Chapter 20 Colgrave
COLGRAVE
“Get Micah!” I shouted as my sister dismounted onto an injured ankle.
Amalee and Ralti had taken the brunt of Dysis’s impact, but it wasn’t enough to leave any of them unscathed. Gritting through pain, she mounted Zalzre as Ralti and Dysis lay on their sides in the street. Dark sticky blood seeped from large gashes, Ralti looking the most injured of the two.
“Towels and hot water,” Sky shouted to a half-dozen gawkers as she assessed the two wyverns. “Get to the apothecary and tell them we need yarrow, garlic, and whatever else they have on hand!”
I thudded up the steps of the porch with Audryn’s limp body in my arms.
“Amalee!” Sky panted. “Ask the Grant chef for honey and any alcohol they can spare.”
“Take it all!” I called over my shoulder as I made it through the door and started climbing the stairs. Not stopping at the second floor, I continued up. Audryn’s gurgling breath made my stomach pitch. But I couldn’t bear to look down at her bloodied body.
The door splintered as I kicked the wood without wasting time to turn the knob. I laid her carefully on my bed, guiding her head down. Sprinting to the bathing room, I retrieved a warm, wet cloth. My breath caught the moment I made it back to my bed, knees threatening to give out.
Thick, bruised lines assaulted the tops of her hands. Defensive wounds. A wide gash split her soft cheek, leaving it filled with dirt and crusted blood. She didn't flinch as I wiped the cloth over the deep wound.
I stood on a cliff of regret and threatened to dive headfirst into a canyon of revenge. I let her go into the capital alone even though I was well aware of the brewing threat. There was nobody else to blame but myself; I should’ve taken the cautionary missives more seriously.
The walls rattled, and boots bounded up the stairs. I inhaled a deep breath and continued gently cleansing Audryn’s facial wounds.
“What happened?” Micah’s eyes raked over her body at a feverish pace.
“She’s fucking hurt,” I snapped. “While you were busy on the eastern ridge, she was fighting for her life.”
“Got it—you’re angry, but you need to tell me exactly what happened,” Micah pressed.
“None of us were with her. Stop talking and do your damned job.”
He grimaced and moved her hair from her shoulder.
The once soil-brown hair was clumped into a thick garnet knot.
Tentatively, he traced a gaping wound on her neck down to just under her shirt, and when he went to lift the article up, I pushed him away.
He lifted his hands in surrender and stepped back.
“Don’t touch her,” I growled.
He blew out a whistled breath and raised a brow. “And you expect me to heal her without doing so?”
I considered my options. “Stomach only. You don’t need to see the extent of the wounds if you can feel them, right?”
“That’s true, but … it’s not that simple.” His brows knitted. “Each wound needs to be cleaned so infection doesn’t settle in.”
“What do you need?”
“There are healers outside with Sky, tell her she’s needed in here instead.” He sighed. “Brother, you’re gonna want to call someone else in on this, I—”
“No,” I rebuffed.
“But Queen Arden—”
I shot him a look. Queen Arden had superior healers who wouldn’t require medicinal methods to treat Audryn. But I didn’t implicitly trust her.
Micah shook his head, running a hand through his thick hair.
“I’m not asking someone else to do what I’m sure you’re capable of. And I’m not leaving Audryn. You get Sky.”
Determination settled across his face before he stalked to the window and called for the woman. He returned, placed his hands against Audryn’s abdomen and closed his eyes.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he continued diagnosing her injuries.
“What do you need me to do?” Sky interrupted as she stammered through the broken door.
“Antiseptics, salves, anything to prevent infection.” He motioned her away before calling out, “And pain medicine! A fuckload of pain medicine! She’s gonna need it.”
“The wounds need to be cleaned and left open overnight.” Micah’s voice quivered as he rolled her body onto its side. “We need hot water, clean rags, and towels to lay her on.”
“Got it.” I hesitated. I’d never leave her again for the rest of our lives, but the items wouldn’t gather themselves.
“Col!” Micah’s eyes were pleading. “You really need to call on someone else. Even Athela’s injuries weren’t this bad.”
I walked up to him, coming close enough to smell the sweat still lingering on his skin. “You will fix her. As your king, I command it of you.”
He shook his head and looked away.
With a racing mind, I ran through the townhouse collecting each item, still not understanding how she’d been left so broken. It had taken everything in me not to go to her in the sky the first chance I got, but rushing would’ve only created more chaos.
