What are you doing?
What are—
“Bringing her back.”
Back.
Back—
The blade fell onto the marble floor. The sound bounced off the walls, ringing in my ears.
My lips numbed when his soft skin brushed over them. Wetness fell onto my tongue. My eyes flew open when the crimson reached my throat.
Francis’ bleeding wrist pressed against my lips as the drops of his blood spilled into my mouth. My healthy hand pressing his injury closer. My nails dug into his skin, clinging onto him like a drowning man to a branch.
“Good thinking.” Roxanne nodded to Francis whose eyes never left mine as my teeth bored deep into his flesh. “I’m almost done,” Roxanne said, setting an empty jar onto the table.
The sickness subsided, leaving nothing but an uncomfortable numbness to take its place. Francis’ blood calmed the flame so slightly, or perhaps it was the berries, I cared not.
My throat soothed as the crimson warmed my insides. I closed my eyes, submitting to the weakness.
It wasn’t long before my nausea returned anew.
I pushed Francis’ wrist away, filling my lungs with air, though the sickness did not step away. As though on a boat, the strong ocean pushed me in every direction, spinning my head drunk.
I’d been on a boat once when Father took me and Brian to see his older brother in a Kingdom across the sea—
A moan pushed past my lips when a new wave dragged me under.
Francis’ hand fell onto my sweaty forehead. “She is still burning.”
“I know.” Roxanne sighed. “We don’t have any herbs at the castle to bring down the fever.”
“I can go to Faris and get some,” Florence’s voice appeared out of nowhere. How long had she been standing there for?
“No,” Roxanne exclaimed as the ice touched my numb hand. “You are not going to Faris by yourself. Francis will go with you.”
“I can’t leave her,” he protested, pressing a cold cloth against my head.
“You know nothing of burns, it is better I stay with her.”
Silence stretched across the room, save for my racing heart echoing in my ears.
“Let’s get her to bed first,” Francis said at last when my eyes shut, welcoming the peace.
A cloud wrapped around me as I floated through space. Weightless was my body, weightless were my thoughts; my head fell onto the soft pillow, the smell of which brought me comfort.
“I can’t believe you knew she’d been burning herself and didn’t tell me,” Francis hissed. My eyelids were too heavy to open, my lips sealed close.
“I didn’t think she would do this!” Roxanne hissed back. “And need I remind you, she burned herself while in the same house as you. How could you not notice?”
“I would have noticed, if you told—”
“This is not the time,” Florence hissed at them both. “And I am truly sick of your constant arguments.”
“You know I am right—” Francis started.
“Don’t.” My lips felt like rocks against each other. “Fight.” I swallowed the dryness in my throat.
