Chapter 9
“How does the temperature of the water feel?” Mother asks after several minutes.
“A little too hot, but my body will get used to it. Thank you again,” I say.
Sweets, are you okay? I feel that you’re in pain, Kieran’s slightly panicked voice comes through.
I can’t help but smile at his concern. Will I ever get used to how worried he gets about me?
I’m soaking in hot water, I reply.
Good. I was going to suggest you find a way to do that, He says. I wish I had my powers so that I could heal you fully and you didn’t have to go through all of this.
That reminds me, are you any closer to figuring out how to break the curse? I ask.
No, we haven’t figured anything else out. It is in a language we have not seen in a very long time.
I can’t help but feel disappointed. It’s been almost two weeks since I gave the book to Kieran and they haven’t made any progress. Will they be able to figure anything out before I have to marry the prince?
Don’t worry, Sweets. We are actively working on it all throughout the day. We are going to figure out how to break the curse soon, I promise, he tries to reassure me.
I believe in you guys, I mumble.
“Adeline? Are you there?” Mother asks.
“Yes?” I open my eyes and look at her.
“I’ve been calling your name for a while now and you weren’t answering me. For a second I thought you had fallen asleep.”
“Sorry.” I bow my head. “I was deep in thought.”
Before I got taken I was good at being able to listen and reply to Kieran while also listening to the people around me.
“You used to get that look when you talked to your mate.” Mother chuckles. “But this time was a little different, almost like you were there with him and not here.”
“It felt normal,” I reply.
I want to see you soon, Kieran says. I want to see you with my own eyes to see if you are okay and healing.
“Is it alright if I wash your hair now?” she asks. “You can scootch down and lay your head against the side of the bucket.”
I do what she says and close my eyes.
“I might fall asleep,” I mumble.
“If you do, I will wake you up before the water gets cold,” she says softly. “You just relax and let me take care of you.”
I don’t know if I will be able to make it to the forest with how my body is right now, I reply. I also don’t know if I want you to see me right now with how I look. It’s not a pretty sight.
I don’t know if I will be able to look him in the eyes and see his reaction. What if he sees me and wants me to leave right away?
Sweets, you will not run me off with how you look. If anything it might make me want to kidnap you so that I can take care of you myself, making sure you are healing properly and have everything that you want, Kieran replies.
Warm water is gently poured over my head and I sigh.
“Feels amazing,” I mumble.
“We can do this tomorrow if you want as well,” Mother offers.
“That will be a lot of water wasted.”
“Adeline, it will not. It will help you heal and that is what’s important right now,” she scolds. “And besides, the Fae has been fetching the water every single day. I can let him know that we will need a lot more tomorrow. He won’t complain.”
“Because he can’t,” I chuckle.
“Because he cares about you. I didn’t realize how important you were to them until you were gone.
I knew something was wrong when the Fae came over every day to help out with chores and the worried look he always wore.
Even though Henry told me that you were fine, seeing the Fae worried made me realize that I wasn’t getting told the truth,” she explains.
“And he was the one that suggested I borrow the bucket and give you warm baths before you were even home.”
“Wh-what?” I tilt my head back to look her in the eyes. “He suggested it?”
“He did. He said he didn’t know when you would be home but that warm baths help heal the body and helps you relax.
I didn’t know what he was talking about at the time but he was right,” she says as she shakes her head.
“Enough about this. I’m going to start washing your hair.
If it hurts too much you let me know and I will be gentler. ”
I close my eyes as my mother starts running her hands through my hair, my mind spiraling with so many different thoughts about Elias and the other Fae.
But I know I won’t be able to see you for a little while. I do not want you exerting yourself too much while you;re trying to recover from what you went through. When you are healed and can walk without pain, that is when we will meet, Kieran tells me.
I don’t know if I can wait that long, I mumble. I was thinking until I can get up without being in so much pain that I want to pass out.
Adeline.
Yes? I ask hesitantly.
Are you still hiding some of your pain and emotions from me? he asks.
I don’t think so, I say, unsure.
I focus on the wall in my mind and realize that it’s half up.
I guess I got so good at keeping it partially up that it was up without me even thinking about it, I explain.
Take it down. I don’t want you to hide it just like I don’t hide it from you.
