“I’m going to get Ember and give Fallon a ride home,” Ariyon told his brother. Ember was his horse, and I was grateful for the ride because I wasn’t sure I could walk right then.
Ayden simply nodded, hugging his arms to his chest as I stood on shaky legs. “I’m sorry I ruined your cookie party,” I told him.
Ayden looked gutted at my current state. “You didn’t. They are just like my mom’s. Arguably youmadethe cookie party.” He gave me a forced smile.
I returned it, hiding my pain with every ounce of acting skill I possessed.
“I’ll go too,” Eden offered but I waved her off with another fake smile. “No way. Have fun and just check in with me later, I’ll stay up late,” I lied.
I tried not to flinch when I walked out the front door, waving over my shoulder as Yanric flew above me.
‘How bad was it? Are you okay to walk?’Yanric looked down at me. He knew. He could sense it.
‘I can make it out front,’I said, and it wasn’t a lie. Beyond that, I wasn’t sure.
I opened the door, let myself out, and then closed it behind me just as Ariyon rode up on Ember’s back.
A painful jolt shook me, and I had to keel over, hunched on my knees as the skin on my back burned like I was being lit on fire.
“Okay, this is stupid!” Ariyon growled and leapt from his horse, hands glowing with healing magic when he got within a foot of me.
I stood, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You donothave my consent to heal me, Ariyon Madden. I will live. It’s just pain.”
He grabbed his chest as if he needed to massage his heart and looked at me with absolute agony. “Why?” he breathed, inching closer to me. “Why can’t I take your pain? It’s what I was created for. The Light made me this way.”
I nodded. “And the Light made me this way too, like you said, it’s a part of me.”
He frowned, shaking his head. “The Light made you perfect and then you were cursed. It’s different.”
The Light made you perfect.
I don’t think Ariyon was aware that some of the things he said were so damn sweet it made my heart ache. I shrugged, not caring about the semantics. “If you want to help me, take me to Avis Apothecary on the way home. She has a tincture that will ease the discomfort.”
I winced as another round of agony fell over me and Ariyon nodded, reaching out and tucking me into his chest.
My entire body was smooshed up against his, and normally, after my curse being activated like this, it would ruin me, but with him, nothing hurt. Ever. It’s like he was the cure for all that ailed me. He lifted me up and set me gently atop his horse and then got on behind me, reaching around my body to grab the reins. I shook with another jerk, slamming against his body, and then we were off, riding full speed through the town in the dark of night while people looked up at us in curiosity as we passed.
Avis’s shop was closed by the time we got there but Ariyon banged loudly on the door like a guard, and she opened it in her night robe. I leaned against the stone wall beside him, hugging my burning arms to my chest. Little did Ariyon know this was his aunt. Half-aunt, if that were such a thing. But it was a secret I would take to the grave with me, not even telling Eden or my father. Some things were too big to share, even with the most trusted of friends.
I was fading fast, losing a lot of energy and feeling the need to sleep, but unable to stop the waves of pain. They came one after another and when Avis looked at me, her eyes flew wide, and she threw the door open.
“What happened!” she barked at Ariyon, as if this was his fault.
“My brother accidentally touched her. You know of her curse?” he asked her. To my knowledge, they had never met.
She nodded, and then looked confusedly at him. “Why don’t you heal her?”
“She won’t let me,” he growled.
“Oh Light,” she breathed, backing up, and then I stumbled inside, feeling my legs go weak.
“A tincture for pain and sleep would help. I could work off the coin…” I offered.
“I’ll pay,” Ariyon said immediately, pulling a bunch of coins from his pocket.
Avis ran to the back wall, pulling small blue glass bottles of tinctures, and I glanced to my side at Ariyon. “I pay my own way,” I warned him.
He looked exasperated. “Fallon. This was my brother’s fault and I know he would want you to get medicine and to pay for the inconvenience he caused.”