The moment the witch released her grasp, I knew I’d have followed her into death’s waiting hands. By the grace of darkness, I’d grabbed onto her limp arm just as she collided with the wooden roof below. Unfortunately, her lower body still struck.
“Here.” I piled the supplies on the bed and the side table. “What now?”
“Well.” Micah sucked a breath through his teeth. “You’re not going to like this, but we need to take off her clothes and start cleaning out the wounds.”
“Fuck no,” I barked. “You will not see the naked body of the woman I love.”
Two sets of eyes darted to me, but their owners didn’t provide any commentary. Sky grabbed a damp cloth and a stick swab to pull debris from an exposed wound while Micah turned his gaze to the ceiling.
“You’ll run your magic and repair internal injuries,” I ordered. “Sky and I will clean the wounds while you wear an eye cloth.”
Sky’s lips curled inward while Micah rolled his eyes, but conceded.
Minutes later, my brother’s eyes were bound, and he was sending his magic through Audryn’s body.
I carefully removed her tattered shirt while Sky respectfully looked away.
The material was torn in dozens of places, each tear marking a thick gash against her bruised and swollen skin.
As I went to remove the waist of her pants, the pale skin of her pelvis was so bruised it was deep blue.
With thighs split open from the beating, small bits of gravel lay embedded within the gaping wounds.
Goosebumps pricked her body as the cold air kissed her skin.
I shuffled to grab a blanket from the chair across the room, both for her and myself; selfishly, I needed a moment as the extent of her injuries slammed into me.
“What are you doing?” Micah asked while keeping his hands stilled against her exposed belly.
“She’s cold. She needs a blanket.”
“No,” he protested, “you can’t cover her. The small pieces of lint could lodge inside the open injuries.”
I glanced around the room, and the hearth stared back at me. “Fine.” The stacked logs tumbled down as I fumbled for pieces of wood.
“Being warm is the least of her problems. Her pelvis is shattered and she has several broken ribs. Not to mention—”
“Enough,” I ordered. “She may be injured, but she deserves to be comfortable.” It was the least I could offer her.
Sky stayed silent, remaining focused on cleaning the flayed skin. Apparently only hearing the last bit, she chimed in, “Speaking of comfort, I should give her pain medication.”
With a shaking head, Micah advised, “Later. We’ll be lucky if she doesn’t die from infection before she ever feels the pain. You both should be focused on cleaning. If you cannot manage that, I will remove this mask and handle it myself.”
I sparked the fire to life, washed my trembling hands, and returned to the bed. “Remove the mask and I will pluck out your eyes.”
We worked for hours as the room heated to a blistering temperature.
We’d all removed our sweat-drenched shirts as I loaded log after log.
Unable to provide her with any other accommodations, I would be sure to keep her warm while she endured the flagrant humiliation of being left naked to the eyes of others.
“There’s nothing more that I can do.” Micah’s cheek perked as his lips pulled sideways in thought. “I can help or I can leave, but I need to see in order to help.”
I growled in his direction.
“Leave it is.” He hummed.
“You’ll stay until we’re finished.” I looked at Sky and flicked my chin toward the chair in the corner.
She dutifully led him across the room and returned. We worked until the early morning hours, making sure every pebble was removed from each wound. Micah had fallen asleep and snored while Sky teetered on her feet from exhaustion.
There was a knock on what was left of the broken door. “Hey,” Amalee called out.
I gestured Sky to the doorway.
She gasped.
“I’m fine,” Amalee said in a dismissive tone and paused. “How's Audryn?”
Sky hesitated. “She’ll be okay.” Even someone without ears could hear how forced the lie was. “She’s stronger than everyone gives her credit for, you should’ve seen her today.”
“You were with her?” My statement was an accusation as I found an alternative target to secure my blame on.
“Partly, I told her to get home, and she started to, but for some reason she returned.” She tapped a finger on the doorframe. “But she kicked an Avernus witch's ass … or at least bashed her head in.”
“You are going to tell me every last detail,” I snarled.
With my back against the headboard, I sat on the bed with my legs extended out in front of me.
The fire had died down temporarily, and though my body relished the relief, Audyn's perked nipples alerted that I’d let the temperature drop too low.
With cramped hands, I hauled more logs into the fire and removed everything but my sleep shorts.
The morning sun rose, providing more light than I liked. I let the drapes down from the corded ropes holding them back. There wasn’t much I could do about the skylights, but I would block the light with a blanket all day if needed.