely face, hear your voice. Reassure them that our kingdom still stands, and that they didn’t leave their homes in Province 1 for nothing.”
Draper squeezed my father’s hand. “Not to worry. I’ll be with her the entire time.”
“I’m not really one for public speeches, Dad.” I giggled, covering my mouth. “I called you ‘Dad’. Too funny.”
“Too perfect.” Urien straightened his spine, trying to appear regal instead of sickly. “You can read the speech Draper and I worked out for you, then come right back to me.”
“Wouldn’t it be more moving if you did it? I mean, ‘King Urien: Back in Action’ has a nice ring to it.”
“Indeed, but I’m not at my best yet, and the people deserve my best. You’ll have your brother with you, plus your fiancé and your Guardien.” Almost to himself, he added, “You’ll be safe.”
I nodded, not wanting to tell him that I hadn’t seen Bastien in over a week, and Mad and I weren’t really super engaged. Link and Mad had given me a wide berth, eating in the kitchen and leaving early in the morning to lend a hand to the men and women who were rebuilding the city. I was itching to help out, but my dad and Jean-Luc were pretty strict.
“I can go with her,” Kerdik offered. “They would listen if I was by her side.”
Urien narrowed his eyes at his old friend. “You’re publicly allying yourself with Province 9? You’re willing to fight for our kingdom? Because if you stand with Rosalie, that’s what you’re telling the people.”
Kerdik frowned, looking uncomfortably to the side. “I guess you’re right. No, I’m not going to stick around and fight wars that aren’t mine. I just don’t like the idea of her being unprotected out there.”
“Unprotected from what? Who’s going to attack me?”
“No one,” all three men answered in unison.
“Okay, guys. That’s not suspicious at all. Seriously. What’ve I missed out on while I’ve been on bedrest? Who hates my guts now?”
Draper spoke in a light voice I could tell was forced. “Nothing. Just a few of Roland’s followers are upset that he was put down without ceremony. They don’t understand all that he did to you because
we didn’t want it to seem like there was feuding in the royal family.”
“But there was feuding. Big time family feud.”
“I know, but admitting that shows the kingdom’s rulers are weak. Unity is what they need to see from us.” Draper jerked his chin toward the door. “Don’t worry about it. Go on up and change, and I’ll grab Madigan and Bastien.”
“You know where Bastien is? I thought he was too busy building the wall with the guys to come home.” I tried not to let the hurt linger in my voice, but it was no use. I tried to pretend like it was all fine. I mean, who was I to make demands on my boyfriend’s schedule? I didn’t want to be the girl who forced her guy to check in, but at this point, it felt like he was dodging me, and I couldn’t understand why. I mean, if he’d been stabbed three times, no way would anything keep me from him. Link kept telling me when I woke in the morning that I’d “just missed Bastien,” but I had the feeling that wasn’t really what was going on.
Draper’s voice had the edge of avoidance to it. “Don’t worry, kiddo. I’ll have him back before your big speech.”
I nodded, none too confident that was the case. Abraham Lincoln hadn’t seen Bastien with the men at the wall. I would’ve been worried, but Link assured me he’d just seen Bastien, and that all was just fine.
Kerdik didn’t like it when I refused his help getting up the stairs, but he respected it all the same. My legs burned still with the slight exercise, but I gritted my teeth through the tearing feeling I couldn’t shake. When I reached my room, I undressed, tossed my gown over my head and tied back my curls, hoping I looked the part of the princess I was pretending to be.
Kerdik met me at my door, waiting to escort me down like a gentleman. His eyes were guilty, staying on mine for only a second. “You look lovely, as always.”
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I looked ridiculous in the pink dress with maroon and gold edges on the capped sleeves. “What’s wrong, K?”
Stupid Girl Page 27
