Page 133 of Kingdom of Death and Hope

Tired, I mumble.

Sweets, are you ok— But I get pulled back under.

Sweets, just say one word so I know you’re alive, Kieran whispers. Please.

Kieran, I say, my voice sounding groggy.

I’m still so exhausted, but more coherent than the last time Kieran tried to talk to me. Did he really try to talk to me earlier or was that just a dream?

Oh, Sweets. I was so worried when you didn’t reply earlier after saying you were tired. I’m so glad you’re alive. Kieran sounds relieved. How are you feeling?

Tired. Everything hurts, I reply.

Everett said he saw you come home. He also told me what you looked like. I told you not to block your emotions from me when you were in there. Why did you? he asks.

I didn’t want you to feel the pain I was going through and feel guilty or like it was your fault, I say, fully awake now.

How long has it been since I fell asleep?

Sweets.

I know you are already feeling guilty and like it is your fault, I assume. Because that’s how I felt whenever we got caught and you got separated from our people. But I don’t want you to feel any of those emotions, so I hid my pain so you didn’t have to feel it.

And so you wouldn’t come barging into the castle without thinking anything through and getting captured. If both of us were in the dungeon then who would take care of the people? There are only so many deals I can make with people to get Kieran out of a situation before it looks like I have a connection with him.

I don’t want you to ever do that again, he says.

Hopefully there isn’t a next time.

“Adeline, it’s time to—” Mother stops as she walks into my room. “Oh, you’re finally awake. I was worried you were never going to wake up.”

My eyebrows scrunch together. “How long has it been?”

“You missed dinner and now it’s time for breakfast,” she replies. “After I couldn’t wake you up last night for dinner I didn’t try again. Figured you needed all the rest you could get and would wake up sometime today.”

That’s why Kieran was getting so worried. I fell asleep way before dinner and he couldn’t contact me for several hours.

“Let’s help get you up to the table to eat, and after that we can get you washed and into new clothes,” Mother says gently.

“I don’t want to,” I mumble.

I know the warm water will feel good against my bruises and cuts, but it’s going to take so much energy and I don’t have the strength for that right now.

“I borrowed a big bucket from our neighbor so you can lay in it and soak in the warm water to help with all the cuts and your muscles,” Mother explains. “I have some herbs as well to help. You don’t have to do any work. While you are soaking in the bucket, I will wash your hair with the other water.”

Tears brim my eyes as we walk to the table.

“Shhh, I know. Everything is going to be alright,” Mother coos as she helps me sit down. “I want you to eat all of this slowly.”

She places a big bowl of porridge in front of me, steaming from how hot it is.

Mother chuckles. “I did make it hotter so it would force you to eat slowly. I don’t know when you ate last but I don’t want you getting sick by eating too fast.”

Of course she would think about something like that.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

CHAPTER 9