His face bunched like she’d wounded him. When he didn’t deny it, Orelia broke down. She sobbed into her hands, not caring how much it hurt as she slipped off the tub.
Vade caught her, and they slid to the ground.
She pushed against his chest. “Go away!”
“Orelia, please.”
She struggled, but he only held her tighter.
“You don’t give a fuck about me! No one does!” She punched his chest, thrashing in his grip, but Vade weathered each hit, never letting her go.
“That’s not true.”
“Liar!” Her muscles were too weak, and she was too tired to keep fighting. Orelia bawled, unable to see anything through her tears.
She let Vade gently cup the back of her head and pull her into his chest. She hated him. She hated the world. She hated how cruel life was. But she had nothing left to give, so she cried into his chest for everything she’d never be.
He rocked her gently as Orelia cried herself into exhaustion. She didn’t know how long they sat on the floor, but eventually Vade whispered, “Let’s get you into bed.”
He carried her into the main room and laid her on the plush mattress topped in soft blankets. Tired, hopeless, and numb, Orelia managed to get under the covers while Vade rummaged through his pack.
Heavy-lidded eyes were about to close when pain erupted in her body.
Orelia arched, crying out to the ceiling. Her throat felt like it was closing, insides on fire.
She clenched the blankets, Vade’s face over hers in an instant. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked, panicked.
She began foaming at the mouth.Notnightshade.
“Moon . . .seed.” She spit, heat scorching her insides. Her muscles weren’t working right as she fell back into the bed, paralysis setting in.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” she heard Vade shout.
Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and she felt him pry her mouth open. More liquid went down her throat. Orelia choked, but Vade covered her mouth so she would swallow it all.
She was going to die.Her muscles twitched, spit dribbling out the corner of her mouth.
Hands gripped her face. “Stay with me, Orelia. Stay with me.”
The roiling heat inside her worked its way back to a simmer, function returning to her arms, and feeling resuming in her face. Her eyes focused on the man holding onto her.
“Fucking hells,” Vade said through a thankful breath.
“What . . .what did you give me?” she asked, sitting up, utterly confused at how quickly whatever he’d given her had worked.
“Seidr sana. It can negate the effect of almost anything, heal almost any wound. A last resort.”
She touched her face, finding the cut on her forehead had closed.
“Wow. That works fast.”
Vade panted, wide eyes on hers.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
He ran a hand through his hair. “I thought . . .I didn’t know if you were going to make it.”
Not ‘you almost died so I would have died too,’ but he was genuinely concerned forher.
