Page 21 of The Court of Thorns and Wings

“Now.” I faced the ceiling, staring at the sun that had almost broken through the clouds over the kingdom. All my magic had weakened, and I had no doubt that even the snow was melting. But I couldn’t do anything about it.

My bond with Lira seemed to be raging with fire.

“Someone fetch towels,” Caelan snapped, not sounding like himself.

“This is going to hurt, Your Majesty.” Moor gripped the edge of the dagger.

That alone intensified the agony. My eyes watered, and a gush of something warm ran down and under my neck. This was it. The moment I died. The one benefit was that Caelan and Moor could soon leave my side and hunt for Lira with Finola. Eldrin had to be taking her somewhere to kill her and wait until I had passed.

Taking a ragged breath, I closed my eyes and pulled up an image of Lira. Her warm smile, sparkling cobalt eyes, the warmth of her long blonde wavy hair. The sun-kissed glow of her skin gave her eyes an ethereal glow, and her full, rosy lips screamed to be kissed. Something I hadn’t done often enough.

Moor jerked the blade from my neck, and pain obliterated me as it rocketed through my body. Everything hurt, but my neck felt as if it had been ripped open. In fairness, it had.

My vision darkened at the edges, but I stayed focused on the hope and light in Lira’s eyes.

Something that resembled sand pressed against my neck, and I opened my eyes to find one of the servants—a new one whose name I couldn’t remember—handing Moor towels.

The extreme heat that burned my chest flowed throughout my body, pulsing like some sort of magic from my bond with Lira.

I waited for death to take me as Caelan’s eyes glistened and Moor and the woman tried to slow down my bleeding. They worked hard and fast.

My darkened vision didn’t get worse, but I closed my eyes, wanting Lira’s face to be the last image I saw before I slipped into unconsciousness. I embraced the sensation of our bond and the magic coming through it.

“What’s wrong?” Caelan whispered as his hand tensed in mine.

“Uh… nothing.” Moor paused. “But his bleeding is slowing. It shouldn’t be possible. He’s still alive.”

At his words, I noticed that the flames that licked within my body had focused all their efforts on my neck and chest. The fire was hot, but it didn’t hurt. Now that it had been working for a few minutes, I realized it was uncomfortable… but also familiar.

“We should mend his neck,” the woman replied.

“There’s a mending kit on the table by the window.” Caelan released my hand and disappeared.

I opened my eyes and noticed that the black edges of my vision hadn’t retreated.

Caelan and the woman grabbed the kit we’d used on Lira not even two days ago. Taking the curved needle and light-gray silk, she hurried to my side. Her dark-green eyes narrowed as she threaded the needle, and she waved Moor to move to the side. She positioned herself and pushed her long black hair behind her shoulders. Then she pierced my neck with the needle.

Her fingers brushed me, and my skin crawled. I didn’t want another woman touching me. It didn’t feel right… only Lira.

Caelan took in my reaction, hung his head, and sighed. “Let me do it, Flora.”

Hands stilling, Flora wrinkled her brow, but she moved so Caelan could take her spot at my side. Then my friend continued the work, though his fingers weren’t as soft nor as kind.

Still, I much preferred this to another woman touching me.

Each jab felt worse than the last. Heat pulsed in the spot, and after a few minutes, Caelan finished. “I’m not sure how you’re still breathing, but I’m not upset about it.”

“That’s reassuring,” I deadpanned, but I was as perplexed as he was.

I lifted my head. The world slanted, and a dark puddle of blood stained the sheets. The irony that these sheets had been changed due to Lira’s wounds wasn’t lost on me. I’d make Eldrin pay for this by taking his wings and eyes.

“Why would Eldrin want you dead?” Caelan’s forehead wrinkled. “Your death will weaken all Unseelie magic, especially since you don’t have a direct royal descendent.”

Eldrin had been pushing me to choose a queen. The thought had repulsed me until Lira came here. He must have been planning for this moment all along.

“I don’t think Eldrin wanted you dead,” Moor said, turning the dagger over in his hand.

“Why do you say that?” I tried to sit up, but my body fell backward. Even though I hadn’t died, I was still weak, and I despised it.

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