Chapter 28
“Please wake up,” someone whispers. “I need you to wake up for me.”
Who is talking? Why do they sound like they are underwater and so far away from me?
“High Lord, you are needed,” someone else says.
High Lord?
Wait.
Kieran?
I try to open my mouth but nothing is working. Why can’t I open my eyes, move my fingers, or talk?
“I don’t want to leave her side,” Kieran replies.
“High Lord, you are needed out there to talk to the people. Everyone is wondering what happened and you need to talk to them to calm them down or we are going to have a riot on our hands,” the person explains.
“Elias, I don’t want to leave her side. What if she wakes up and doesn’t remember what happened? What if she is so terrified and I’m not there to help her calm down? I won’t leave her side,” he declares.
“Her mother will stay by her side the whole time. You don’t need to worry about her.”
Kieran grips my hand tighter. “I am worried about her though. She died.”
I died?
How am I here then? Wait. The shadowy figure. Who was she? How did she bring me back to life?
“High Lord, she is going to be here when you get back,” Elias tries to reason with him. “You haven’t left her side in three days. The healer says she has healed fully and it’s just a matter of time before she wakes up. You know how exhausted she was before this.”
“Exactly, and before everything went down she was only able to sleep with me by her side or talking to her. I am not going to leave her side,” Kieran says.
Elias sighs. “Kieran, I’m saying this as your friend and not as your right-hand man.”
“Then maybe you shouldn’t say it right now,” Kieran mutters.
I try to put all my strength into squeezing his hand back, but Kieran doesn’t give any reaction at all. Why can’t I tell him that I’m here for him?
“I know you are worried about her and want to be right beside her the whole time, but you have an obligation to the people right now. Things have changed. You have put the former king and prince in prison and people are questioning why. There are mad people out there that can easily change the tide on how everyone perceives you,” Elias says.
“I know you want to be right next to her and make sure that everything is going to be okay, but if things turn for the worst out there, she won’t be safe. You need to get ahead of this.”
“I know,” he replies.
The former king and prince? What are they talking about? Is the curse broken?
So many questions are swirling through my mind right now, causing me to be in pain.
“Everything is going to be okay,” Kieran whispers and kisses my hand. “I’m going to be gone for a little while, but I’m not leaving you behind. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
I want to tell him not to leave. What if Avira comes back and does something to me? What if she is already doing something to me?
Wait.
Is this all a dream that is playing because of her? Where am I actually?
“Come this way,” Elias says. “They are all waiting outside for you to talk to them and explain.”
“I don’t want to leave her. I can feel her anxiety like she knows I’m about to leave.” Kieran doesn’t let go of my hand.
“But you are going to have to. You can still feel her emotions which means she is alive. If anything happens to her, you will be able to feel it and can go back to her, but you are needed out there now,” Elias tries to reason with him. “Come on.”
Kieran lets go of my hand and plants a soft kiss on my forehead. “Your mother is coming in just a couple of minutes to keep you company.”
I hear his footsteps leave and silence fills the room.
“Oh, Adeline,” Mother whispers. “I neve—”
But her voice wades away as I’m being pulled under again.
“I told you I should have never left her!” Kieran yells.
What’s going on?
“If I didn’t leave, then none of this would have happened!” he continues to yell while holding my hand.
“We didn’t know it would happen,” a different voice says. “She was stable the whole time you were here with her.”
“Because I was here!” His voice holds so much anger. “She needs me beside her so she can heal. I can’t deal with the people right now.”
“But you have to. I know you don’t want to, but this is a tricky moment right now. It could go one of two ways and we need it to go in our favor,” Elias says.
Kieran sighs. All I want to do right now is wake up and be able to comfort him. I want to tell him that everything is going to be okay but I don’t even know if that is possible. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
I focus all of my energy on squeezing his hand as he holds mine. He needs to know that I’m okay.
“I know it is but I never thought that Adeline would have to die to break the curse. I didn’t know there was going to be so much going on that I would have to pick and choose what to do,” Kieran finally speaks.
I bear down and focus on squeezing my hand.
“Sweets?” Kieran finally says my name. “Did you just squeeze my hand?”
Did I?
“Squeeze my hand again if you can hear me right now,” he practically begs me. “Come on, Sweets. I’m right here. You’re safe and you are okay.”
“Open your eyes,” another person says.
I feel gentle warm hands touch my face, opening my eyes and flashing a bright light in them. Groaning, I try to close my eyes, but nothing is working in my favor.
“She just made a noise. Did you hear that, Doctor?” Kieran asks. “She is waking up, right? Please tell me she is waking up.”
“High Lord, I’m going to need you to stand on the other side of the room while I look over the High Lady,” someone says.
