Page 8 of The Dark Rising
“What!” I stare at Josh with wide eyes as I get the words out.
“You were exhausted, your body decided enough was enough, so we just let you rest. We were getting worried the last couple of days because you still hadn’t woken yet, but Belldame said it was normal for how much you’ve been through, and when we told her about you using your power from being an Heir, she determined that you were so depleted from it that sleep was the best thing.”
“They all know I’m an Heir?” I ask carefully, knowing the reputation we have.
“They do, you’re safe here, Milal, I vow it.” I nod, and then his eyes turn sad. “Belldame gave you some tonics and we helped wrap your back in bandages with some healing salve. Anna just changed it yesterday, and it’s looking a little better. You had an infection, but it cleared up after six days.” He sighs, taking one of my hands in his. “I’m just glad you’re awake now, you scared me.” He says it so quietly, like he didn’t want to tell me his worries.
I lean forward and reach for the back of his neck, ignoring the pain in my back, and pull him closer. Our foreheads touch and I close my eyes, trying to reassure him that I’m okay. “I’m sorry I worried you, I’m feeling better, apart from my back, but I’m glad you’re all healed up.”
He lets out a breath and rubs his forehead against mine before moving back. “Now that you’re awake, how about a bath after you’ve eaten? I’m sure the rest of the guys want to see you as soon as they know you’re awake, so now would be the time to sneak away first.” I moan at the thought of a bath and he snickers. “Eat up, I’ll run a bath and grab you some clothes.”
I smile up at him as he ruffles my hair and leaves the room, closing the door gently behind him. My face drops when he’s no longer in sight, feeling everything crashing around inside of me from everything that has happened. Pinpricks of pain at my wrists have me looking at the cuffs as they glow slightly with the runes on there. I frown down at them, running a finger against the cool metal.
The sooner I get these off of me the better. Let’s hope this Belldame has found a way to do so, because I can’t be sitting around waiting to heal. I need to get Kade, and I need to get Sarah.
And I need to kill some Highers.
After I finally tell Josh where Sarah has been taken.
Four
Rhea
Dressedinmyownlight tunic and linen pants, I take the steps one at a time, slowly to the ground floor of Belldame’s home. I tense at the tightness in my body as I move, but I’m feeling much better after my soak in the bath and Anna wrapping my back again with more salve.
The rustic feel to the home brings me a small sense of comfort, the wooden walls and thick beams reminding me of the cabins in Eridian. Paintings of unknown places fill the walls, all different sizes with mismatched frames, I scan them as I pass them by. One specifically catches my attention as I near the bottom of the stairs, and I turn to look at it closely. A meadow of lesia flowers bloom under a moonlit sky, their blue petals glowing majestically from the silvery light shining down on them. A pang goes through my heart at the sight. I’ve always loved those flowers, reminding me of my mother and how Dad and I would always collect them for her. Her favorite became mine, and I haven’t seen a single one in over ten years. I reach a finger to the painting, tracing them as the feeling of sadness drowns me. I wish I was back in time with my mom, where she would tell me stories as we played behind our home in our own field of lesia flowers, and how she would pick them carefully and laugh as I tried to make crowns of blue and place them on our heads.
How life was so simple then, so loving, whole and…innocent.
Trying to shake the emotion off, I move back from the painting and take the last step of the stairs and turn right, heading down the hallway. The scent of herbs around the home reminds me of Anna’s healer cabin, so much so that I forget for a second that’s not where we are. It’s a welcoming smell though, making me feel at ease, even though it brings my already low mood down further. I quickly shove it aside and follow the voices coming from what I assume is the back of the home, and I enter an open doorway into a sitting room of sorts.
Small bones dangle on some sort of strong leather strips from the walls, their shapes vary in size, while different plant life is scattered around the spacious room along with dried herbs hanging from the ceiling. Josh is sitting on a wooden bench with Sebastian next to him, talking quietly as they gaze toward the fireplace in front of them. Taylor stands next to it, throwing bits of bark onto it thoughtlessly. Hudson and Colten are seated next to the window, a small table full of food between them. Colten shuffles some berries around on a plate as Hudson stares at him intently, brows furrowed as he leans on his clenched hands beneath his chin.
I look at them silently, wondering if they hold any resentment toward me for putting us in this position, wondering if they blame me. It’s my fault after all. I caused us to lose our home with whatever was in the memory crystal, and I wonder if I hadn’t escaped my old pack, if I just stayed and became their prisoner for the rest of my life, doing what they told me, would they be living their life now? Would Josie and Danny still be with us? I clench my eyes shut as grief hits me. They didn’t deserve that, they didn’t deserve their life to be taken away from them, just like my parents.
I shake myself internally. I have no right to wallow in sadness after all the pain I have caused, no right to wallow in self-pity.
I take some deep, quiet breaths and enter the room. They all look up as one, soft smiles on their faces which I return gently, picking the side of my fingernail where my hands rest in front of me.
Then they all rush toward me at once apart from Josh. Seb’s first, holding me close and rubbing his cheek against mine. “I’m glad you’re awake.” He kisses my cheek and winks, moving out of the way for Colten.
I can see how tired his brown eyes are, but he gives me a small grin before doing the same as Sebastian, his cheek is warm against mine as he nuzzles into me. “Welcome back. Now you can tell Hudson to get off my ass.”
Hudson grabs his arm, yanking him away with a scowl, but the move is gentle. “You like me being on your ass, pup,” he murmurs, and I raise an eyebrow at him. He shrugs, pulling me close by my shoulders for a quick hug.
“Feeling okay?” I turn to the sound of Taylor’s voice and nod, letting him pull me into a hug. He squeezes me once before he lets go and moves back to the fireplace, a deep sigh of relief leaving him.
“Finally, the Heir awakes,” Sebastian says, clapping his hands as the rest take their seats. I roll my eyes and sit next to the fireplace in a high-back chair, sinking into its softness, mindful of my aching body.
“I don’t think clapping your hands is the way to go,” Josh grumbles, hitting Seb’s hands to get him to stop.
“Where is Anna?” I ask, fidgeting nervously.
“She’s with her grandmother,” Taylor says. “Something about seeing her sister and brother-in-law.” It’s strange being here with Anna’s family and coven. Though I’m not really sure it’s her coven anymore with how long she has been away. I’m still shocked over the fact that she has family here.
“Did Kade really break your blood link?” Colten winces as he asks, and I can’t help doing the same.
My eyes flick to Josh, sharing the pain together of Kade breaking our connection.. “He did, but he’s not in his right mind. They did something to him.” I shake my head, my eyes going to the fire as I watch the flames. “I know he never would have done that if he had true memories as they claim he has. They abused him.” I swallow roughly, clearing my throat of the memories of how his own parents treated him as a child. “They were cruel, and would use him against me to get me to do what they wanted. No parent should do that to a child, and Kade would remember all of that if he had truly gotten his memories back. I know that because he used to have nightmares about it all the time before I asked Edward to block them.”
