Page 1 of Their Queen

Chapter One: Arryn

Cyerra deposited us in Brannoc’s main living area, and I struggled to maintain my hold on Baer’s wound. I had hastily wrapped Baer’s arm with strips from my tunic, but it had soaked through already. Jude kneeled next to me as I clamped down with all my might, hoping that the pressure would slow the flow, and still, the wound wouldn’t stop bleeding. Dipping into my magic again, I was met with the same emptiness I’d found earlier. Rhowyn had drained me. Drained us all, most likely.

Brannoc landed with a thud, everyone he was carrying tumbling to the floor in a heap. Glancing over, I found he was passed out?limp and lying face down on the carpet. He’d used the last dregs of his magic to get them here to safety, overexerting himself to ensure they were all safe. Callum held Rhowyn tightly to his chest, his eyes an amber yellow. He didn’t move as he fought back his wolf’s desire to protect Rhowyn, even from her other bonds. It was probably best that we were all focused so intently on Baer’s current predicament, for lack of a better word.

Her father climbed to his feet with a groan, moving as if all his limbs were sore and stiff, a concerned look on his face as he took in Rhowyn’s limp form. Thankfully, he was smart enough not to try to touch or move her from Callum’s arms right now. We couldn’t afford to deal with Callum shifting right now. Lennox sat on the floor where Cyerra had dumped us, looking like he was in shock with a manic grin on his face.

“How bad is it?” Jude asked me, and I turned my attention back to my patient, assured that everyone else had made it out of that cluster fuck unharmed.

“It’s bad,” I told him, pulling the cloth back to reveal the clean-cut stump. Blood that had previously been a steady trickle now rushed forth, and I clamped the cloth back down with a curse. “It won’t stop bleeding. If we don’t stop it soon, I’m afraid he’s going to go into shock. And that can only lead to negative things.”

Nodding, Jude placed his hands over mine. “Let me hold this. Go get the supplies you need. I’ll call you if anything changes.”

Relinquishing my grip, I stood, swaying as dizziness threatened to drop me. Lennox placed a hand on my arm, steadying me. “What can I do to help?”

“Got any healing magic? Or just any magic to spare?” I asked him harshly, already knowing the answer.

He shook his head sadly. “No.”

I sighed, knowing I wasn’t being fair to him. “Sorry. I need to clean up. Can you grab some fresh cloths, hot water, and something to clean the wound with? If you can’t find anything traditional, some of Brannoc’s liquor will do. The clear stuff.”

Nodding, he walked off to do as I had asked. I heard cupboards opening and shutting in the kitchen as he searched. Not waiting to find out if he was successful, I strode purposefully to the room I had been using during our stay. Heading straight for the bathroom, I turned on the water in the sink. As I washed my hands, I watched the blood as it swirled down the drain, entrancing me in the process, my mind drifting back to what had just happened.

Barely more than twenty minutes ago, I stood shackled and lined up, preparing myself to watch Baer lose his head, readying myself for the same fate. I hadn’t dared to hope that we’d make it out of there alive. We did our best to beat Titania, but it wasn’t enough. It seemed that no matter what we did, she always got the better of us. Just when I’d thought things couldn’t get worse, I had felt my magic being siphoned from me, Rhowyn gathering all the magic she could access for some kind of stupid move. I knew then that our already shitty situation was about to go to hell in a handbasket, and I sent up a prayer to Avalonia that both of them, that all of us, would make it out of there alive.

I supposed things had happened according to my prayer, but I swear, I’d lost ten years off my life from worry. Turning off the water, I rubbed my hands down my face, trying to bring myself back into the moment. Sighing, I let myself crumple for a moment. Bracing my hands on the edge of the sink, I bowed my head and let my emotions run through me. The fear, the loss of hope, the sadness. All of it had consumed me, and I hadn’t had a moment to myself to process it.

When Rhowyn had stepped forward to release the magic, I never expected her to be possessed by Avalonia. She killed Genevieve, and I wasn’t sure how she was going to take that. Sure, it was her hands, but it hadn’t been her. It had been Avalonia to strike the blow that ended Genevieve’s life, so quickly she hadn’t seen it coming. With a snap of her fingers, Avalonia had dropped Genevieve and ended the threat that she had presented. Even if the bitch had it coming, I knew it was going to be something Rhowyn would struggle with. Taking a life was never easy, at least, not if you had a soul.