Guilt festers inside me. Even though I know I was hiding it to keep him safe and sane, I still feel bad about it. He told me that he would never hide his emotions or pain from me and yet I did it to him.
I think about taking the wall down between us.
I’m sorry. I just wanted to protect you, I mumble. I know we said we wouldn’t put a wall up, but I didn’t want you to come to me when you realized how much pain I was in. I was worried that you would get captured and die.
I know what you were trying to do and I don’t want you to do it again. I forgive you for doing it this time, but never again.
Never again.
Hopefully I can actually keep this promise.
Sweets, how are you still awake with how much pain you’re in? Kieran asks.
I don’t know. I passed out several times when it was all going on and I slept for almost a full day, I reply. But the warm water is helping right now to ease all of it. I don’t really notice the pain unless I’m moving.
Which is why I’m trying not to move much so I don’t feel it. The less I move, the better.
When the curse is broken, she is going to regret ever doing that. The man that did it will also regret ever laying a finger on you, Kieran growls. Everyone who has wronged you will pay for it.
Calm down. While I do agree with you on the people who really did me harm, the people who didn’t do much don’t deserve it. Are you going to go after the person who didn’t pay us for our work? I ask.
If you want me to… I will.
No, Kieran.
I have no problem going to anyone and making them right the wrong that they did. No matter how small it is, he says. You just need to say the word and I will.
Kieran, I don’t want you to go after that person.
I don’t like the thought of you going after the man that hit me, but I know you will regardless of what I say.
But the other people who didn’t pay something or did something minor, I don’t want you to go after them.
My mother and I have already forgotten about what they did, I say.
Fine, but if you ever change your mind, I don’t mind going after them.
What am I going to do with you? I sigh.
Keep me. Love me. Take care of me. Spend the rest of your life with me.
“Is everything okay between you two?” Mother asks.
“He just wants to go after people and I’m trying to stop him,” I reply without thinking.
My eyes widen, and I tilt my head back, locking eyes with Mother.
She smiles softly. “Just like how your father and I were. He wanted to go after everyone that wronged us and I managed to hold him back so he didn’t end up in prison for his whole life or get banished to Tarravega.”
“He, what?” I whisper.
That is something I didn’t know about my father. Was he really driven for revenge on people that did wrong toward anyone he loved?
Mother continues to massage my head as she talks.
“He had a couple Fae friends that he saw when he went hunting and knew things that most people don’t.
He didn’t like the injustice everyone was getting and wanted to get back for everyone that had been done wrong.
I stopped him several times from hurting a guard or going after the prince when he walked through town.
He wanted life to be fair for everyone as much as it could be.
He wanted the Fae not to be slaves anymore but free like they were all those years ago. ”
“That’s why you weren’t shocked when I told you things,” I whisper more to myself as it dawns on me.
I always wondered why she didn’t panic when I talked about the Fae and having some friends. I thought she just panicked in private and wanted to be calm in front of me so I wouldn’t bottle everything up.
She hums. “Correct. You are so much like your father.”
Tears sting my eyes and I quickly close them and relax into the water. Who did father know of the Fae?
“Did he ever say the names of the people he knew?” I can’t help but ask.
“He didn’t. Your father was just as paranoid as you are when you talk about them. He didn’t know if there was anyone listening and always made sure it sounded like he was talking about his hunting friends so if anyone overheard they didn’t find him suspicious,” Mother explains.
Sighing, I hum, my mind whirling with so many different questions. I know Kieran knew my father from years ago when they crossed paths, but have I met my father’s other Fae friends?
“Why don’t you ask your mate when you see him next?” mother asks quietly. “I bet he has the knowledge of who your father was friends with, and if he doesn’t he can surely ask.”
“I think I will,” I say.
Are you going to ignore what I just said? Kieran asks.
The corner of my lips turn upward. If Kieran had it his way we would talk all the time so there would never be a moment of silence.
I want the same, but being so far apart and having to concentrate on what is going on in front of me and what he is saying is hard, and I can’t do it without giving away that I’m occupied.
I was talking to my mother, I reply.
About me? I can hear the smirk in his voice.
Yes.
Hmm, do I want to know what you two were talking about? he asks.
Just how similar you are to my father with wanting revenge on people.
It won’t ever change. If you want me to go after someone, you let me know.
Thank you, I mumble.
Anything for you, Sweets. Now, get some rest.