“Nothing worse than the rumors floating through the air about you.”
“Understood.” I dip my chin, the doors to Eveera’s room coming quickly into view, and Marjorie surges forward. She spurs us over to the bed, where I set Eveera down onto the bed, her eyes staring out hollowly. I give Felix a terse expression before climbing up onto the bed and positioning myself behind her.
PAT! PAT!“Eveera, look at me.”PAT!PAT!“Come on, look at me.” She says firmly.
Eveera’s head lolls to the side, “I just want them off.” Her plea barely above a whisper.
Marjorie sifts through the bag she has, bringing out a warped, archaic-looking tool. She tugs on the shackle around Eveera’s wrist and fits the mouth of the tool between skin and manacle. Her Wield glows around her hands, spreading around the instrument.
Before she puts any pressure on the tool, she gives Felix a grim look, “clear the castle.”
Felix turns sharply out of the room, not asking any further questions. A few moments later, the alert bells begin to chime throughout the stone walls, followed by the thunderous sound of feet. “Why do we need to clear the castle?” I ask carefully.
Marjorie looks over to me with her tired green eyes, “because she’s not going to be able to control herself.Youare going to have to be the one to pull her back before she kills herself and the two of us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Honestly, boy, are you dim?” She scoffs, “useyour Wield.” The words send a shiver down my spine, followed by a pit forming in my stomach.
When the air stills again, she focuses her self back onto the shackle, her lips moving as she recites her chants. I brace my arms around Eveera, fusing her body to mine, and Marjorie Wields. Gold magic webs around the skin underneath the metal, and Marjorie squeezes the handle. After the first few pumps the a split forms through the mage shackle.Thank the fucking gods. I curse.
Marjorie grows louder and repeats the motion again and again until the damned thing cracks all the way through, falling from her wrist and thumping onto the mattress. Her joint is covered in blisters and bruises.
Bastard.I growl in my mind while watching her healer wrap her palms over the sores. Her magic gleams through the seams of her fingers.
“Onto the next.” Marjorie quietly notes. Her voice draws me from my thoughts, and I push my anger down, readjusting my hold while she moves onto the right shackle. I hadn’t even realized she’d cracked all the way through the other shackle, before I am slammed backwards by a wall of painful magic, paralyzing me as the room plunges into darkness.
–
“SMACK! “Stupid boy!” My lip stings from the cut his ring has opened up again. “What a dishonor you are to this kingdom! Poisonous mist! An omen if there ever was one.” My vision goes black, and I can feel my eye start to swell, and that the bones in my nose are broken. “P-please don’t lock me up here again. PLEASE.” His laugh rings out through the room. “Please don’t lock me up here again.” He mocks before landing a kick in between my ribs. “P-please.” I sob out –
“Don’t. Touch. Her.” My words are gravelly. The first man turns towards me - only his eyes are visible from the coverings on his head. “Too late for that, isn’t it?” The sound of fabric tearing and then her flesh echoes in the room, but she doesn’t scream this time. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she passed out from the pain. I reach for my magic again and try to Wield it in their direction, but nothing comes. They continue to make tiny slits in her skin and clothes, adding to that pool. Their laughter grates on my last nerves as I jerk towards her a third time, my muscles screaming against the wounds and the shackles that they have me in. “I said not to touch her.” The man Gribly turns to me, “what, don’t want to watch us play with your little friend?” He takes a stubby finger and tugs on the waistband of her underwear, snapping it against her skin. The touch has me seeing red. “I’ll have your hand for doing that,” I growl. The man steps in close to her, taking a deep inhale. “She smells so sweet, prince, I can see…”
–
“St-stop.” I choke out, willing all the strength I can muster into my hand to drag it up to her face. I fasten my palm tightly over her mouth and nose, commanding my Wield to cooperate. A guttural scream tears through me as I fight against the full, exacerbated force of her magic. Through the slits of my eyes, I see the mists of mine enveloping us, but it still takes several seconds for her body to respond. The black magic slams into her arms and chest, and she sucks in a deep, rattling breath.
Her body relaxes against my chest, and I coax the poison back, the two of us slumping over. From my peripheral vision, I see two slippered feet.
Confused, I lean over the bed to find Marjorie’s frail body is crumpled in a heap on the floor.
Her breaths are shallow, but relief fills me at the sound of each inhale and exhale.At least she’s not dead. My conscience quips.
With that assurance, I slide Eveera and I into a curled position on top of the bed, tucking her head into the crook of my neck. I’m careful not to bump her wrists, knowing that the wounds there will take more than just one session from Marjorie to heal. No doubt, she’ll want to argue about how she likes the scars – that they’re no worse than the others adorning her skin. But nobody should have to look at a reminder like that. Least of all her.
I hadn’t realized that I’d fallen asleep until I felt the gentle shaking of my shoulder.
Groggily, I crack my eyes open to find Armond standing above me. When the realization of where I am sinks in, panic fills my chest, and I snap my head to the right.
I’m relieved to find Eveera still unconscious and curled into a ball next to me.
Thank the bleeding gods I didn’t hallucinate you…
“She’s going to be like that for a while.”
Armond motions for me to follow him, and begrudgingly, I slide out from the covers, the mattress dipping with me as I rise. Taking the soft cover in my hand, I pull the fabric up and over her shoulder. She lets out a satisfied sigh when the warmth of the blanket settles over her, and I lean forward, pressing a gentle kiss to the sliver of exposed skin. “I’ll be back.”
It’s difficult to peel myself away from her, but somehow, I manage and trail after her newly appointed – or reinstated – head guard.
