Chapter 11
Iguess my mother was right that Kieran would tell me to sit down before I could even say hi.
“I’ll be talking to my mate,” Henry says and walks off.
“Did they tell you anything?” I ask and sigh as I sit down.
“The other Fae?” Kieran cocks his head to the side.
“I’m assuming since you know who I’m talking about that they have already told you what they saw,” I whisper, and lean so I’m lying on the ground.
So much for trying to keep it from him.
“What did they see?” He lays right next to me.
“How slow I was to get to the forest,” I reply, deciding to tell him since they already told him. “That I had to stop and was out of breath.”
“They actually didn’t tell me that,” he replies.
My eyes pop open and I look over at him. “Wh-what? You didn’t know?”
He shakes his head. “They hadn’t told me anything yet.”
“But… but I thought by the way you reacted that they had,” I mumble.
“No, they haven’t.”
“But—” I stop myself. “Why didn’t you stop me?”
“You just assumed they had told me when I asked if it was the Fae,” he replies.
“Because you sounded so confident,” I whine. “I wouldn’t have told you if I knew they hadn’t said anything to you.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. So much for trying to keep it a secret from him.
Kieran moves and cups my face with his hands. “I don’t want you to keep anything from me, do you understand?”
I crack my eyes open and look up at him. “I understand. I just didn’t want you to worry about me. I was trying to make sure that you were at ease.”
“One thing you should know is I will not be at ease right now. I know you are in pain. I don’t even have to feel what you are going through to know that. Our people described what you looked like to me, and from that alone we all know that you were in a lot of pain,” Kieran explains.
“I almost passed out several times,” I mumble.
“And I’m proud that you pushed through it and made it safely back to your house. And I wish I could go back in time and tell you not to go get the book if I knew this was going to be the result,” he says.
“Then you wouldn’t have the book and we wouldn’t be close to figuring out how to break the curse. No one else would have been able to get the book but me,” I tell him.
“Even so, I wouldn’t have allowed you to do it if I knew you would be tortured for weeks. I would rather spend eternity being a slave than allow you to go through that,” he whispers.
“But I don’t want you to be a slave. I don’t want you to not have your powers or never be able to fly again. I want you to have all of that back. I want everyone to be equal and no one get hurt,” I say. “I know you don’t care, but I do.”
“It’s not that I don’t care,” he replies.
“That was the wrong word on my part. You don’t want me to get hurt and would sacrifice not having the cure so that I wouldn’t.
If me going through all of that allows for you guys to be free soon, I would do it over and over,” I tell him honestly.
“It wouldn’t cross my mind to not go through all of that. ”
Kieran closes his eyes and places his forehead against mine. “What did I do to deserve you?” he whispers.
“I should be the one saying that,” I mumble back.
Kieran chuckles and lies back down, pulling me closer to him. I snuggle into his side and fully relax against him.
“How are you feeling?” Kieran asks after several minutes. “I could feel how anxious you were this morning before you contacted me.”
“I just needed to see you. I was getting worried and just needed to see you to make sure that you were okay,” I mumble into his chest. “I don’t know why.”
“That’s okay,” he coos.
I want to ask him how it’s going with figuring out how to break the curse, but I don’t want to ruin the mood. They have been working on it and I know if they found anything Kieran would tell me right away.
“Prince Archie said that I don’t have to worry about the wedding right now,” I whisper. “I think it’s going to get postponed with how small and weak I’ve gotten.”
“Good. That gives us more time to figure out how to break the curse.” Kieran kisses my forehead. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
“It’s okay, I don’t hold it against you.” I pat his chest. “I will never hold it against you. You warned me several times and I knew the risks. So I don’t want you to feel bad any longer, understand?”
“Yes, Sweets,” he chuckles. “It’s easier said than done but I will try my best.”
“Good. Now, when the curse is broken the first thing I want is to walk around town with you, holding hands,” I declare.
“And the second?” he asks.
“I want you to meet my mother. I also want you to cook me a meal, something that I’ve never had before.
I want you to show me everywhere you went when you were a kid and tell me stories.
