Chapter 49
Reneta finally makes it down and helps hold him down.
I’m pretty sure that’s only because he’s letting them.
I wipe the sweat from my forehead and push all thoughts of the pain in my leg away.
I watch as they put the stuff on Rauk’s back.
I can tell even from here how stiffly he’s holding himself; I can’t imagine the pain he’s in.
Anger rushes over me again that he got injured trying to protect me.
He should never have done that. The stuff must start working because eventually he gets to his feet.
They must say something about me because he suddenly looks up.
I can’t see his expression from here, but I can literally feel the intensity of his gaze.
I don’t look away as they start up the hill, with Rauk leading the charge.
I don’t miss the way he moves—stiffly, so different from how he normally carries himself.
Between the pain and the anger at seeing him in pain, by the time they get to the top of the hill, I’ve worked myself into a fine fit of anger.
As soon as he crests the top of the hill, those dark eyes lock on mine.
I don’t miss the way his eyes scan my body, like he’s checking to see if I’m okay.
But I don’t for one second miss the pain in his eyes.
And just like that, I snap. “That was a really stupid thing to do, Rauk.” He doesn’t say anything.
His eyes burn into mine as he gets close, and I have to tip my head back to be able to see him.
“What were you thinking?” I demand. He shocks me into silence when he wraps an arm around my back and pulls me gently to his chest. I’m acutely aware of his arm around me, his chest under my cheek.
..and yet, somehow it registers that he’s being careful of my injured knee.
My entire body goes rigid, and I don’t know how to hold myself.
His large hand spans nearly my entire back.
He doesn’t say anything, and I don’t...can’t.
When he pulls back, his eyes stare into mine.
“Can you fly back?”
I arch a brow. “Can I fly back? You’re the one missing half your back.” He just stares at me, waiting. “Yes, I can fly back,” I tell him with a scowl.
“Reneta,” he says without looking away from me. “Can you wrap her leg so it’s at least stable.”
“We tried, but she wouldn’t let us,” she responds.
“Try again,” he says. “She’ll let you.” He stares me down, daring me to challenge him.
I open my mouth to argue, but he beats me to it.
“She’s going to wrap your leg; deal with it.
Go ahead.” He moves so that his arms bracket my elbows, and he pulls away slightly so Reneta can bend next to me.
She starts wrapping my knee, and I do my best not to grimace.
Where she came up with wrap, I have no idea.
She tightens the wrap, and I nearly bite my tongue in pain.
“Careful,” Rauk says in a low, rumbling voice.
I don’t look away from him the entire time.
I’m not sure why. To prove to him I can handle this, maybe?
She stands up. “It’s done.” Her words seem to break whatever weird spell Rauk put on me.
I face her and pull my arms from his grasp. “Thank you.”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s get back,” Rauk says. He turns and starts speaking to his three soldiers while I turn around and face Redara.
I look at her back and feel like it’s grown twenty feet.
I wipe my forehead again and wonder if I can do this one more time.
I try to take a step on my leg, and it bends under me, causing a wave of pain to run through me.
I close my eyes and breathe through the pain, resting my forehead against Redara’s back leg.
“Don’t put weight on it,” a voice says much closer than I realized. Then arms slip around my waist and lift me, turning me at the same time. Before I realize what’s happening, Rauk has me against his chest for the second time in my life.
“Put me down, Rauk,” I demand.
He ignores me and strides towards Nox. “You’re flying with me. Wrap your arms around my neck.”
“Are you nuts? No. You’re badly burned.”
His eyes meet mine, flashing dangerously. “I’m fine. The pain’s tolerable right now. We need to get you back and get your leg treated. Now put your arms around my neck, so I can get us on Noxlyn and get us out of here.”
“I’m not—”
“Harper, I am hanging on here by a thread. Before I lose complete control and destroy everybody and everything in our vicinity, would you put your arms around my neck?!”
“Rauk,” Shane says in a warning voice.
“Thorne, get them out of here,” Rauk demands in an icy voice I don’t recognize.
I am aware of the absolute silence moments later. “Why did you make them leave?” I ask in confusion.
“So, I don’t kill them.” He strides forward while I try to process his words.
“What are you—” the words get lodged in my chest when he moves and my leg jostles, causing white hot pain to flare. I blink and try to breathe through the pain.
“I’m sorry,” he says in a voice that sounds different than it normally does.
But I can’t focus past anything but the pain.
I drop my head to my chest and try to breathe through the pain.
Everything around me sort of fades in and out.
My leg is pulsing in pain to the tempo of my heartbeat again.
The pain keeps coming until finally Rauk is still.
“We’re going to fly now.” I try to lift my head from his chest, but I’m not currently capable.
