“What happened to the ones I brought down yesterday?” I ask.
He shrugs and looks away. “Can’t find them.” He takes another bite of toast.
I step away from the bed and start rummaging through all of the stuff that has accumulated down here.
“What are you doing?” Jade asks.
“Looking for the painkillers.”
“Don’t bother. I’ll have another look later.”
I turn back to look at him, but he won’t look at me. “I don’t mind. Can’t have you suffering through a headache.”
Jade doesn’t answer me. He just slowly chews his toast.
Something deep inside of me pulses in pain. It feels as if my insides are twisting up into knots. I turn away from Jade to hide my shaky inhale.
It’s not the fey, I know it’s not. Between all the magic around here, the mosttheydo is make the lights flicker and sometimes give him freaky dreams.
It’s not the fey that are slowly killing Jade. It’s this place. This dungeon and the unending dark.
I run my hand through my hair and sneak in another fortifying breath. Find the painkillers. Focus on that. It’s something I can do right now that will help.
With that determined thought in mind, I get to work. I look everywhere. Then I search again. What the hell? I know I brought them down yesterday and I don’t think I’m the one who is losing their mind.
In exasperation, I stomp over to Reginald the stuffed frog and his place in the corner of the room.
“It’s okay! My headache has gone!” Jade says all in a rush.
But my body is already moving. My arms lift up the frog. Three unopened packets of painkillers glare up at me. My heart stops beating.
Slowly, heavily, I turn to face Jade. His eyes meet mine. Full of pain and shame. His cheeks flush. Then he looks down at his lap with his shoulders slumped.
I swallow, and the sound is deafening.
Far, far in the back of my mind, where I buried them and locked them away, memories are roaring at me. All but screaming. Memories of the awful way my brother Liam left me.
I rouse myself with a full body shake. “Come on. We are going for a walk.”
Jade stares at me, confusion swirling over his face.
“The whole estate is magic warded, isn’t it?” I say. “And you still have the amulet.”
Jade blinks slowly.
“Let’s go!” I announce.
I step forward, grab his hand, and yank him out of bed. Then I propel him to the door and up the stairs before he has time to process what is happening.
I’m so glad I shut the kitchen door behind me. Now no one can see the hallway down to the nearest door to the gardens. I hurriedly steer Jade down it, and then fling open the door.
It’s taken less than two minutes to get Jade outside. Two measly little minutes. I should have done it ages ago.
Jade stops walking. I look at him.
His face is tilted up to the sky, even though it is only an overcast winter day. His eyes are closed. He is basking in the weak February sunlight and there is a faint smile on his lips.
I tug on his hand. I really want to get further into the gardens before anyone looks out of a window and sees us.
