Page 184 of The Lands Defying
“What are you doing here, little wolf?” His brows furrow, and then he tries to get up. He hisses in pain, his glare going to his arm before he lays back down. “Fucking rogure.”
“We can fix it,” I say, starting to mumble. “We can have Belldame come here, maybe she knows what to do.”
“Rhea.”
“And who knows, maybe my power can heal it, right?”
“Little wolf, stop.”
“And then the poison won’t take hold and everything will be fine.” I start peeling back the leather of his arm. Panic has my hands shaking, my eyes watering but I still tear and grab at the material.
“Rhea, I’m fine,” he says, halting me with his hand.
“You are not fine!” I shout, chest heaving.
He’s been bit by a rogure, and its poison is making its way into his body, slowly stopping his organs, and killing him.
Oh Gods…
A strand of magic comes to my face, stroking my cheek. “I’m immune,” he says, and I stare at him.
“What?”
“It hurts, but I’m immune,” he says slowly, and my mouth drops open, “I am Heir of Cazier, of the below. They can’t hurt me, not like that.”
I sag against him, my forehead on his chest, uncaring about all the blood that must be getting on me. The others around him all murmur at Darius’s words, their own shock evident.
“Leo said you were hurt, and I thought…”
“Leo,” he says on a growl, and I hear him shuffling back. “Is going to get his ass kicked for worrying you like that.”
“Hey!” Leo says, “I didn’t know you were fucking immune! How did you even know?”
“I knew the moment the poison didn’t take hold, but like I said, it hurts.” Darius shrugs. “And I don’t care about your reasoning, you don’t ever worry her like that!” His hand comes to the back of my head. “Though I’m not complaining about you caring, little wolf.”
“Asshole,” I grumble into him and he chuckles. That’s when I notice the pack he’s gripping in his other hand. “What’s that?”
He hands it to me. “Important things.”
I open the bag and see its contents. “Darius.”
“I made sure to get them.” He went inside the keep whilst under attack to make sure he brought me my things. “I couldn’t find Belldame’s bone, though.”
Inside the bag is a picture of his family, but also my mother’s letter and carvings.
“Thank you,” I whisper to him.
He nods, sitting up on a grunt. “I will be fine soon, and then I need to help my men.” His fingers go down my cheek. “Why do you have a red mark here?” Magic comes from his fingertips, cooling the sting.
“I was helping and I got hit by accident.”
His eyes darken. “Who.”
“It’s fine.” His eyes go over my shoulder, and his eyes glaze. “Darius,” I say, my hand gripping his own, squeezing. I know he’s asking Leo down his link if he knows. “I’m fine, now tell me what happened?”
His jaw ticks. “The Highers, they know.”
I swallow roughly. “Are you sure? Are we out of time?”
