Page 24 of Knightfall
Ryan snapped out of his daze a bit at that, and moved in front of me. It almost felt protective. But I wasn’t sure. My sleeves were soaked. The extra padding my mother had sewn into my gowns wasn’t equipped for this kind of blast. I wasn’t equipped. I felt light-headed. And not in the good way the men did. Not from peace magic. From blood loss.
I stumbled. I would have fallen face-first onto an axe if a pair of arms that were not thick as tree trunks hadn’t scooped me up and turned me around. I stared up into Quinn’s grey eyes as he clutched me to him.
“My sister. I need my sister. Take me to Avia.”
I slumped forward and let the spy master carry me away. I could only hope he’d bring me to my family and not showcase my weakness to the world. I could only hope he hated me slightly less than my other husbands.
Chapter Seven
Ifaded in and out of consciousness as Quinn carried me through the palace. He cradled me against his chest. And though he was a relative stranger, and I was at my most vulnerable, I felt safe in his arms. This warm feeling and a dull memory of being rocked filled my mind. And then a strange song. One I didn’t remember ever hearing. It was beautiful and lilting. Had one of my wet nurses sung it to me? I couldn’t remember as I faded into oblivion.
When I came back to reality, Connor walked next to Quinn.
“She fainted? She always faints,” Connor shook his head, and the brown curls I loved so much swayed against his forehead.
I didn’t always faint. He just didn’t happen to know about the blood-letting side effect of the peace power, a power my mother liked to publicly claim could ‘tame dragons.’ No one knew. Stupid geas.
I didn’t hear Quinn’s response, but I felt him hold up my arm.
“She’s bleeding!” Connor let out a string of curses.
I shook my head. I had to swallow several times before I could speak. “Just a little. I need Avia.” Shite. Even that much speech left me gasping, short of breath.
“Where the sard is Ryan? Why didn’t he heal her?” Connor roared.
Declan’s voice drifted from somewhere. “You know how he gets. He has a patrol tomorrow. He can’t go on a rage bender. Let me see.”
I pulled my arms in as tight as I could and turned into Quinn more, hiding from their prying eyes. If my mother knew they’d seen, I’d be done for. “I’m fine. Stupid mistake. I need Avia. Only Avia.”
Quinn didn’t respond, just continued down the hall. I heard a smash somewhere behind me. But my eyelids flickered closed before I could figure out if it was Declan or Connor smashing things. Maybe it was Ryan—
The next time my eyes opened, I was nearly naked. I only wore a shift. But I was in a bed and covered by sheets. My arms were bandaged, and it felt like the bleeding had stopped, but they still throbbed dully. And I was cold. I yanked at a down comforter that had been near my waist, pulling it up to my chin.
As my eyes adjusted to firelight and candles, my sister leaned into view. She had apparently perched in a chair at my bedside. Which was her bedside, as I took in the details of the room. She’d always been a fan of rose quartz and tapestries full of handsome minstrels. Avia had a book and a cup of tea on a side table next to her chair. Her hair had been plaited into braids and she was in her night robe. So I supposed I’d been out for quite a while.
“You’re the absolute worst! Worst person in the sarding world. You leave me with your shite husbands, trying to pawn those asshole old men off on me. Leave me withmotherand that stupid crown. And then you come back! And you don’t even have the decency to let me wallow in my hatred! You get sarding hurt! So that Ihaveto care!”
I bit back a smile. “I’m sorry, Squack.”
She stood and slapped my stomach, the effect muffled by the comforter. “You should be. Worthless shite sister. And don’t call me that.”
“You’ll always be Squack to me.”
“I’m sixteen—”
“Still squacking like a gull, too.”
“I do not squack,” Avia squacked as she sat back in her chair with a humph.
I decided not to push her further. She had helped me, after all.
My eyes flickered around the room as I fingered my bandages. It looked empty. Other than the flickering candles scattered about the space, there were no signs of life. I didn’t see them. Not one stupid husband.
“How’d you do it?”
“Do what?” Avia raised her brows, but her look was too self-satisfied for me to believe she didn’t know what I was talking about.
“How’d you get rid of them? The shite husbands. Did Her Majesty lift the curse?” I sat up in bed, pulling the covers around me.
