“Yes, well no … I …”
All logic abandons me, and I charge at Osheen, shoving him as hard as I can. Once, twice. On the third time, I pound my fists against his broad chest. Again and again, until I’m swinging like a mad woman, shouting at him. “You betrayed us, you coward!”
I shut my eyes as I pummel him with my fists. He doesn’t fight me or step away. He just stands there and takes it. When I dare to look at him again, thick bands of shadows are coiled around his body, from his ankles up to his mouth. His eyes bulge frantically, his arms bound beneath the dark bands. I step away from him, dropping my hands as pain creeps into the back of my skull and moves to the front of my head.
A high-pitched sound erupts in my ear, bringing along agonizing pressure that makes my gut roil as though I’m being tossed about on a boat. I press the heels of my hands against my ears as the world around me spins and I completely lose track of where I am in space.
This isn’t magic.
It’s an episode, and it hits me like a satchel of bricks—with more force than ever before.
I stagger back, but strong hands grasp my arms from behind. My stomach lurches again as everything tilts on its axis. My mouth waters unpleasantly, and as the world spins around me, vomit rushes up my throat. I double over, spewing the contents of my stomach.
I don’t have a clue about what goes on around me, but a firm arm envelopes me, holding me upright even as my legs give in.“I’ve got you,”Kilkenny says into my aching head.
Then darkness yanks me into its cold embrace.
CHAPTER 70
Durvla
Osheen betrayed us.
Taig isn’t safe. He may not even be alive.
Osheen came along on this journey with us, knowing that the Forayers had already been sent in pursuit of my little brother. He’d agreed to spy on us in exchange for the safety of his family.
I hate him so much that it hurts.
The scent of marjoram and a hint of musk floods my nose, and a warm presence surrounds me even as the world jostles and shifts. My head feels like it’s been split open with an axe, and nausea ripples through me in waves that leave me clutching my stomach. I groan and the presence around me tightens.
When I try to open my eyes, blinding agony erupts through my forehead. I clench my jaw and swallow the bile that rises into my throat. More tears leak.
The thought that I may never see Taig again rips at my heart, shattering my purpose.
I am weightless, and at the same time, more laden than ever before. What’s the point of continuing this journey? I might as well just lie down in the road and wait for Forayers to pick my body apart like the buzzards they are.
My head falls back against a solid, warm something, and I let unconsciousness tug me under again.
The next time pain lances through my head and my ears, there’s a soft surface beneath me. I slide my hand out, reaching to feel anything. Fabric bunches beneath my exploring fingers, and the fresh scent of linen fills my nose. Something warm settles over my hand, and I almost pull back before Kilkenny’s voice fills my head. “It’s alright. You’re safe.”
Safe. Unlike Taig.
I turn my face into the pillow to stifle the sob that escapes. A moment later, the soft surface that I’m on sinks in and Kilkenny wraps his arm around me. The scent of fresh marjoram and peppermint envelopes me. I focus on the scent, on the weight of his arm around my waist, and his solid form pressed against mine. Soon I drift off again, leaving behind the hammering in my skull.
The next time I wake, bright, blinding light pours in and everything spins. I lean over the edge of the bed and retch, the bitterness triggering even more nausea. My stomach tries to wring itself dry, competing with the searing, repeated stabbing in my head and chest.
Alys is here, tending to me. I know the gentle touch of her hand and the warmth of her magic. It trickles into my head as she presses her hand to my clammy skin, and the overwhelming pounding dies down to a subtle throb. She leads me to the bathing chamber, taking on the brunt of my weight, since my sight is unreliable.
Then, I’m back in bed, my senses still on edge. I partially meet Alys’s steady, grey gaze. “I wish I could take it all away, sweetling,” she says.
My throat swells, and I turn my face away again. I can’t handle her sympathy right now. It only reminds me of how futile this all is. I might as well have stayed in the brig under Paramount.
I don’t realize that I’ve fallen asleep until I awaken to a warm hand on my face. Kilkenny’s lips move, but I don’t make out what he says as I seek sleep again.
It’s that way for a while. I wake, see someone, maybe sip a bit of lukewarm water, then give in to oblivion again. Over and over until it no longer feels like sticking a hot poker through my ear and into my brain every time I open my eyes. I draw in a breath. Physically I’m feeling better, but my very spirit still aches.
I slowly roll onto my back, and it’s like the world has been flipped upside down.
