Page 28 of Redemption (Deliverance Duet #2)
Chapter Twenty-Seven
B linking my eyes open, I frown as I look around the unfamiliar room, my foggy brain trying to put everything together. The immediate impression I get is that I’m safe here and that this is a place of healing, so I don’t allow panic to consume me. I also know without looking that Alaric is at my side.
The walls are wooden and uneven, as though we are literally inside a tree, the natural finish giving the room an earthy feel. In fact, everything in here appears to be made of wood—the floors, walls, ceiling, and most of the furniture. The bed I’m in is the exception. It is unlike any bed I’ve ever been in before, with rails that line either side, presumably to stop us from falling. The healers’ hut in my human village had a bed like this. There are multiple beds in a line against the far wall, but other than us, only one other bed is occupied, although the fae is covered in thick bandages and appears to be asleep.
A gentle tugging sensation in my chest draws my attention to the two chairs at the side of the bed, where Ciaran and Blaise watch me closely. I’m grateful they are not peppering me with questions and allowing me time to adjust, as I’m pretty disoriented right now. Ciaran sits back, resting his chin on his hand with his elbow propped on the arm of the chair. He wears a neutral smile that could mean anything, but I can feel his love for me radiating down the bond.
Blaise, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He shuffles his weight back and forth in the chair, his face set in a grimace. I can’t decide if he’s restless because he wants to ask me questions, or if he’s just concerned about Alaric.
My memories begin to return, and I realise that when I first awoke, we were here, meaning we must be in the Unseelie Court. At the time, I hadn’t been aware enough to take in any of the details, since all I could think about was Alaric.
I look down at him, my heart swelling with relief at the pink flush in his cheeks and steady rise and fall of his chest. He looks so much better than the last time I saw him, our bond shining once again. It’s weak, but it’s there, growing with each passing moment.
“What happened?” My voice is hushed, as I do not want to wake him when he appears so peaceful.
“You healed him.” Ciaran chuckles in disbelief and shakes his head. “I have never seen anything like it.”
A frown pulls at my brow as I look at my mate. Shouldn’t he be awake if I healed him? Did I do something wrong? “Why isn’t he awake yet?”
“He’s still healing,” Blaise answers, pushing up from his chair and hovering by the side of the bed. “He is incredibly weak. The iron stole all of his strength. He’s going to be left with scars where the chains touched his skin.” He glances up, tracking the progress of someone moving, and I follow his line of sight.
I am startled by the sudden appearance of a creature who appears to be made of wood, and my eyes widen. Neither Blaise nor Ciaran appear to be concerned by the female, so I take several deep breaths to calm my racing heart.
She is tall, almost double my height, and her limbs appear to be made of wood, with patches of bark changing her colouration. Her skin is the colour of an oak tree, and she has a strong trunk of a body and thin, long limbs. Her face appears remarkably human, and in place of hair are leaves, all bunched together tightly at the top of her head. She reaches for Alaric, and I have to stop myself from jerking back from her long, gnarled fingers.
“You got him to us just in time,” she says, her voice soft like leaves moving in the wind, her hand hovering over Alaric’s chest. “You may have healed his body, but his mind will take more time to recover.” Another tree creature descends on us, their hands moving over Alaric as a soft, white glow emanates from their palms.
It’s difficult to pick up any emotion from their tone. My mind spins and tries to read more into the female’s words, but the scenarios only get worse as I spiral. “But he will recover,” I reply, demanding an answer.
There’s a heavy pause as the two females share a look. Lifting her head, she meets my gaze, scanning my face before she answers. “He would already be dead if he wasn’t bonded to you. You saved him, but with everything he has been through, he might never be the same again.”
Different is better than dead. We shall stick by him regardless of whatever state he will be in when he wakes, my love for him not changing. Looking at Ciaran, I find him watching me closely, giving me a small, sad smile. He doesn’t like Alaric for obvious reasons, but he knows what losing him would do to me. Blaise is still staring down at his friend, his expression troubled.
“He’s stable now,” the willowy female comments with a smile. “You can move around. He doesn’t need constant contact with you any longer. Just make sure you come back for several hours in the day.” Lifting her hands, she moves to the other side of the room to check on the bandaged fae, her companion following.
Blaise grips the rails of the bed, his expression tortured. This is his best friend and his prince, a male he swore to protect. There is nothing he can do to protect him, simply having to wait and watch for any changes. I wish there was something I could say or do to comfort him, but I am just as concerned for Alaric.
