Chapter 8
Ican’t help but look over my shoulder every couple minutes, waiting for Avira to come out at any second and drag me back into the cell. She was not happy that Prince Archie took me out, and I just know she’s going to try again.
Kieran? I call out, hoping since I’m closer to town he will be able to hear me clearer.
Silence.
My throat gets tight and I push all the bad thoughts to the back of my mind. There is no way Avira found out who Kieran is to me. There is no way she has done something to him.
He will reply to me when he has time and when I’m back in my house.
“Adeline!” someone yells.
My head jerks to the right, eyes wide as I try to find the person.
“What happened to you?” My mother rushes toward me. “Are you okay?”
Everyone looks toward me and I lower my head, not wanting to see their reactions. I haven’t even been able to look at myself, but with how I feel I know that I look like an absolute wreck.
“Oh baby,” Mother whispers, her voice full of emotion. “Let’s get you home where you can sit down. Take your time. Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
She carefully wraps her arms around my waist and helps me walk all the way back to the house. I can’t help but look over to the forest where the Fae are. Their mouths hang open as they look at me and I continue to scan their faces, trying to find Kieran.
Everett’s face is blank when I make eye contact with him, but he gives me a little nod before turning around and walking into the forest. What was that?
“Have you fallen behind on chores?” I ask as we get closer to the house.
Whispers are heard all around us as we walk past the townspeople.
“Margo, what happened to Adeline?” one of Mother’s friends asks.
“I don’t know.” Mother’s voice cracks.
I look over at the lady. “I got mugged when I was walking back from another town. They took everything.”
The lady gasps, her hands flying to her mouth. “And they did that to you?”
“I fought for a while since the spices and cloth were precious and cost a lot of money,” I trail off at the end.
“Adeline,” my mother scolds me. “I told you never to fight them. We can always make up the loss.”
Guilt festers inside me as they believe my lie. For now they need to believe it like I promised the prince they would. When Mother and I are in the comfort of our own home I can tell her the truth.
Wait.
She still thinks that Avira is her daughter. How is she going to take something like this? Will Mother even believe me if I tell her?
“I’m going to get her home so she can rest and recuperate. If you need anything, we will be closed today and probably tomorrow while I take care of her,” Mother gently tells her friend.
“Do you need me to get you anything?” she asks.
“No, thank you, but I will let you know if that changes,” Mother replies.
We start walking again and I look over at the Fae one more time. They’re still staring at me. I can’t read any of their facial expressions as they look up and down my body. Do they know what happened to me?
“Look ahead so you don’t trip,” Mother reminds me. “You don’t need to hurt your body even more than it already is.”
“I’m sorry,” I mumble.
“We will talk when we get into the house.” Her words are final.
“Henry?” I can’t help but ask.
“He said he was told to stay at our house to watch over until you came back. At least that is what he said the prince told him,” she whispers.
When did Henry tell Prince Archie about where I was? What was Prince Archie told while I was gone?
So many questions run through my head, giving me a headache. I take it in a slow breath and let it out, trying to calm myself down. Everything will get answered eventually and I just need to be patient. Right now I need to focus on getting better and then everything else comes after.
Thankfully we already have the book and the Fae are looking into it. Now I can really focus on getting better and not worry about the timeline and everything getting closer.
“Do you want to lay in bed or sit in the chair?” Mother asks as we get closer to the house.
“Chair first. I would like something to drink,” I reply.
When was the last time I ate or drank something? The last time Henry came to give me food and put the salve on my face… which didn’t do much at all. If anything it gave John more incentive to hit me and leave marks since I was healing.
“Adeline, I heard the prince found you,” Henry says as he bows slightly.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
His eyebrows pull together before guilt is written all over his face. “I’m sorry that it took me so long. I was not able to meet with K to verify everything you said until just recently.”
“H-how is he do—” I stop myself from finishing the sentence.
My eyes scan the surroundings before finding their way back to Henry. I need to be careful what I say out loud, and I also need to be patient. Kieran will contact me when he can.
But there is a small sliver of doubt that something isn’t right. That something is wrong with him and I need to go find out where he is.
“He is doing okay. Worried about you since he couldn’t get in contact with you, but no doubt they have already gone to him to tell him you’re home,” Henry replies.
“Thank you,” I whisper.
“Come on, Adeline. Let’s get you inside and sitting,” Mother says.
She helps me into the house and into one of the chairs. I could pass out right here and be perfectly content.
“What actually happened?” Mother asks as she sets a warm cup of tea in front of me.
“Please keep an open mind when I tell you everything,” I start off.
Mother nods and I explain everything from the beginning.
“I’m going to need time to process everything you just told me,” Mother whispers as she looks down at her hands.
I place my empty cup on the table. “I understand. It was a lot for me to come to terms with.”
Silence fills between us.
“I’m going to go lay down,” I tell her.
Everything screams at me as I push myself up from the chair.
“I’ll wake you up for dinner,” Mother says as I walk slowly toward my room.
I don’t even change out of my dirty clothes before I lay down on my bed, closing my eyes and falling asleep.
Adeline? Kieran’s voice barely wakes me up.
I hum back, exhaustion weighing me down.
I was getting worried when I couldn’t reach you through the bond.
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.