I feel something feather soft at my hairline, but I can’t process anything outside of the pain.
For the second time in so many weeks, I ride in Rauk’s lap on Noxlyn’s back. Are you with us? I suddenly remember to send to Redara.
Right next to you.
The ride seems to take forever, but I know the exact moment Nox lands.
Rauk lifts me against his chest. “We just have to get off now. Hang on. I’ll need my hands for this part.
” Even though I don’t want to put my hands anywhere near his back, I don’t want to be dropped from up here.
I wrap my arms around his strong neck, being careful to keep them high so they don’t touch his injured back.
The second he’s on the ground, he starts barking orders.
“You do remember you’re not king here, don’t you?” I ask him.
“You do realize I don’t care, don’t you?” he responds. “We need a room, and I need your best healer to set her leg.” I put my hand on his chest.
“Put me down.”
He doesn’t skip a beat. “No, and we need pain reliever.”
“Put me down, Rauk,” I try again. “I can—”
Suddenly his eyes are in front of my own. “If you say walk, I’m going to murder someone.”
My eyes widen. “What is your deal? Why are you so unhinged?”
“Unhinged?” He laughs, but there’s no warmth.
He starts on the wooden walkway over the water.
“Do you want to see unhinged, Harper? Just try walking to where we need to go,” he all but growls at me.
I’m ready to lay him out when somebody bumps into him.
White hot pain flares through me, and I nearly cry out in pain as I drop my head to his chest again.
“Watch where you’re going!” he roars at some poor innocent person, but I can’t lift my head to tell him to chill.
I take in a deep breath, trying to breathe through the pain.
I take another deep breath and keep up the motion.
In some far part of my mind, I catalogue Rauk’s scent.
It’s everything that’s him. It’s icy and cold and yet somehow feels warm and comforting.
I realize the pain must be making me lose my mind.
Somebody stops to talk to Rauk, and then I hear multiple voices.
But between the headache blooming behind my eyes and the pain in my leg, I don’t really process any of it.
It seems to take forever, but finally, all the sounds fade away.
I manage to open my eyes and realize we’re in a house; it doesn’t take me long to realize it’s the same house I stayed in when I was here with Kinsley months ago.
I feel movement, and then we stop. “If I’m going to lay you down, you need to release me,” I finally hear Rauk say.
His words take a moment to register. When they do, I automatically pull my hands from his neck, and then I’m being lowered to a bed.
The softness wraps around me, and even though my leg is screaming at me, the rest of my body sighs in relief.
“Open your mouth.” I look up at him and realize he’s like, right there.
“They told me this will melt under your tongue. Once it hits your system, it will give you relief and then knock you out.” I’d do anything for relief at this point, so I don’t question him.
I open my mouth, and he sticks something under my tongue.
“What about you?” I ask.
He pulls back but doesn’t move far from me. “What about me?”
“How’s your pain?” I ask.
His dark eyes meet mine. “Better. You need to rest.”
“Are you going to?” I question. “Because if you aren’t, I’m not.”
His eyes narrow on me. “You are so stubborn.”
I shrug. “Takes one to know one.”
He stares at me, and I can’t read the expression on his face. “If I lay next to you and rest, will you rest?”
I ignore the him laying next to me part and focus on the rest part. “Yes,” I tell him. He stares at me a little while longer before he stands to his feet.
He makes his way to the other side of the bed and peels off what’s left of his shredded, mangled shirt and kicks off his boots. “That’s all you’re taking off, right?” I ask, watching him.
His eyes bore into mine. He opens his mouth like he’s going to say something and then closes it. “Yes.” He doesn’t say anything more as he climbs onto the bed next to me. “Is it okay if I lay on the bed with you? I don’t want to lie on the floor.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, it’s fine.”
I watch him carefully as he settles on his stomach.
Because he’s so close, I don’t fail to see the pain on his face as he tries to get comfortable.
My eyes scan what I can see of his back, and fresh new anger surges.
“I’m okay,” he says quietly. My eyes fly to his face, and I see he’s watching me carefully.
I don’t know whether to play off my concern or reprimand him, but when a huge yawn overtakes me, and I start to feel a little fuzzy, I realize the pain reliever and sedative are thankfully starting to work.
I blink, and my eyes suddenly feel weighted down.
His image starts to waver, and I blink again.
I’m not really sure if it’s reality or just my imagination when his hand comes out and tucks a hair behind my ear and then lingers on my cheek.
The touch is so light that I’m sure I imagine it.
But then I hear a low, raspy voice say, “Just rest. I’ll be here when you wake up.
” And then I really know I’m not awake when I feel a big hand thread through mine, and a thumb stroke the back of my hand so incredibly gently.
That’s the last thing I remember before I fall into a deep sleep.