And then there was the terrifying aspect that Titania’s power had matched Avalonia’s in strength. That we’d had to flee because there was nothing we could have done against her magic. We had known Titania was powerful, but it wasn’t until then that we realized just what kind of threat she truly presented. How could we fight back against that? Could we even win? I knew Rhowyn would die trying, but I hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Shaking my head, I squared my shoulders. I needed to get back out there. Needed to put my shit to the side and lead us through this mess. Needed to stabilize Baer because if he died, I feared what would happen to Rhowyn. Losing a bonded mate like that would break even the hardest fae. Not to mention the loss of what he provided to us as a whole group. He kept us all positive, easing the tension with a quip or easy smile. If I couldn’t save him, I feared we’d all be lost.

Drying my hands, I walked to the closet and pulled out a clean shirt, changing quickly. Satisfied that I was as put together as I could be in this situation, I headed back out there, prepared to do what needed to be done to save Baer. I’d gotten my head on straight, and now I could focus on the task at hand. I was surprised to see that Lennox had done as I asked, the supplies I needed sitting beside Baer. Jude still kneeled next to Baer, his hands clamped down on the stub that used to be Baer’s hand.

Squatting down, I looked at Jude. “Okay. I’m going to have to do this quickly. I’ll have you remove the cloth, and then I’m going to clean the wound as best as I can. The last thing we need is for infection to set in. However, when I start rubbing on the nub, his bleeding will start again.”

Jude nodded, indicating he understood. Turning to Lennox, I said, “I’m going to have you hand me the things I need so we can stop the bleeding as quickly as possible.” Looking at what he’d gathered, I grabbed the bottle of liquor. “When Jude removes the cloth, I’m going to pour this on the wound. When I’m done, I’ll need you to hand me a stack of clean rags. Then I’m going to hold the pressure while I have you wrap the longest linen strip around it. Think you can manage that?”

“Yes,” Lennox said, his brow setting in determination despite the clear worry we were all feeling. Turning to Jude, I picked up the bottle and removed the cap. With everything ready, I nodded for Jude to remove the dressing. We worked quickly and efficiently, everyone aware of their roles as I cleaned and wrapped the limb as tightly as I dared. Any tighter and we’d cut off circulation completely, leading to necrosis and the need for further amputation.

Once the last strip had been secured and knotted into place, I leaned back on my heels with a sigh. “Okay. Now, we pray that the bleeding stops. Someone will need to keep an eye on him until he wakes again.”

“I can watch him,” Jude offered. His fatigue was making him look every bit his age as his shoulders slumped. Before the Trials, he had been old and spry. Now, he moved as if his bones and soul ached, his mobility slow and methodical.

“Okay. One of us will relieve you in a couple of hours,” I told him, lifting Baer and sliding my arms under his back and knees.

As I went to lift him, a voice sounded out, and I froze. Rhowyn slid around us until she was facing me. “I will help you heal him.” Her voice still wasn’t her own, her eyes distant and clouded. She may have been awake, but she still wasn’t fully out of the possession. I wondered now if this was her or Avalonia speaking to me.

Unable to answer, unsure of what to say to that, I just nodded in acquiescence. Rhowyn placed a hand on my shoulder, and magic flooded into me. As soon as the magic left her, Rhowyn crumpled, Callum’s arms barely wrapping around her to stop her from slamming into the floor. When he nodded once, I turned my focus on Baer, assured that Callum had our girl. That he’d keep her safe.

With my magic and more returned to me, I placed my hand on the stump, closing my eyes and focusing on repairing the damage. Despite having access to all this magic, I still had limitations on what I could do. I could heal the tissue, the bone, and skin, but I couldn’t regrow his hand. Once I was sure he was okay, I opened my eyes and removed the dressing we had just worked so hard to place to reveal healed over skin. My heart ached, but at least he would live. The hand he lost was his dominant hand. His sword hand.

From experience, I knew he’d struggle with the loss of his limb. I just hoped he didn’t let it drag him to the place that so many soldiers went to when they lost something like this. It was like a part of their minds shattered in a way that could never be healed. Either because they were forced to face their own mortality, or because they couldn’t move through the grief of such a loss, many never returned from there. However, Baer had us, and we’d fight for him even when he couldn’t. We wouldn’t let him lose himself in the grief I knew he’d have to face.

This time, when I lifted Baer to move him to the room, no one stopped me. Callum followed me and laid Rhowyn next to Baer in the bed. At the door, I paused to look at them, thankful that we had them both still with us, déjà vu striking me at the sight of them resting together. We’d need some time to recover from that fight, but we’d be okay. I’d make sure of that.

Chapter Two: Lennox

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