Erik let out a strangled cry as Davin’s blade sliced into him yet again. The sound of his brother’s yell had Jackson moving away from her, leaving her to bleed out under the darkening sky.
Jackson attempted to rush Davin but his injured leg wouldn’t allow him the traction he needed to take him down.
“We finished the job! She’s dead! Let’s go! He’s not part of this!” Jackson yelled, holding her braid up for Erik to see. Erik and Davin spun in unison, taking in the view of Alex surrounded by blood, eyes unblinking.
“Alex! Gods, No!” Davin was suddenly there, loomingabove her. He quickly ripped a section of his shirt to apply pressure to her wound. “So much blood.” Davin’s voice shook, his hands roaming across her body, searching as if he couldn’t tell where it was all coming from. She wanted to guide him, to tell him how to help, but the words wouldn’t form. Her body and mind felt detached from everything else around her. The heaviness of her head became too much for her to hold, and she let it loll to the side, just in time to see Jackson grab Erik’s uninjured arm.
“Let’s go!” he barked, roughly shoving him toward the forest where their horses must be.
“We need to confirm she’s dead.” He snarled, yanking his arm out of his brother’s grasp.
“I did! See, her braid to prove it!” He dangled the dark hair in front of his brother’s face.
Erik looked over at her and Davin, who was still trying to staunch the flow of blood, to save her, but Erik must have assumed by the amount of blood beneath her that therewasno saving her. And he was right. She was already dead, lying in the dirt, bested by the spawn of Rune filth.
Seeing their chance to escape, the twins limped away, blood gushing from their own wounds. What felt like only moments later, the pounding of hooves echoed into the dusk, fading into the distance. Neither bothered to look back.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Knocking On Death’s Door
Davin
Davin kneeled, watching as they ran, helpless to stop them. He had to continue putting pressure on Alex’s wound, or risk her bleeding out. Gods, how he wanted to make them beg for their lives before he sank his blade deep between their ribs, causing their lungs to fill with blood. He would revel in their internal drowning, knowing they would be unable to scream for help. But their deaths would have to come later. They weren’t worth her life.
Alex’s bleeding seemed to be slowing but not fast enough. She was still alive, for now, her chest rising and falling in rapid succession. Taking out his dagger, he cut away her leathers, exposing the jagged wound beneath. Blood had soaked completely through the scrap of his shirt already. Running on instinct, he ripped his shirt off and flipped it inside out, hoping that might decrease the chance of infection. He was going to have to pack the wound andthis was the best he could do for now. He only hoped that she remained unconscious, for the pain that this would cause her would be immense. Sucking in a breath, he focused his trembling fingers on the task in front of him and shoved away his pounding fear. He wouldn’t lose her. He couldn't. With as much care as possible, Davin removed the blood-saturated scrap and replaced it with his shirt, gently pushing the cloth into the wound just enough to stem the bleeding.
They were exposed out here on the road and losing light at an alarming pace. He needed to get her back home and assess how bad the damage truly was. Lifting her into his arms, he sealed her body to his, securing the wound, and ignored the massive pool of blood under her. He kept his steps measured, trying not to jostle her too badly. She remained silent, her arms hanging at her side, head limp against his chest.
After what felt like eternity, Davin kicked open the door to his cabin, having little regard for the now broken lock. Heading straight for his bedroom, he gently lowered her unconscious body onto his bed, making quick note of her bleeding. Leaving her, he raced down the hall gathering supplies as he ran. Skidding to a stop by his bed, he grabbed one of the clean towels and began ripping it into strips, creating makeshift bandages. Alex hadn’t moved but her breathing seemed to be steadier.
Removing his saturated shirt, he inspected the wound. Shit, this was bad, but he didn’t think they’d hit anything vital. She had to be in excruciating pain though, and for that reason, he was incredibly grateful she was unconscious. “It’s ok. You’re ok. I won’t fail you.” Davin picked up another towel and carefully wedged it underneath her before grabbing the canteen of water to flush her wound. The moment the water sluiced over her inflamed skin, Alex let out a high pitched whine, followed by alow plea. “Please, no.”
“Shhh, it’ll be okay, just a little more and I’ll stop.” Davin kept his pace steady as he methodically cleaned the blood and debris from the wound.
“Don’t go. Don’t. Leave. Me.” Alex begged in a tiny voice that caused him to freeze. Her eyes were closed but he could see them moving rapidly under her eyelids. His gut clenched with her words and the overwhelming desire to comfort her physically pained him. Reaching out to stroke her cheek, he gave her the only reassurance he could, “I’m not going anywhere, princess. I’m right here.”
Picking up the strips of towel, he continued applying the bandages tightly to bind the wound. It wasn’t pretty, but it would hold. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he smoothed what was left of her hair back from her face. Her features were more relaxed than they had been and he held out hope that was a good sign. The fear he had felt watching those men attack her had been all consuming. He had sworn he would never allow anyone that power over him again, yet she had him breaking that promise. “Who were those men? Why do they want you dead? Whoareyou, Alex?”
Davin paced along the rug in his bedroom. His hair disheveled from the fight and from running his hands through it for the past eight hours. Alex had still not awakened. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This was bad, so very fucking bad. Fighting, he could handle. Stealing, sneaking, conniving, sure, they weren’t pleasant, but those things could be dealt with. This? Davin didn’t know how to do this. ‘Breathe.’The memory struck him,hard enough to stop his steps. ‘Be the calm - the steady hands in the dark.’
He could hear Nila’s voice tenderly offering him solace. He repeated it. “Be the calm - the steady hands in the dark.”A nerve settling calm fell over him as a plan formed in his mind. First, get her to a healer. Brynn healers couldn’t handle a wound like hers; they wouldn't be able to do much of anything with their simple healing tonics and salves. She would need better.
The sun was beginning to disturb the horizon now. They’d need to hurry if they stood a chance. As much as it pained him, he needed to wake her.
He left her just long enough to gather supplies for their journey, since hers had been strewn to the ground during the fight. Then, he readied the horse, hooking his cart to the mare and depositing his pack of supplies in the back. His horse had galloped away when he launched himself off it in a panic to help Alex and only Sindu knew where it had run off to.
He hurried back into the house, stopping directly in the center of his living space and only paused a moment before sliding his couch aside and pulling up the floorboard just underneath. He didn’t even give himself time to consider his choice as he pocketed what he hoped he’d never need. Dropping the couch back into place, Davin headed to the bedroom, relief flooding him as Alex’s pain clouded gray eyes met his.
“Alex.” He rushed to her side. “Thank Keil you’re awake!” Brushing the back of his hand across her forehead, he noted the coolness and ashen color of her face. She had been shivering off and on all night, despite the many blankets he had wrapped her in. Alex shuddered at his touch, her eyes fluttering closed, and the most pitiful whimper escaped her. He hated that he was going to cause her pain again, but he had to move her.
“I need to move you. I am going to pick you up, ok? This is going to hurt. I’m sorry.”
Alex nodded, just the slightest movement. He bent, slowly gathering her in his arms. Her entire body tensed with anguish before relaxing into him.
“I’ve got you, princess,” he murmured, cradling her to his chest. Once outside, he laid her gently on the makeshift pallet in the cart, tucking blankets tightly around her. He knew this journey was going to be agonizing but he could do little to change that. Hurrying to the front of the cart, Davin snapped the reins and they jerked down the road leading to town.
She was buffeted by blankets and cushions as they moved away from his home. Every bump and shift caused moans and mumbled curses from Alex. Although Davin hated to hear her cries, at least if she was making noise, she was breathing and alive.
