Page 137 of The Lands Defying
“Fuck, Darius, I’m not going to hurt her,” he barks at me.
“Stay away,” I say between clenched teeth, and I hear Drax rising and coming to stand next to me. His head is just above mine, ears back as he bares his teeth.
Josh growls, lowering his head, preparing to try and get past us.
“Enough.” My body heats suddenly, feeling like I’m being burned from the inside and I turn, snarling at Belldame and the hand that is raised toward us. “I said enough, she wouldn’t want this.”
That stops me. Fuck.
I call my power back and Drax goes back to her side as I run a hand down my face.
I hear Josh moving, and then he’s at the end of the furs that one of them must have covered her with, eyeing Drax carefully before he sits.
“Tell me,” he says gently, looking at Rhea’s face in concern.
“She’s very weak,” Belldame says, and my eyes go to her. “Brave girl. Whatever happened, she fought like the Gods to get here. I don’t even know how she made it.” She picks up her hand and strokes over her bruised knuckles. I want to go over there and rip her hand away. “She is beyond exhausted; she must be if she hasn’t even healed.”
“No other problems,” I ask, coming to a stop next to her. We can work with her needing rest. She can rest for as long as she needs.
She looks down at Rhea in concern. “I think she has used up her magic.” I freeze at her words, breath stalled, heart not beating. “I can barely sense it; you must know this.” She turns to me and I look away.
I wanted to believe that my fear of her not waking up was overriding my senses, but she just confirmed it.
I sense no magic within her.
None of that wildness and light.
“She needs time, and rest to wake up.” Beldame pauses. “If she wakes.” Anna bows her head and Josh’s eyes squeeze shut as he places his hand on her leg over the furs.
I still. I don’t move as I look over Rhea’s face.
“It was like this when she first came to Witches Rest,” Anna says, and my gaze reluctantly moves to her. “After everything that went on at Wolvorn Castle, she made it to my grandmother and collapsed. She was out for a while.” Guilt threatens to send me into a fit of rage, to go and find a whip to take it out on my back, but I meet her gaze head on. No matter the shame I feel for what I did, the regret that is always there. I will look Anna in the eyes as she tells me what had happened. “She had nothing left in her then, but she did wake up, Darius. She did.” A tear drips down her cheek as she says the last words.
“Get out,” I say hoarsely, my voice even unrecognizable to myself. “Get out!” I roar when no one moves, the cave walls shaking with the force of it.
Belldame sighs, but she gets up from the furs as Anna collects her things. I hear them mumble to Josh, trying to get him to follow them, but I can’t make out much of what they’re saying.
They eventually move to leave when Belldame stops and puts a hand on my arm.
“Stay close to her, Heir of Cazier.” Like I would leave her. “Just be next to her, your bond will help her.” With those last words, she exits the cave and I’m left with silence apart from the water flowing down the opening and Rhea’s soft breathing.
I look at her. Taking in her pouty lips that are slightly parted, her little nose that I can’t help myself touching when I can, and then finally, to her closed eyes.
“Let me see those pretty blue eyes, little wolf,” I whisper into the air. I only saw them briefly when I was going to her, and it was far too short for me. I need them on me, and I need mine on hers. I go and kneel down beside her, tracing a finger on her forehead and running it down the slope of her nose. “Please Vihnarn. I need my moonlight.”
Nothing.
I close my eyes, breathing in her scent to try and calm my racing heart before I move the furs and get beneath them. Lifting an arm, I reach over and gently pull her closer, moving her how I want her until she’s laid on top of me, where she always loved to be, even if she didn’t admit it to herself.
I bring a hand up to the back of her head and guide her to my neck, keeping my other arm wrapped around her waist as I let her inhale my scent. She’s so small compared to me. Small but mighty. My little warrior, my little wolf.
I stare up at the cave ceiling, and I reach a hand out and call Drax to me. His nose touches my hand, and then he’s within me, resting as he should be.
Vrohkaria is in chaos outside of these walls. Rogure numbers have increased tenfold, my Elites aren’t able to slaughter the ones that are plaguing towns and villages, but instead, evacuating them to Colhelm to try and keep them safe.
Posters are all over the lands, accounting the Highers deeds which no doubt is leaving them scrambling and the people in an uproar…but none of that matters if the being in my arms doesn’t wake up.
She will hate that I’m not out there helping, but how can I move without my heart?
