Page 46

SHOCK

C as was at her side as soon as the guards cleared the hall with the false Asan in their midst. He was near panic. She’d been acting odd and now someone had attempted to kidnap her from inside the palace.

Inside the palace.

Emryn was collapsed on the floor of the hallway, hands over her mouth when Asan made her a bucket and she heaved into it,. Losing her breakfast and whatever that other Asan had given her.

“Emryn-” He knelt at her side as she convulsed again. He held her hair back until the heaving shudders stopped and he could pull her into his arms as Asan got rid of the mess.

“I bit him,” Emryn whispered to him, eyes vague and clouded. “He tasted awful.”

“Rest.” He brushed her hair back from her face. “Sleep, and when you wake up, we’ll figure it out.”

“Can’t.” She tried to sit up and failed. “Have to tell you something.”

“When you wake up, you can tell me anything.” He held her tightly, watching as she gave up on consciousness and went slack against him. She had blood on her mouth, her assailant’s blood, and there was more on the floor alongside a piece of something that looked like flesh.

She’d taken a chunk out of her assailant, his brave, brilliant wife. Cas rose with her in his arms and looked at Asan. “Figure this out,” he ordered. “I will mind my wife.”

“Yes, Highness.” Asan bowed, looking at the limp form of Emryn. “With your permission, I would examine the princess to ensure that she was given nothing that would harm her.”

“That is acceptable,” Cas said, holding Emryn out to him. “If there is anything you can do for her.”

“I will be able to do nothing to heal her.” Asan said. “But if there is more she needs to purge, I can do that.”

Cas watched as Asan laid a delicate hand on Emryn’s brow and a pale red light gathered around his hand. “She is simply in shock, Highness.” He pulled his hand back. “Once she wakes, it should resolve.”

“Thank you, Asan.” Cas cradled his Emryn against him.

Asan bowed again. “I will figure out who he was sent from and the threat to Emryn.”

“I know you had nothing to do with it,” Cas said quietly. “But the fact that they chose your face is going to make things difficult.”

“Well do I know it.” Asan rubbed a hand down his face. “Take her to rest. I will handle this.”

Cas nodded, heading for their rooms and laying Emryn on their bed. Neither of them had wanted to sleep alone after their sojourn to the country and they’d moved everything to what used to be only Cas’ rooms.

Cas tucked her in and stepped away. He wasn’t going to go far, but he was going to institute a guard rotation for his wife. If someone was after her, he would ensure that they had no opening to try again.

He summoned the head of the palace guards and ordered it. Asked that, unless he was with her, that she had a full detail on her at all times.

The captain of the guard nodded, agreeing and leaving to requisition Emryn’s guard detail as Cas went back to their bed to pull her into his arms.

He wasn’t going to allow her to come to harm, not ever, not for the woman he loved.

Cas rested with her until she stirred, half sitting up and looking around until she saw him. “Cas?”

“I’m here, Emryn.”

“What happened?”

He tried to smile, folding her into his arms. “Someone tried to take you. Asan is working on it now .”

“Who-” She shuddered and curled further into his arms. “I remember now. He looked like Asan, but I knew the real Asan would never try to take me without letting you know where I was.”

“Smart, Emryn.” Cas rocked her slowly. “Asan would never try to take you anywhere without me.”

“I know,” she said in a shaking voice. “That’s how I knew it wasn’t Asan.”

“Are you alright?” he asked her. “I know you’re still in shock, but is there anything I can do?”

“Cas, I-‘ she looked up at him with eyes full of tears. “I don’t want you to say it back if you don’t mean it. And I know you can’t mean it, because my own mother didn’t even mean it, even if she told me everyday.

In the end I was just an abomination that they wanted to die at the base of the temple stairs. ”

“Emryn, slow down,” he kissed her forehead. “I would never tell you something I didn’t mean. What are you talking about?”

“I heard them,” she was actively crying now. “The night they tied me to the temple stairs. Mother said I was an abomination and she wished I was never born.”

“I’m quite happy you were born, Emryn.” Cas was still confused as to what she was getting at. “I’m happy with you, darling.”

“But if my own mother didn’t love me, how can anyone?” She looked up at him with tear-sparkled eyes, begging him for comfort.

“Darling,” he held her closer. “Your mother might not have, but that means nothing. The people love you, Emryn, the city celebrates you, and my village thanks the Mother for your intervention.”

“I don’t care about that,” Emryn said, burying her face in his shirt. “I just want-”

“Tell me, Emryn.”

“I want you to love me,” she whispered in a broken voice. “But I can’t ask it of you when my own mother didn’t.”

“Darling Emryn.” It was all clear now the little glances at him when she thought he wasn’t looking, the hopeless little sighs and the increased nightmares. “Is that truly what you want?”

“I know it’s hopeless,” she said, voice cracked and full of sorrow.

“What if it’s not,” he asked gently. “What if I’ve loved you for weeks and just haven’t known how to say it?”

Her head shot up, looking at him with watery, incredulous eyes.

He put a finger on her lips. “I said it first, Emryn, not you.”

She nodded, tears running over her cheeks. “I love you, Cas.”