Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 781(@200wpm)___ 625(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
No. I’m in bed.
I open my eyes, and while my body still throbs with the pain of despair venom, my relief is so great I squeeze the long, warm fingers and seek out his face. It’s blurry at first, but as I blink, the handsome features of my promised come into focus, and I choke up, so very relieved I have trouble finding the right words.
“You… you’re alive,” I mutter with sawdust-dry lips, patting my neck with my other hand just to make sure I’m not wearing the collar that haunted my dream.
“Yes. You saved me.” Luke gives me a weak smile, pulling his chair closer. His eyes are bloodshot and the skin under them⸺dark, but to me, he couldn’t be any more beautiful than he is now, tired out from watching over me. “How are you feeling? A medic said that many don’t recover from that monster’s bite. He told me this creature poisons the mind with terror and nightmares, that the antidote doesn’t always work. So I…” He licks his lips. “Stayed up and always held your hand, hoping your body would understand it’s not in danger.”
My heart thumps, as if it’s sinking deeper into my chest, and I squeeze Luke’s hand. I see all of him. Bags under the eyes, seaweed hair, and the worried frown. “Then it was you who pulled me to the surface,” I whisper, overwhelmed by the waves of emotion clashing over me and sinking deep into my flesh.
I realize the nightmare I just had, the one I’ve woken up from, was one of many iterations of it. I must have been trapped in it over and over again. It’s what elves who have recovered from a despair bite are said to experience.
Luke’s face scrunches, and tears drop from his pretty green eyes. “I’m sorry. I got scared. Vinia told me about Silas Nightweed and Bonnie, and how time passes differently here than in my world, and I just—I took her lantern and ran. I should have… I don’t even know.”
My pain dulls as anger overwhelms my senses. If I wasn’t so very exhausted, I would have gone after my cousin immediately. “You know she was trying to get you killed, right?” I mutter but hold on to Luke’s sweaty hands. It’s comforting to know he cares whether I live or die. He could have left me on that beach. With a bit of luck, Tristan could have gotten him to safety, back home, yet he stayed.
Luke nods. “I think so. She must have known the caves would flood. But you came for me. Even though I betrayed you.”
I exhale. “I told you not to trust my family. Well, Tristan is all right. Do you believe me now?” I mutter before coughing as my dry throat protests.
He gets up to bring me a drink, and while I appreciate it, I’m already missing his warm fingers. “I do. Is it true that a day here is like a year in my world?” As soon as he hands me the glass, he grabs my hand and the gesture is even sweeter than the antidote-infused water.
I squeeze it, and while my fingers ache, the discomfort the motion causes me is almost welcome. “No. It is not true. Time isn’t relative. She lied to you. I’ll have her—”
I freeze, and as the memory of the nightmare poisons my thoughts, I touch the middle of my chest, realizing that I am wearing a clean nightshirt, tightly laced to hide my sun mark. “I… did anyone see…?” I mumble, seeking the answer in Luke’s eyes.
“No. I don't know what it is, and I’m sure you have your reasons not to tell me, but I understand it’s important, so I made sure no one saw it. Hope you don’t mind I changed your shirt. You were wet.” Luke snorts and rubs his face. “Keeping your secret is the least I could do.”
I swallow, overcome by a wave of tenderness. It was that feeling that pushed me so hard to save him. My pride had been hurt, yes, and I did want to keep him alive so my rights to the crown remain uncontested, but at the very end, when I fought the despairs at the shore, those weren’t my reasons to continue the fight.
I wanted to keep him safe.
Because I couldn’t let him get hurt after holding him in my arms all night.
No one before him has made me feel so complete, body, soul, and shadow. While he might not reciprocate my sentiment yet, I am now positive that he’s fond enough of me to keep me safe when it counts.
“I—this means a lot, Luke. It really does,” I whisper and bring his hand to my lips.
“May… May I?” He gestures to the bed, and I move to the side, making room for him. I can’t wait to hold him in my arms again.