Page 13

By the time we pass the border into Grimwood, the sound of chasing hooves becomes distant.

Our horses keep galloping until all my hope of returning to Bellehaven is snuffed out. Ledger’s body sags into me, causing me to pitch forward.

I yank at the reins binding my hands, loosening them.

Ledger’s grip falters, and I turn in time to see his eyes roll back into his head. As he loses consciousness, we start pitching to the side, and I’m helpless to stop us from falling.

Apollo slows to a canter as we slide out of the saddle. My hands fall free of the reins, and I squeal right before our bodies hit the ground.

The air is knocked from my lungs as Ledger’s limp body lands on top of mine. Warm droplets of his blood drip over my skin as I struggle beneath him .

His bare skin blazes into mine the more I squirm. My hands push against his thick slabs of muscle uselessly.

“Oh shit.” Archie must see us in a heap because he dismounts his horse and is over us in the next second. He lifts Ledger’s body so I can slide out from beneath him.

Mia comes up, helping Archie get him in a sitting position. “Ledger,” Mia calls his name, her hands going to his face, slapping across the cheek.

I gulp in air, trying to quell my swelling emotions. My arm and leg quiver with the pain of my freshly blistered skin.

With Mia and Archie distracted, I jump up and limp in the opposite direction in hopes of seeing Maddox and the guards in pursuit of us. My lungs burn with exertion as I pump my arms and legs.

Maddox. I’ve got to get to Maddox.

“Godsdammit!” Archie charges after me.

My legs ache as I push them faster. My back spikes with awareness as Archie chases after me. He’s fast, running in long strides, and it isn’t long before he barrels into me.

We collide onto the wet earth, grunting at the impact. He wrestles me to the ground as I throw unsuccessful punches, eventually pinning my arms to my sides. I let out a defeated sob as warm tears flow down my cheeks.

“I’m sorry, Layla, I’m fucking sorry.” His chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath. “I’m begging you, please help him. I know it’s the last thing you want to do but if you don’t, he will die.” He looks over to where Mia is frantically trying to wake Ledger.

“Maybe death is what he deserves.” I spit the words, fighting to see past my anger.

“Please, we can’t lose him.” The anguish in his words matches how I feel, and as much as I want to leave him to bleed out, I know I can’t.

My father always spoke of the sacred power bestowed upon us and the deep responsibility that comes with it.

It didn’t matter that he’d ripped me away from my life or that leaving him to die could be my chance at freedom.

I would not allow his blood to be on my hands.

I struggle against Archie’s grip before the fight leaves my body. “I will help him, and I will heal whoever it is that he requests of me under the condition that you return me to Bellehaven after it is done.” I rip my wrists from Archie’s grip the second I feel it loosen.

“I will take you back myself if that is what you want.” Archie winces at the promise.

Mia is still pleading with Ledger to wake up as I approach running a sleeve over my tear-streaked face.

Fury explodes in my gut, fast and acute, as Ledger’s eyes blink open. I think of Maddox sailing through the air and am unable to tame my rage as I stumble over to them.

Ledger sits slumped on the forest floor, the soil damp with his blood. Three arrows protrude from his back, and I waste no time grabbing ahold of one of them and yanking .

A choking gasp leaves him as he pitches forward onto his hands. I reach for the next one before he can recover and yank it out with a sickening squelch. Blood pours from the wounds.

He wheezes, falling to the side and holding up his hand, trying to keep me at bay, but I don’t stop. My power thrashes against my skin, and I contest it.

His sticky hand weakly pushes at me as I fist the last arrow. I yank it out roughly. My power laces through my veins and I struggle to ignore it.

“Fuck,” he groans as his hands fist in the dirt, and he gasps for air.

“Remind me never to get on her bad side,” Archie exclaims. He and Mia are looking at each other with their mouths ajar like they can’t decide if they should intervene or not.

I swallow thickly before kneeling next to Ledger. I reluctantly let my power lose, and it whips out of my palms, wrapping around his bleeding body.

Guilt rocks into me as I gain control of myself. Ledger calms almost instantly, his body relaxing into the mist.

His skin knits together, and the burns on his arm smooth out. He fights to control his breathing as he pushes himself up to kneeling. His eyes drift shut as my power caresses his body, checking for any other injuries. His breath shudders out .

I frown when my power clings to him briefly before retreating into me.

I take a moment to brush my fingers over his closed wounds. Gods, what is it with this man? Everything about him is opposing. His features are severe but captivating. His very presence is alluring yet callous. It’s a maddening, lethal mix.

I wonder for the first time who this person is he loves enough to capture me. Was it a lover?

Mia and Archie give each other a look before their eyes fall on Ledger. “Are you okay?” Archie asks, and Ledger nods his head, his body taut.

“Give us a minute,” he croaks. They consider me with a weary look. I avert my eyes and try to ignore the way my cheeks heat in shame.

“We will be right over here,” Mia calls as they walk away.

I sit frozen for a second before moving to my feet. I rip off a piece of Ledger’s tunic, grabbing his canteen off Apollo and wetting it before returning to him.

Ledger is sitting, his breathing almost back to normal, and he studies me as I kneel next to him. He flinches almost imperceptibly as I bring the wet cloth to his bloodied back.

“You feel better now?” he asks me pointedly as I wipe away the drying blood with rapt attention.

“You could have killed him, Ledger.”

“Trust me, if he can’t survive a fall off a horse, I did you a favor. ”

“You’re unbelievable.” I wipe roughly at the skin where the arrow wound was moments before, causing him to wince.

