Page 68 of Brutal Fae King
“We could. You would do that?” she purrs. “Keep in mind, even half of an injury like this could kill you.”
I can feel a hundred eyes on me right now.
“I’ll do it,” I say.
The witch walks over and extends one hand over Vicmar and another over me. I close my eyes, and I brace myself. It starts with a short, sharp, stabbing pain in my lower stomach—and that turns into a fiery, cracking pain. I cry out and double over. There’s some shouting from the people watching me. Hands grab me and guide me firmly to the bed. I collapse onto it and hold onto my stomach. The shock of it is starting to fade away. Now, it’s a dull, throbbing pain in my lower abdomen.
I open my eyes and see Bruamin, as well as everyone else in the room, gazing at me with very wide eyes.
“Don’t worry,” I say. “It’s not pleasant, but I am not going to die.”
“Thank the gods!” Bruamin sighs. “That was such a risky move, My Queen.”
I smile lightly.
“Not riskier than doing nothing,” I answer.
He just gives me a wan smile. The crowd around us seems to release their collective breath.
“Thank you,” he says. “I didn’t imagine for a moment you’d do this for him.”
I shrug.
“He took care of me when I wasn’t doing well,” I say.
But now there’s another squeezing in my stomach, but I know it’s that feeling of lying. I give an uncomfortable shuffle.
“Lie down,” Bruamin says suddenly. “You’re probably very weak.”
“I’m okay, Bruamin,” I murmur. “I’m not getting up.”
The elderly lord-in-waiting then gives me a very warm smile.
“Apologies, My Queen,” he says, a touch of humor on his lips. “But I wasn’t talking to you.”
Then, another hand touches my shoulder. I look around. Vicmar’s awake, looking at me.
“You’re awake!” I exclaim.
Vicmar shuffles a little, the other hand moving to his stomach.
“Somehow…” He murmurs. “Although the last thing I remember was falling, stabbed in the stomach…” His eyes turn a little more intense. “And lightning! What happened? What happened to Dralis? And the army at the foot of the keep?”
He looks around, recognizing his own room. Bruamin clears his throat, and Vicmar looks at him.
“Bruamin?”
“I’m sure your queen can explain everything in perfectly sufficient detail,” he says. “But as for now, rest assured that the battle is won for now.”
I can feel Vicmar relax in the bed next to me.
“That’s a relief,” he says, then looks down at me.
Such a gentle, sweet smile passes over his face. He just looks at me for a moment before he looks up at the people in the room.
“Leave us,” he says. “We need to talk.”
It's so abrupt and rude that I shoot him a look.