“I should have got him out sooner,” Blaise says, and I jerk my head up to look at him. Anger twists his face, yet I know it’s aimed at himself. “I knew what the king was doing was wrong and the harm it was causing.”
He thinks this is his fault, but the king was never going to listen to Blaise. The best he could do was to keep an eye on him and intervene when he could. When it was clear that he was dying, Blaise found me, knowing I could help. There was nothing he could have done on his own.
I place my hand on top of his, waiting until he looks at me before speaking. He needs to hear this and see the truth in my eyes. “You can’t blame yourself, Blaise. You didn’t do this to him.”
Movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention as Ciaran pushes up from his chair and walks over. Pausing at Blaise’s side, Ciaran stares down at the prince. “She is right.”
Wow. That is practically the equivalent of Ciaran offering Blaise a hug of reassurance. Ciaran is cold and calculating with everyone but me, just as everyone expects from the Unseelie lord. Blaise raises his eyebrows, his surprise breaking through his self-hatred as he absorbs the Unseelie’s words. The two courts hate each other, so for one to offer any form of comfort to the other is enough to make him take notice.
I shuffle in the bed, trying not to wake Alaric, and manage to sit upright. All of my muscles ache, like I’ve been lying down for a very long time, and my hair is a knotted mess. Turning to Ciaran, I clear my throat. “How long have we been here?”
“A couple of days now.”
Days. No wonder I feel so stiff and sore. Somehow, I managed to sleep for days, and so much could have happened during that time. The Seelie could have waged war on us, or the king could be mounting an attack as we sit here.
“Has the king…” I trail off, not sure I actually want to hear the answers.
“No,” Ciaran answers and shakes his head, exhaustion settling over him. When was the last time he actually slept? Knowing him, he probably has not slept a wink since we got here, wanting to keep an eye on me.
“The Seelie Court has been suspiciously quiet,” he continues, his brow furrowed. “The curse is also tighter than ever before. I attempted to send some spies into Seelie land to find out what’s happening, but even the strongest of them couldn’t leave. Then I tried to cross the boundary today, and I couldn’t even step over.”
The curse fluctuates and is stronger during different phases of the moon. Ciaran is an expert in this and has worked out the best times to sneak through the barrier, and from the sounds of it, he has a team of fae trained to get through the curse as well. If Ciaran tried… He is one of the strongest fae in the Unseelie Court, so if he’s unable to cross, then it will be the same for the rest of the fae here. Why would the curse suddenly be thriving after all this time? The Unseelie have been cursed for centuries, and all of a sudden, it’s changing. A small, stray thought works its way through my mind. Does it have something to do with me? I’m supposed to break the curse, not make it stronger.
My breath catches in my throat. “Why is it getting stronger now?”
Ciaran frowns. “It has always fluctuated, but the fact that it’s so strong, trapping us all in one place right as the Seelie king threatened us, seems a bit suspicious.”
Damn, that’s what I had been afraid of. Does the Seelie king have any power over the curse? Biting my lower lip, I try to think of any other reason this could be happening. “Maybe it’s stronger because we’re about to break the curse?”
“That’s very optimistic of you.” He smiles and reaches out, pushing some of my hair back. While he doesn’t disagree with me, I know he thinks my idea is wrong. I don’t blame him, as I don’t even believe it myself.
Ciaran lowers the railing at my side, and I extract my legs from the sheets then hang them over the edge of the bed. It feels so good to stretch my legs. Blaise is now standing at the other side of the bed, giving Ciaran and me some semblance of privacy as he stares down at Alaric.
There’s a moment of silence, and I use it to glance around once more. Having two of my mates here makes me feel more positive about the situation we’re in. At least, I know we are stronger together. The only thing missing is…
“Nyx?” I ask quietly. He’s not here. I’d feel him if he was. The bond I share with him is throbbing and empty, telling me he’s far away.
Ciaran takes my hands and gently pulls me to my feet. “He was called back by the Fates the moment we arrived here.”
This is what I feared. I’ve hardly seen him since he brought me back to the land of the living, and he won’t tell me anything about what he’s up to or what the Fates want with him. It’s making me anxious.
“Come, you’ve been cooped up for too long.”
Ciaran’s voice snaps me from my worry. I focus on him, and my eyebrow shoots up. He’s smiling widely, and there’s a spark of excitement in his eyes. For half a second, I forget the fear I’ve been feeling, my own excitement flaring into existence. “Where are we going?”
He finally cracks, grinning as he gestures towards the exit. “I’m going to show you the city.”