The creature died silently. No explosions or devastating noise, just a clap as reality split and absorbed it, then a gust of wind when the tear collapsed into itself. As soon as it all passed, the candles burst back into flames. Everyone surged forward with a mixed of startled vociferations, eager to discover what happened. They all paused as their eyes adjusted to the scene before them.
Terrin stood above Kai with one arm raised. He looked pale and drawn, like the pigment had been sucked from his skin. Everyone let out alarmed exclamations and rushed forward. Rowan released Aleah, who knelt beside the fallen prince with remorse etched in her features. She elevated his bruised face in her lap and brushed away his matted hair. While everyone was focused on Kai, Terrin shakily picked up his bracelet and closed the charm before putting it back on. When he looked at the rest of his party, he noticed Elurra’s sharp gaze on him. He tried to grin at her reassuringly, but his smile froze and turned to a grimace. His eyes rolled back in his head, and as soon as his irises disappeared, his limbs crumpled under him. Elurra, Snore, and Rowan rushed to his side. Meanwhile, Aleah was panicking as she tried to support Kai’s upper body in her lap.
“Is he alive?” she demanded, her eyes refusing to leave his battered face.
Kai’s expression was contorted in pain, like he was living in a nightmare. She sighed in relief when she saw his chest rise and fall as he took a shallow breath. Plague knelt beside her and placed his fingers on Kai’s neck.
“His pulse is very faint,” he reported.
Aleah turned to look at Elurra, who was checking Terrin’s eyelids. She turned back to Plague, and he helped her lift Kai’s body. Rowan led them down the hall to their rooms. It occurred to Aleah that no one had responded to Kai’s earth-shattering cries, which was strange to say the least.
Maybe the Demon blocks others from interfering, she thought. The notion gave her chills.
“Aleah and I will look after Terrin and Kai. Snore and Plague can share a room, and Rowan and Tristen can share the other. We will need some cold cloths for their heads,” Elurra said to the group as she took control of the situation.
“I’ll go get some,” Tristen volunteered as he dashed toward the stairs.
Elurra and Plague carried Terrin to the nearest room while Aleah and Rowan carried Kai’s limp body into the one across the hall. Aleah and Elurra situated the unconscious men on one of the beds in each room while Rowan and Plague lit candles and the fire. Tristen came in a few minutes later with damp cloths.
“What do you think happened out there?” Tristen asked softly as he dabbed Terrin’s forehead.
“Nitiri sent that thing to kill us, and Terrin stopped it somehow,” Elurra answered.
Tristen looked startled. “Didn’t Terrin kill it?”
“How would he achieve that?”
“I don’t know. Magic?”
She was silent, and he moved to a new topic when he sensed she didn’t want to talk about sorcery. “I feel bad for them, but I’m afraid Kai might fare worse. Terrin is the healer, after all. Without him, Kai might not have much of a chance.”
“I know a little about healing,” Elurra reassured him.
“What? You aren’t a healer,” Aleah blurted out. Elurra glanced over and saw her in the doorway.
“I lived with a healer for the last few months and read everything I could get my hands on. I picked up some knowledge on the subject,” she said crisply.
Tristen looked uncomfortable with the tension in the air. “Let me know if you need anything,” he mumbled hastily as he exited.
Elurra grabbed Terrin’s medical pack and crossed the hall with Aleah. The two girls silently applied a salve to Kai’s bruised face, and then Elurra went back to her room without a word. Aleah sighed when she was left alone with the prince. She went to bed a short time later, recognizing there was absolutely nothing she could do.
Aleah drifted off into a restless sleep only to wake abruptly. She rolled over and rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the dim light from the dying fire. She felt restless, so she got up and tiptoed over to Elurra’s room after checking to make sure Kai was still breathing. She often checked on Elurra when she was younger, and after the Demon attack, she wanted to make sure the princess was okay. She quietly slipped into the room, but Elurra’s bed was empty. She almost panicked before she realized Elurra was curled up beside Terrin. After the lightning show Terrin put on earlier, Aleah had become wary of the dark-haired youth, but Elurra didn’t seem to share any of her reservations. Her petite face rested on his shoulder, and her hand lay protectively on his chest. Terrin had moved in his sleep, his head resting at an angle above hers. They looked so innocent, although Terrin was still pale and sweaty. Aleah felt sadness creep into her heart. Elurra used to sleep in her bed when she was afraid of sleeping alone. Her parents were often gone, so she had automatically looked to Aleah for protection, but those days were long gone.
She briefly toyed with the notion that they were romantically involved, but she pushed the thought away. She doubted either of them even understood attraction or romance at their age. She sighed miserably and returned to her room where she plopped down beside Kai’s body.
What bliss to be that young and naïve, she thought bitterly.
