Bonus #2
KIERAN
“How is Adeline holding up?” Zayden asks as he continues to look down at the book.
I lean my head back and take a deep breath. I should never have let her try and find the spell book. I should have never told her about it.
“Kieran?” Zayden stops what he’s doing and looks at me. “How is she doing? We haven’t seen her walk out of her house for a while.”
“She’s healing.” My voice is full of emotion.
Guilt courses through me every time I think about Adeline and how hurt she was. The little glimpse I got of her when she first left the palace and walked into town.
So bruised.
Dragging her left leg.
One eye swollen shut.
She looked to be in so much pain, about to pass out, and yet she was determined to get back to her house.
“Have you talked to her?” he asks.
Kieran? Adeline’s weak voice says through the bond.
I hold up my finger towards Zayden and concentrate on Sweets.
I’m here, I reply.
Are you okay? she asks. I can feel some emotion from you.
I’m sorry you had to feel that. I was just talking to Zayden about something.
I’m tempted to block her off from feeling my emotions right now, but I told her we wouldn’t do that. And I’m going to feel even more guilty if I do it now and break that promise when there isn’t a good reason for it.
“Let me guess, you are talking to her right now.” Zayden gives me a knowing look. “It’s okay. I know she comes before me.”
Please don’t hide it away from me, Adeline says quickly. I know you want to keep me calm and relaxed while I’m healing, but please don’t hide it from me. I want to feel some sort of normalcy through all of this chaos.
“Leave him alone. He doesn’t get to talk to her much right now with everything she has gone through,” Everett says, smacking Zayden on the arm.
I won’t, I reply. But I don’t want you to worry about me at all. I want you to focus on healing and taking care of yourself. I need you to get better.
Can you hum to me so I can fall asleep? she asks.
Of course. Are you already in bed?
I look at Everett and Zayden. “I’ll be right back.”
“Ooo, what are you going to do?” Zayden calls after me. “Are you going to go sing her to sleep?”
I am now, she mumbles.
I turn around. “And if I am?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Shit. I didn’t think you were actually going to. Has anyone ever heard you sing? Should you try it out with us first before you ruin your reputation with her and she never wants to talk to you again?” Zayden chuckles at the end. “We’ll be brutally honest with you.”
Shaking my head, I walk away from them. I could’ve hummed to her right next to them but I didn’t want them to interrupt me and Adeline not be able to go to sleep.
She needs all the rest she can get.
Ready? I ask.
I start to hum to her, keeping my pace and tone even. After several minutes I stop humming and gently call out her name, only to be met with silence. A small smile forms on my face as I walk back over to Everett and Zayden.
“She asleep?” Everett asks.
“She is. Hopefully she can sleep for a while.” I sigh and sit down next to Zayden. “How is it going?”
“There are so many spells in here and we haven’t seen this language, let alone read or spoken it in forever. Do you know anyone who is fluent in this?” Zayden asks.
I shake my head. “Not many people were exposed to the witch’s language. Only the higher ups which are us. The other people passed away long ago.”
“Then we’ll need to have someone always here trying to figure out which spell it is,” Zayden declares. “Work around the clock so we can figure this out and get it done. The sooner we get this figured out, the sooner Adeline can rest in peace.”
“How is she holding up?” Everett asks. “Has she healed from everything?”
“I haven’t seen her since the first day but she said she is healing nicely but slowly,” I reply. “Maybe soon I will be able to see her in person and decide for myself if she is really doing okay or not.”
“Do you know when that will be?” Everett asks.
Sighing, I roll my neck before looking at him. “I don’t, and I don’t know when I will find out.”
He holds his hands up in the air. “Sorry for asking.”
“He just doesn’t know when and he wants to see her now. He felt all of her pain until she blocked him out. He got told what she looked like when she arrived in town and knew it was bad. He is just on edge,” Zayden speaks up before I can.
“Sorry,” I mumble as I run my hands through my hair.
“No worries. I shouldn’t have been asking questions about her right now. If I was in your shoes I wouldn’t be this calm,” Everett says. “I probably would have gotten myself whipped, or worse… killed for trying to get to her.”
Everything in me wants to stalk to her house and demand that I see how she is doing. But I know the town is crawling with people and guards. There is no way I would be able to get to her before someone stopped me.
“Let’s just get back to work.” I point toward the book.
“I just want to lie down,” she whispers. “Can I do that?”
“Of course, Sweets.”
I help Adeline lie down, her head on my lap.
“I’ll wake you when the time comes,” I gently tell her as she closes her eyes.
“I don’t want to sleep. I want to talk to you the whole time,” she mumbles.
A smile forms on my face. “Okay, we can talk,” I reply as I run my hands through her hair.
“Don’t let me fall asleep. Please, I want to spend my time with you talking and not sleeping.” She briefly looks at me.
“Adeline,” I mumble. “It’s okay if you fall asleep. We’ll have plenty of other times to talk to each other.”
“But I’ll feel bad for you. You will get bored.”
I continue to run my hands through her hair, trying to get her to fall asleep. “I won’t be bored, don’t worry. You just relax and fall asleep.”
Adeline lets out a breath and I feel her whole body relax.
“Good girl,” I mumble as I look down at her.
I watch her peacefully sleep.
“I thought she was going to fight harder to stay awake,” Elias says as he walks into the clearing.
“I knew she wouldn’t. She’s absolutely exhausted. Sweets was falling asleep sitting right next to me,” I say.
“How is she holding up?” Elias asks.
Sighing, I look at her exhausted body. “She’s not sleeping much because of the nightmares and not feeling safe. I wish there was something I could do, but I can’t.”
“Soon.”
I shake my head. “Not soon enough. She’s losing weight… weight she desperately needs. I don’t want her to wither away before the curse is broken.”
Elias gently places his hand on my shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. “She won’t, and you have to trust her on that. Anyone in her position would go through the same thing she’s going through. But she’s going to make it out. She has an amazing group of people who are right there beside her.”
“I know.”
I look at Adeline and gently run my knuckles against her cheek.
“Everything is going to be okay,” I whisper.