Page 37 of Pieces of Halves

“Oh, no. We are seeing this through. Plus, you’re the one who doesn’t know how to heal yet.” There’s playful mischief filling his blue eyes.

I laugh at him. Truth be told, I am glad he insisted we keep going. I want to learn to fly without falling every time I’m afraid.

The next few hours are torturous. I fall more than once – through trees, on rocks, into dirt and mud. I think at one point, we end up in a swamp. As soon as I manage to fly for a few minutes without crashing, I call it a day.

The stairs to the castle are empty besides a few guards who give us questioning glances. My arms and legs are covered in scratches, and my body feels like it has been beaten with a log. Dragging my feet, I follow Jona into the castle. He looks like he has lived without a shower for a few years, yet he walks with his head held high and a proud smirk on his face.

I feel a piece of dirt on my cheek, so I wipe it with the back of my hand, but smear more along my skin instead. Oh, well. We do not look elegant or graceful, but I don’t care – I flew.

“What is the actual hell?” Slow, baffled, and annunciated words echo through the entry of the castle. “Jona! What happened?” Jacob marches to me, his eyes wide and bewildered.

“She’s fine,” Jona says with a wave of his hand.

“Izzy, what hurts?” Jacob asks me and searches my eyes, worry written on his face.

Everything.

“I’m fine. These are just scratches.” I offer him a smile.

“You have gashes all over your skin. How is this fine?” He winces when he looks through my body.

“I flew,” I tell him, my chest swelling with pride.

He stares at me and blinks a few times, his brows coming together.

“That’s wonderful, but Jona was supposed to take care of you, not throw you in a swamp.” Jacob glares at Jona.

Technically, I was the one who threw us into the swamp.

“I’m okay,” I tell him again.

Jacob’s jaw tightens, and he sighs heavily. He opens his mouth to say something – probably something along the lines of how worried he is. I need him to understand that I am okay. I’m not a fragile doll. Before words escape his mouth, I move toward him and press my lips against his.

I don’t know why I thought that was a good idea in my current state. Jacob presses a hand on my lower back and kisses me back. It was meant to be a small gesture, but his lips move hungrily against mine, creating a fire inside me.

Breathless, I pull away and look into his eyes. I am caked in mud, and I’m sure I have twigs in my hair, but there is desire in his soft greens.

“I’m okay,” I whisper.

“You need a bath.” He runs his finger along my jaw.

Goosebumps cover my skin at his touch, his gaze making me hot. Jona coughs awkwardly, snapping me out of my trance. I look down immediately, my cheeks burning.

Healing Wounds.

Chapter Fourteen

JACOB

zzy looks like she has been to hell and back. My chest aches at the sight of her wounds, but she looks so satisfied – as if she won a battle. I suppose, in a way, she did. She flew. It took a few hours and a couple of failed attempts, but she did it.

There are leaves, mud, and twigs in her hair. Her blouse is practically shredded around her arms, and the bottom of her skirt has chunks of fabric missing.

I sigh, restraining myself from asking her if she is not hurting anywhere. She looks like she is in pain. The way her lips twitch with every step gives it away, but she insists that she is fine.

She looks up at me. I turn my face to find her smiling, mud smudged across her forehead, cheeks, and chin. Her appearance is ridiculous, but she’s damn happy. We walk into the room, the maids rushing in with buckets of warm water behind us, and looking at Izzy with their eyes wide and foreheads wrinkled.

“Jacob.” She stops to face me. “I’m fine. Thank you for being so good to me.” Her eyes lock on mine. “How are your headaches?” She asks.

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