She looked at Kai’s bruised face and noted it looked less purple and more yellowish blue. The herbs seemed to be taking some effect. She stared at him for a long moment and chastised herself for finding Kai attractive. He was charming, funny, bright, and had a habit of leaping without thinking, which Aleah thought was entertaining and surprisingly brave. Despite his complaints, he did what he thought was right with a determination that seemed to always get him into trouble.
He is also looking for a bride, Aleah thought dryly. After all, his interest in Nitiri had landed him in the dungeon, and he’d already tried to romance Elurra. She couldn’t help but recall Rowan’s dare. She flushed deeply and covered her face to hide her embarrassment.
Why did he protect me from that thug? She wished she could ask him. She dragged herself out of her thoughts as Kai started twitching and moaning.
“Help…” he rasped, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He arched off the bed then slammed back down, bucking.
“Kai?” she murmured as she braced her hands against his shoulders to restrain him. He thrashed violently, throwing his blankets away.
“The pain! Make it stop,” he cried. “So lonely…dark…” His eyes rolled aimlessly in their sockets, and his body shuddered.
“Wake up!” she hissed urgently as she shook him.
She was afraid of what was happening to him. He sounded like something else was talking through him. Kai gripped her arms and pulled himself up, his demented face drawn and long. His eyes swiveled down to reveal his irises, although they looked dull and vacant. The agony etched in his features was so raw it hurt to look at.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Please! Escape…so alone…” His voice reminded her of a file on a glass pane.
“I want to help you, but I don’t know how.” Her heart swelled, and remorse bubbled inside of her. “Kai, I am so sorry. I’ve said so many things I didn’t mean. It’s—I get so mad, and it hurts to be around you sometimes…but please don’t die…” She trailed off when he convulsed again, more violently than the last time. He gasped painfully, like something was choking him, and sweat broke out over his body.
“Get me out! I need to get out!” he cried as he gripped her forearms painfully.
“You’re hurting me!” she said, trying not to cry. He squeezed tighter, digging his nails into her skin. “Let go!”
She slapped him across the face, desperate to break his grasp. His grip loosened, and his eyes rolled up into his head again. He fell back onto the pillow, breathing steadily. She pulled away from him, thoroughly shaken, and retreated across the room. She rubbed her arms and took a few uneasy breaths, trying to calm herself. For a few moments, she had been terrified he would seriously hurt her.
“Aleah?”
She spun around, afraid to believe her ears. Kai was propped up on one elbow. The effort seemed to drain all his energy. She rushed to his side and poured him a glass of water from the pitcher on the end table. The weak prince flopped back onto the bed, so she supported his head with her hand and tilted the glass to his lips. He gratefully gulped it down.
“Is that better?”
He nodded, trying to sit up again.
“Stop moving. You’re very weak,” she said sternly as she pushed him back down.
He coughed violently, and strange black liquid spattered his bedsheets. Aleah quickly cleaned his lips with the cloth they’d used to cool him down.
“What happened?” he asked weakly, his voice no longer raw. “All I remember…I was lost in a dark hellscape. Then I heard your voice.”
“My voice?” she asked, dumbfounded. He nodded, seeming more confident.
“Yes. You kept telling me to wake up, but I did not know how. Then I jolted awake,” He sounded puzzled. “How did you do that?”
Aleah flushed and looked away. “You started thrashing in your sleep, then you grabbed me and wouldn’t let go, so I hit you.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You hit me?”
She nodded, looking ashamed. “I’m sorry. You were hurting me. I didn’t know what else to do.”
He stared at her a moment, then started to laugh. “You are the only person I know who has the nerve to hit me. You probably saved my life,” he said softly, rubbing his bruised cheek. “Although, I do not think my face is as grateful.”
Aleah gave him a small smile, but his faded when he saw her expression.
“What is it?” he asked, his green eyes vibrant again. Her shoulders slumped.
“I thought you were going to die. When you started screaming…” She trailed off, trying to keep tears at bay. His expression turned grim.
“I thought I was doomed, too.”
An awkward silence stretched between them.
“Why did you protect me?” she asked. She hadn’t meant to blurt out the question, but her curiosity took over. “You risked your life for me when there’s so much at stake. Why?”
“I do not want to see anything bad happen to you.”
“Why not?”
He rubbed his forehead and fidgeted with his blanket, obviously uncomfortable. He couldn’t seem to meet her eyes. “What do you mean, ‘why not?’ General decency? We are friends, are we not?”
“Well yes, but you didn’t know if he was actually going to hurt me. He was just going to—”
“I know what he was going to do, and I could not permit such a thing!”
“Why? I’m a governess. Why does my treatment matter? After all, getting you back to Amora in one piece is our top priority to stop a war. Your wellbeing is much more important than mine.” she probed.
“It matters. No one should touch you like that. Not Rowan, and especially not some scummy, barbaric oaf.”
“Why are you bringing up Rowan?”