“Jesus, I’ve never been more afraid of a woman in my life.”

“It’s not too late to return me.”

At that, he scoffs. “So, what is the prince to you anyway?” I let my hand drop and peer out into the darkness towards the border of Bellehaven as if I could see Maddox.

“He’s my best friend.”

“I saw him kiss you that night. Do you kiss all your friends?”

If it were light enough, I’m sure he would see my blushing. “That is none of your business.”

“Mmmm.” Ledger stands, rolling out his shoulder and peering at his now-closed wounds. “Incredible,” he whispers, more to himself. “Can you heal yourself?”

“No, it doesn’t work like that,” I respond, and he considers my words.

“Then let me see your burns.” He walks to Apollo, pulling out a tunic from his saddle bag and throwing it on. Another pouch in the saddle holds some ointment and wrapping.

“I’m fine,” I lie through my teeth. The burns throb painfully; the skin affected seems to radiate heat.

Ledger pins me with an unconvinced look that has me rolling my eyes. “Fine, give me the ointment; I can do it myself.” I reach for it, and he moves his hand back out of my grasp.

“Does anyone ever take care of you? Or is it just you taking care of everyone else?”

I bristle at his words as they struck, stripping away yet another truth. “I don’t need anyone to take care of me, but I suppose Maddox takes care of me. We take care of each other.” I square my jaw.

He nods slowly and then motions to a log. “Sit. Humor me, Ms. Sutton.” I narrow my eyes briefly before glancing at the log and reluctantly sitting down.

He takes my ankle into his large hand, holding my leg up to the moonlight to get a better look. His fingers dip into the ointment.

I cringe against the sting as he applies it, his fingers surprisingly gentle. “It won’t heal you completely, but it should ease the pain.”

His fingers brush over my calf as he skillfully wraps the burn. “You’ve done this before.” It’s more of an observation than anything.

“A time or two.”

He moves to my arm; the skin is raised and blistered worse than my leg. I hiss when the rough skin of his fingers glide over it. However, his touch is light, opposite of what I imagined it would be.

“Payback.” He grins, the dimple in his cheek popping ever so slightly as he continues .

“Vengeful,” I quip.

“You’re not anything like I thought you’d be, you know?” He pauses, studying my face as if he’s perplexed.

“How’d you think I’d be?”

“Different. You don’t strike me as the kind of girl that would stay for so long in that carefully crafted prison your king and prince keep you in.”

“You’re saying it like I have a choice. You think of me as some weak, sheltered girl, easily manipulated and compliant. You know nothing,” I spit the words at him yanking my ankle from his grasp.

“Believe me, I am well aware. I have never had less of a grip on who someone is in my entire life. Enlighten me, please.” His hands gesture towards me expectantly.

I narrow my eyes at him before speaking. “As you know, healers are one of the rarest abilities, and Sandor loves to have what others do not possess. I was able to leverage my…compliance in exchange for my mother to live in the castle. I do as he demands, and she stays safe.”

“You said she was not of healthy mind?”

“The death of my father took a toll on her. For months I begged Sandor to let me see her and once he finally agreed and brought her to the castle–she wasn’t the same woman I remembered.

In that time her brain had become addled, forgetful, confused, and she could hardly recognize me most days.

” Ledger listens intently, his expression blank, and body still .

“When I came fully into my power, I attempted to heal her but, it turns out, my powers only work for physical wounds, not mental.” I huff a bitter laugh. “She was never the same. And now without me there to protect her, who knows what Sandor will do.”

“I was not aware.” His expression is almost remorseful. “It sounds like you would do anything for your family. We aren’t all that different.”

We sit in silence for a long while unsure of how to continue. Archie ambles over to us, a hesitant expression on his face. “We are going to try and get some sleep before the sun rises.”

“Good idea,” Ledger responds, and we both stand, following Archie to the group.

“It looks like the soldiers burned our camp, so I guess we are going to be one with nature for a few nights.” I can smell the smoke in the air and see the plumes of it in the distance. Cam lay back in a pile of moss, crossing his arms behind his head and gazing up at the stars.

“I’ll take the first watch,” he offers.

A shiver courses through me as the chill of the night sets over my skin.

“It isn’t particularly warm tonight, so if you want to huddle together to preserve body heat, I’d be happy to.” Archie appears next to me, and I halfway consider his offer .

“Like hell, Archie; go keep Cam warm. I’m sure he’d appreciate the heat,” Ledger comments, making Mia chuckle before she curls up on the ground.

Archie sighs and saunters over, collapsing on the ground next to her.

“Don’t get any ideas,” she mumbles.

Ledger’s eyes track me as I sink to the ground and curl my legs into my chest. I begin to tremble, the adrenaline from the day wearing off and the cold seeping into my bones.

Ledger lays next to me, and a second later a root seals around my ankle. I yank at it and huff, too tired to argue. The heat from his body taunts me, close enough to sense but too far to warm me.

As the time drags on, my shivering becomes a violent tremor. I inch myself towards Ledger, my pride fading until my back is inches from the side of his body.

“She is going to wake the gods with the chattering of her teeth, Ledger. Just let me—” Archie starts.

“She is fine.” Ledger cuts him off, pushing up and disappearing into the night. A few seconds later, a saddle blanket is thrown over me. It smells of sweat and leather. I grasp the rough fabric and pull it over my shoulders sighing with the relief it brings.

I stare into the void of the night and think of Maddox. I pray that he is alright and hope he can forgive me for what I’ve agreed to do.