Page 67 of Cruel Crown

It was hard trying to hide my pleased smile. Now was not the time to gloat, even I knew that. Instead, I got off the bed and ignored the sagging of her shoulders in relief. I took off my shirt and then my joggers until I was only in my boxers. When I got under the covers with her, she stiffened.

“I said—”

“Sshhh,” I cut her off as I slowly brought her body closer so her head rested on my chest. “When I look at you, Petal, I see nothing but strength, resilience, and beauty. If there is a God, then I have to thank him for crafting the perfect woman.”

Daphne

“I’m far from perfect,” I tried to scoff, but the pain in my abdomen made it too difficult.

Gideon took hold of my hand and brought it up to his mouth. He grabbed the palm, the one that had the scar from the vow he’d forced me to make. He took his time, turned it, and then he put a kiss to the center.

“Tell me what happened.” Even though his voice was gentle, I knew this was no request. I didn’t want him here, but he was not leaving. As I laid my head on his chest, I wondered why I wanted him gone in the first place.

“It was a warning,” I managed to say through the pain.

When they found me, I was barely coming into consciousness. They brought me here and gave me some pain pills.

“For what?”

I could feel the tension coming off Gideon. It was so sharp it could cut.

“I’m not sure y-yet,” I said as I tried to move from the angle I was in, but it caused me pain because I had used all my strength trying to get Gideon to leave me alone.

“Can you do me a favor?” I hated asking him this, I hated depending on anyone, but while he was here, he might as well make himself useful.

Gideon nodded and held his breath, waiting to see what I would say.

“Can you wrap my ribs?”

Once again, he maneuvered me until I was lying flat on the bed. He got up to go to my bathroom, and I heard him moving stuff around. I closed my eyes as I tried to recall anything from the attack.

It was after leaving the tunnel. I felt so raw and exposed, like I was translucent, and Gideon would be able to see all the things I always kept locked tight.

I was on my way to the exit closer to the graveyard when I felt someone come behind me, when I turned around to confront them, I was attacked from behind.

Right away, I knew it was a warning from the way they hit me. It was precise with the intention of not breaking me but causing the most pain. They had succeeded because I could barely move, my body on fire once they were done with me. The only thing I had managed to do was slither to the wall, and even that took a great deal of effort.

When they found me, I was starting to lose consciousness.

There was someone talking in my room, but I couldn’t make it out until Gideon got angry.

“She’s not fine, and she wants her privacy…” I couldn’t hear what the other person said, and I found it too hard to open my eyes again.

“I’m taking care of her,” he said right before he slammed my door.

I managed to open my eyes, but I just didn’t have it in me to turn to see to whom he talked with, so I closed them again.

My cheek burned, the open flesh stinging; every time I spoke, it hurt. One of the only places on my body that hadn’t been marred was my face. Now the cut would scar. I didn’t know who had kicked me, but they wanted me to hurt.

“Petal.” Gideon’s voice rang by my ear. It was pleasant and soothing. “Come on, baby, wake up.”

I hissed when he started to clean the wound on my cheek and gritted my teeth as he put adhesive on it so it could close.

“You probably have a concussion, so I need you to stay up.”

“I’m so tired,” I said, not just referring to today but my whole life.

“Give me your eyes.” He kept caressing my cheeks until I opened them again. “I’m being your bloody Prince Charming, and you can’t be bothered to see it happen.”

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