His face morphed into an indifferent mask. “Forget it,” he said curtly as he looked out the window.
“Kai—” she started. He glanced back at her, his expression measured. He was sitting right beside her, yet she felt a gap between them widening.
“It’s her, isn’t it?” Aleah asked venomously. “Elurra is the reason you saved me. You did it to impress her, right?”
“What? No, I—”
“How stupid of me. None of you royal types care about a mere peasant like me; you just want to impress each other with your acts of valor. It gets you in plenty of trouble, doesn’t it? Having to charm every girl you meet must be a chore.”
“You have it all wrong! I—”
“You go out of your way to charm rich noble girls, but you never look twice at—”
The rest of her words were cut short. Kai leaned forward quickly, and his lips crashed into hers like a wave hitting the rocky shore, determined force broken by passionate embrace, stopping her dead in her tracks. Heat rushed to her face as his fingers laced through her hair. She felt all her anger and resentment melt away like ice thrown into a fire. He pulled away unexpectedly, leaving her speechless and dizzy with adrenaline.
“Why—”
“I cannot stand the idea of anyone else touching you, alright? That is why I stepped in.”
His breath came out in heavy grasps. He kissed her again, but that time she reciprocated as she caved into her repressed emotions. After what felt like eons, he pulled away and pressed his forehead against hers. “You are incredibly frustrating and contrary, but you drive me absolutely crazy.” His green eyes burned with intensity as he looked at her for the first time without hiding his desires. Aleah was incredibly confused.
“But if you—what?” she stuttered.
Kai slowly pulled away and sighed. “There are a lot of things you do not know. Promise you will let me explain without interrupting?” He gave her a pleading look, and she nodded reluctantly.
“I am engaged.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. “Let me finish. When I was a child, an agreement was made. I am betrothed to Rena, the daughter of my father’s chief military general and closest friend, unless I found a replacement by my twenty-first birthday. That was two weeks ago. I have been desperately trying to find a bride to break the arrangement, as I have only met Rena twice. She is as opposed to marrying me as I am her, but she will be forced to if I return without a substitute. I was dead set on finding someone at the ball, and many in the upper circles knew of my plight, so noblewomen from all five kingdoms showed up to my birthday celebration. It was completely overwhelming, but I knew I had to find someone—anyone—to marry. Even if I do not care for them, it will at least spare Rena the misery of enduring our arrangement and despising me for eternity. That is when I ran into Nitiri—”
“And that’s why you kissed Elurra?”
“I did not actually—you were awake?” Aleah nodded. “I never kissed Elurra. I did try, but I could not force myself to do it. I do not want to marry someone I have never met. Elurra is beautiful and strong, but from what Terrin has mentioned, she is not as old as she looks. I was hoping to find someone I respect before I married them. Love is a luxury I do not have, but I figured if I could find someone who has the bloodline and a queenly countenance, it would be enough. Unfortunately, I seem to be terrible at choosing women. Or at least, I need to steer clear of Lur Alavian nobility,” he said with an ironic chuckle as he looked up at the ceiling.
“But I cannot seem to do it. I cannot live with marrying for the sake of a political alliance. I know that is what my family wants, but I do not think I can be faithful to a wife I do not love, especially when my heart belongs to another girl. If I marry a random woman, I will regret it for the rest of my days. I will grow to resent her, and no one deserves a husband who wishes they were someone else. You have so cruelly labeled me as a noblewoman chaser, and in a sense that is the truth, but I do not want just anyone, I want…” He trailed off and looked at her, making it clear what he coveted.
Aleah flushed and looked away from his impassioned eyes. He gently reached out and ran his hand across her cheek. “You are the boldest girl I have ever met. You stand up to me and are not afraid to hold your ground. No one else has the spine to tell me their honest opinion. I am so tired of being lied to in attempts to please me. You always tell me what you really think and not what you think I want to hear. You are also kind and have a heart for those in need. You are beautiful, inside and out, and I have wanted you since you saved me in those frigid dungeons.”
Aleah’s stomach tied itself into knots, and her heart thundered inside her chest. Kai sighed and lowered his hand as he averted his gaze. “But my parents have made it very clear that the benefits of my position come at a steep price, and right now Amora needs me to make an alliance with another kingdom. Our trade negotiations have been deteriorating on all sides, especially with Reagn and Lur Alava, and they need me to marry someone of noble birth to strengthen our relations.”
Aleah looked down at her hands as she choked out, “I take it you haven’t found any alliance suitable enough to break your engagement?” She could feel his gaze lingering on her before he sighed and rested his head back on his pillow.
“I honestly have no idea what I am going to do,” he admitted, his voice soft enough to get lost in the silence of the night. Aleah’s throat constricted, and she tried to keep herself from crying.
The only thing worse than having feelings for Kai is knowing he reciprocates them but belongs to someone else.