“Why are you here, Arenn?” I demanded. Whatever secrets Lukas had, he wouldn’t be spilling them here. “You need to return home.”
The faery prince’s eyes caught mine. Something like fear flickered across them as his smirk fell. “But I felt you dying, human.”
“Youfelther?” Lukas fumed.
Lightning struck a distant tree, but Arenn barely flinched as he continued, “I felt the panic in your chest and all the air leaving your throat.” He swayed slightly before straightening. “So I came here to rescue you, and bring you home with me. Where you’ll be safe.”
“She’s safe here, with me,” Lukas scoffed.
“Is she?” Arenn swayed again. “Because you nearly let her drown just a moment ago.”
Before either of them could lunge at the other, I planted myself in front of Lukas, pressing my back against his chest. “Enough, please,” I said between them. “I’m fine now so please, Arenn, just go home.”
His amber eyes flicked down to me. “I’m not leaving without you,” he said while groaning.
“What’s wrong?” I asked almost instinctively.
“Nothing.” But as he spoke he doubled over, looking as if he might retch into the sand.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Let’s just go,” Lukas grumbled. Taking my hand, he yanked me towards the lantern-lit archway.
“Wait.” My heels dug into the ground. Glancing back, the faery prince was now struggling to stand. He dropped to his knees, his hands flat against the ground while he coughed forcefully.
“Come on, Naria,” Lukas urged. “If we can get back to the palace, I can call for the guards to deal with him. It’s not safe out here for you. Not withhimaround.”
“Just wait,” I hissed. “I think he’s injured.”
“That’s not our problem.” He dragged me closer to the archway. “Besides, if he’s ill then it’ll be easier for the guards to catch him.”
Guilt chewed at the back of mind. Lukas was right, Ishould’veleft him there. But the sound of his pained groans made my skin itch. I was a healer. And if he was sick, it was my duty to heal him.
“No.” I yanked my hand out of Lukas’s grasp. “I won’t leave him. So you can stay and help me, or you can return back to the palace and call for more help.”
“Naria…” Lukas pleaded.
“I’ve made up my mind.” Spinning on my heels, I marched back through the sand. Lukas cried out for me to stop, but I ignored him. This was a terrible idea. I knew it was. But it’d been a long day, I was tired, and for some reason Arenn didn’t seem so scary when he was curled up on the sand like achild with a stomach ache.
“You came back for me,” he said without lifting his head.
Annoyance mixed with the guilt in my mind. This really was a bad idea.
“Where are you hurt?” I started in a cool tone.
“Everywhere,” he groaned.
Lukas caught up just as I dropped to my knees beside the prince. Folding his arms, he watched us with darkened eyes.
“Be more specific,” I pressed. “What are your symptoms? Have you had this happen before?”
The faery writhed in pain before exhaling raggedly. “This is normal. I just travelled too far across the realm without stopping.” A shiver washed over him. “I’ll be fine soon enough. Then I can take you home.”
Lukas shot me a look before motioning to the archway.
Shaking my head, I kept my focus on the writhing faery. “You don’t sound like you’ll be fine anytime soon.”
“I will,” he hissed. “Just give me a few hours.” His entire body buckled again. “Days,” he corrected.
