Page 134 of The Forsaken Heir
“Take a nap. You deserve it, and we’re still a few hours out from the castle.”
From the look on his face, I could see that he wanted to argue, but in the end he leaned his head back on the headrest. Within seconds, he was snoring lightly.
My eyes drifted shut, but I was wide awake when Rasp gunned the engine up the driveway to the castle. Vince or Rasp must have called ahead, because as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I saw a group of people huddled outside, awaiting our arrival.
I nudged Aurelius to wake him. His head lolled to the side, but he didn’t open his eyes.
“He won’t wake up,” I said, anxiety and worry straining my voice.
“Extreme exhaustion,” Julian said. “He’s been through…well, a lot. It’ll take more than I have to get him back to good health.”
Rasp slammed the van into park, and the king’s security forces flung open the door. Octavius, mostly healed up from the battle in the conservatory, shoved men out of the way.
“Move!Make way for the king!”
Cassius rushed forward, his eyes bright with hope. When he saw Aurelius with his head in my lap, alive but unconscious, his face crumpled and tears sprang to his eyes.
“My boy! Oh, God, my boy is home,” he murmured as he ran a hand over Aurelius’s forehead. “Take my son to the medical wing. Now!”
The healers jumped into action. They rolled over a stretcher and gently moved Aurelius off my lap onto it. For a moment, it felt like my heart had been torn out. I’d only just gotten him back, and now he was being taken away again.
“Come, my lady. Let’s get you inside,” Titus whispered. He took my hand and helped me out of the van.
“Okay, yeah. That sounds good,” I said. “My brother. He needs help. Without him we wouldn’t have Aurelius.Please.”
“I’m fine, Elle,” Freddy said, wincing in pain as he climbed out.
“Nonsense,” Titus said. He snapped his fingers. “Lord Frederique needs assistance. Let’s get him to the medical wing as well.”
“Just Freddy,” my brother said quietly, waving Titus off. “No need for all the lord stuff.”
Freddy and Julian hobbled off with the rest of the healers, Cassius hurrying along beside Aurelius, leaving me alone with Titus and the three friends who’d helped me complete the impossible.
“Lady Brielle, let’s get you to your quarters,” Titus said.
“Absolutelynot,” I said, brushing his hand from my arm. “Take me to the healer’s wing. I want to see Aurelius and my brother. I need to be there for them.”
Titus winced in discomfort. “Brielle, you’ve had a very long day, perhaps it would be best if?—”
“Enough,” Delphine said. “Take her there, or I’ll take her myself.”
Titus bounced his eyes from Delphine, to me, to Vince and Rasp. His shoulders sagged. “Very well. Come along,” he said.
Vincent tugged at my sleeve as we trudged into the house.
I glanced back at him. “Yes?”
“Uh, yeah, do you know if all the fae have gotten here yet?
“I was with you all night. I know as much as you do, Vince.”
“Oh, right,” he said, nodding to himself.
I could only assume he wanted to see Sahalie again, but I was too worried about Aurelius to get caught up in Vince’s love life. Titus led us deep into the castle until we came to a remarkably modern medical facility deep in the basement.
“Lady Brielle would like to see the prince, if possible,” Titus informed a nurse at the door.
“Not yet. The king’s in with him right now, and there are about a hundred people working on him. Even if I wanted to, there’s no room. She’ll have to wait,” the woman said in a clipped tone.