I want to meet our people here officially and the people behind the wall.
I want to do a lot of things,” I ramble on.
“And we are going to make it all happen, but over time. I don’t want to tire you out in the very beginning. We have our whole lives ahead of us once the curse is broken and don’t need to rush anything,” he says gently.
I sigh. “Fine. I was hoping we would be able to do it in the first couple of days and then slowly do it all over again but I guess I can wait.”
Kieran chuckles. “None of those things will happen in the very beginning after the curse is broken. We will have to get everyone used to the Fae not having the curse over them. Remember, everyone has been taught that we are the bad people and it will take a while for them to adjust to everything. Some of those things we may have to wait half a year or longer.”
Groaning, I look at him. “I don’t want to have to wait that long.”
“But we are going to have to. I don’t want you to get hurt if people retaliate.
I don’t want to get hurt if we are walking down the street,” Kieran says softly.
“It’s all going to work out, don’t worry.
Maybe they will all see that the Fae aren’t bad, but until then I don’t want you saying anything when we break the curse, understand?
Not until we know that it’s safe and you and your family won’t be targeted. ”
“I understand. You don’t have to worry.”
“I will always worry about you. Even when you are safe, I will always worry.” He runs his hands through my hair.
“Worry about what?”
“Worry that you may not be eating on time or getting enough sleep. Worry that you would be missing me too much and try to do something reckless to come and see me. There are so many things that run through my mind when it comes to you and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Tears prickle my eyes and I blink, clearing them. I had no idea Kieran was that worried about me.
“I didn’t know you worried so much about me,” I mumble.
“I feel bad that I don’t think about whether you have eaten all the time.
It crosses my mind sometimes when I’m eating and I look outside.
I do wonder if you are warm enough out in your tent and then I remember that you didn’t have a shirt on in the dead of winter when you were carrying me. ”
“You have your own way of worrying for me. You don’t need to do the exact same thing as I do.
You are also busier than me recently and have had a lot on your mind.
It’s only natural that you don’t think about anything else,” he says.
“I don’t expect to be on your mind at all times and I don’t want you to feel bad if I say that you are on mine. Understand?”
I nod and lean my head on his chest, taking a deep breath and letting it out. Kieran always knows what to say to make everything all better.
“I have to be honest about something. When the spell is broken, you won’t be leaving my side for a while,” Kieran says.
“Good.” I tighten my arms around him. “I don’t want you to leave my side either.”
“Good. I’m glad we are on the same page.”
“I think on this matter we will always be on the same page,” I chuckle. “We both can’t be with each other except for a couple of minutes each week and it’s created this tension and need between us.”
“Need, you say.” Kieran’s grip tightens around my waist.
I slap his chest and chuckle. “Now is not the time.”
“I would never dare do it while you’re hurt.” Kieran kisses the top of my head.
“Adeline, it’s time to go,” Henry says, interrupting our conversation.
I groan and grip onto Kieran’s shirt tighter. “I don’t want to leave.”
“And soon you won’t have to, but right now you and I need to go back before people get suspicious. You are hurt and they know that,” Henry explains. “You don’t want to put yourself on the prince’s radar.”
Kieran moves his body and picks me up before standing, gently placing me on my feet.
“Steady?” he asks me.
“Yes,” I mumble, and he lets me go.
“We can still talk every day. I know it’s not the same, but soon we won’t have to hide that we are together. I just need you to be patient for a little longer,” Kieran says as he runs his thumb across my cheek. “Can you do that for me?”
“Yes,” I reply. “Though I’m about done being patient,” I mumble.
Kieran chuckles and pulls me into his embrace, kissing my forehead before turning to Henry. “Keep an eye on her. You know who the witch is. Do not let anyone near her that you do not know and trust.”
“Yes, Kieran.” Henry bows.
“Now, go before people start suspecting things and talking.” Kieran smiles gently.
“Bye,” I whisper.
Kieran waves and Henry and I start walking away, my heart aching with each step I take away from him.
“It’s going to get better soon,” Henry says.