“Alaric, I will not step away from my mate,” Kieran declares.
I grip onto Kieran’s hand, not wanting him to go away either.
“She’s gripping my hand and I’m not going to let her go,” Kieran says. “Work around me.”
Alaric sighs and opens my eyes again, looking directly at me. “Adeline, can you hear me? Move your eye slightly if you can.”
Can I even move my eye? Why am I so incredibly weak?
“You’re okay, High Lady. Calm down and just focus on me right now,” Alaric continues to say.
I can see him, but moving anything is nearly impossible. If he wasn’t holding my eye open, then I wouldn’t be able to see him.
“It might take you a little longer to regain your strength to do anything. There is nothing to be worried about,” he says.
“We are going to feed you and help you move your body so that you can slowly regain your strength. Kieran is going to stay by your side through it all to make sure that you have the support.”
“Alaric, you can’t promise that,” Elias interrupts him. “Things are going on outside that he may need to attend to.”
“We are going to make sure that it happens. She clearly needs him and he needs to be with her,” Alaric responds.
Kieran? I try to say through the bond.
But he doesn’t say anything.
What is going on? Why can’t I communicate with him or move? What did Avira do to me?
“Alaric, we need to make sure that humans and Fae are getting along and he needs to speak with them to explain things.” Elias raises his voice and my fingers flinch at the loud outburst.
“Calm your voice down,” Kieran growls. “You are scaring her.”
“I’m sorry,” Elias mumbles. “That wasn’t my intention, but you have to hear me out. I know you want to be with her, but you have to think about the kingdom as well. Things are needed and you can’t stay with her all the time.”
“I can and I will,” Kieran replies. “I will do my work from here and if I need to talk to anyone then they can either come in here or I will write down what you need to say and you can say it to them. But I will not be leaving her.”
I grip Kieran’s hand, wanting to talk to him but my mouth won’t move.
“Sweets?” His voice is gentle. “What’s wrong?”
I want everyone to stop arguing with each other. I want to tell Kieran that I’m going to be okay and he doesn’t have to worry about anything.
But I know even if I was able to tell him that… that he would still worry about me. It’s something both of us do for each other and it’s never going to end.
“Can you try talking to her through the bond to see if she can talk back?” Alaric suggests.
I’ve tried before and I wasn’t able to reach him.
“I can’t. It’s like there is a wall around her with no way in,” Kieran says.
Wh-what?
“Try soothing her. She must be scared not being able to move or talk to anyone. Calm her down and maybe the walls will also come down,” Alaric replies. “I’ll be waiting outside. Elias, come with me.”
I hear their footsteps leave and worry flows through me that Kieran is going to leave soon after.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he says. “I’m right here and I’m staying here. We’re never going to leave each other’s side now.”
I can get behind that. I told Kieran I never wanted to leave his side once the curse was broken. He would be stuck with me forever.
“I shouldn’t have left you earlier. I thought you would be okay for a couple of minutes but I was mistaken. I’m sorry for leaving you,” he whispers as he rubs his thumb across the back of my hand.
I want to tell him it’s okay and that he couldn’t have known I needed him right next to me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get to you in time before Avira stabbed you.” His voice is raw. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save you.”
“K—” My voice is scratchy.
“Sweets?” he calls out. “Don’t try to talk. Let me get you some water first.”
Kieran lets go of my hand and before I know it, he’s helping me sit up and holding the cup up to my lips.
“Slowly drink,” he encourages me.
How am I supposed to drink when I can’t even open my eyes?
But somehow, when the water flows into my mouth, I find myself swallowing the little water.
“Such a good girl,” he purrs. “You are doing so well. Continue to drink a little more.”
When I’m done drinking, I push my lips together and Kieran holds me close to him.
“I was so worried that you were never going to wake up again,” he mumbles before he kisses my forehead. “I was worried the last time you opened your eyes was when you died.”
But I remember waking up after the lady touched my forehead and looking into his eyes.
“Ki-Kier—”
“Shhh, it’s okay. You are just regaining your strength. Everything is going to be okay from now on. I’ve got you and I’m never going to let you go,” he promises me.
“Wh-what happened?” I finally manage to get out before he tells me to be quiet.
I need to know what happened after everything went dark.
“We can talk about it another time. Right now I just want to be with you and help you relax.” He tries to change the subject.
“Please,” I beg. “I want to know.”
I start coughing as my throat protests from the talking.
“Adeline, we can talk about it later when you are more recovered. I don’t want you to get worked up,” he says.
I finally manage to open my eyes and beg him through my eyes to tell me what happened. I need to know what happened after I passed out.
“Kieran.” Tears fill my eyes. “Please.”
He sighs and kisses my forehead. “Okay.”