Page 84 of Void of Endings
Her gaze slid back to the god of death. “Where am I?”
“Somewhere safe.” His expression shifted then, more severe than she’d ever seen it, as though he was holding back the full wrath of his power from her. “Where she cannot reach you.”
Maeve peered into the endless abyss of mist again. Nothing was recognizable. “But, where?”
Aed bent down, sliding two hands under her arms, and slowly lifted her to a standing position. Her knees quaked, and a tremble raced down her spine, but there was no pain.
“Easy,” he murmured, locking one arm around her waist to keep her upright. “You’re in between worlds, in a place of my creation. Your body is still in the palace of Suvarese, but here you only see me. You will only hear me. But more than that, you will notfeel.”
Confusion left her disoriented. How was it he could prevent her from feeling? Coolness radiated from him, and she was certain that was not a figment of her imagination. She could move her arms and legs, and knew her heart continued to beat.And she could definitely feel the weight of his hand pressed to her waist.
Then she remembered.
Parisa had been furious because Maeve had killed Gromede. She’d attacked her brutally. Her back had been broken, her spine shattered. The pain had been unimaginable. Like being set on fire and being drowned all at once. It had stolen both her breath and her will to survive.
Oh.
Clarity struck her like a chord, and she looked up at Aed. He did not meet her gaze, but his hand moved from her waist to her arm, looping them together as he started to walk. She realized it then. He was saving her from suffering, he was taking away all the pain she would feel were she still conscious.
“How long do I have?” she asked quietly. “Before I have to go back?”
“Not long, I’m afraid.” He continued to stare straight ahead, and the mist at their feet moved for him as they walked. “These types of interferences aren’t made to last.”
They walked on in companionable silence. But with every step, the mist seemed to thicken until it was almost impenetrable. Aed continued to guide her, weaving them through the dense fog as though he knew exactly where they were going. She would never have thought to call the god of death her friend, yet now she supposed that was the exact sort of relationship that was developing between them. He’d never been her enemy, not truly, though calling him her ally seemed too bold. After all, gods and goddesses never gave anything freely.
Surely he would expect something in return.
“Why?” Maeve asked suddenly.
Again, he didn’t look at her. “Why what?”
She hesitated, worried she might offend him, but knew she would have to ask lest she be bound to some unknown bargain with him. “Why are you…helping me?”
This time, Aed stopped in his tracks. He turned to face her, gathering both of her hands in his large grasp. His silver eyes burned bright with an emotion she didn’t understand. “There comes a time when even the boldest of us cower. When the strongest of us break. A soul can only take so much. So much anger, pain, sorrow, and regret, before there is nothing left.”
He let go of her hands, then stepped back from her.
“Find the good pieces. The joy and pleasure of life, the love and forgiveness.” He smiled, his face devastatingly handsome once more. “Find the good, Maeve. And never bow. Never break.”
The edges of him began to blur, fading in and out of focus. Maeve’s vision grew fuzzy and she reached for him, grabbing nothing but mist. “Aed?”
“Never bow.” His smooth baritone was a cold whisper against her cheek. “Never break.”
“Aed!” she cried out, flinching as the strange dream world evaporated around her awoke to find herself lying flat on her stomach. Her body ached, her bones heavy with exhaustion, but the excruciating pain had subsided. The iron cuff was still snug around her neck, an uncomfortable reminder that she remained a prisoner in Parisa’s Court, her freedom far from reach.
It appeared as though she was on a mattress, but it was incredibly hard like stone, and not at all comfortable. Her bleary gaze trekked around the room while she tried to discern where she was now. Soft light flickered from the dozens of candles clustered together on small wooden shelves, their drips of wax melting into puddles on each surface. Bundles of dried yarrow and willow hung along the wall across from her, and just beneath was a table piled with medicinal ointments and jars ofherbal salves. The scent of lavender and mint coated the air, so heavy she could almost taste it.
Maeve groaned, struggling to push herself off the solid mattress, when a gentle feminine voice came from somewhere above her.
“Be still.” Warm, weathered fingers lightly brushed her hair back from her face. “We’re almost done.”
Straining to see, Maeve caught a glimpse of a dingy emerald tunic from the corner of her eye. Another Spring fae, and given her current surroundings, possibly a healer.
“There we go.” A new voice, male this time, a rich tenor with the faintest of lilts. “Let’s get her up and see how she feels.”
Maeve felt like she’d been buried beneath a pile of boulders.
They helped her into a sitting position, and Maeve squeezed her eyes shut to quell the rush of nausea. When she finally opened her eyes again, she came face-to-face with two fae. The female had kind eyes that crinkled around the edges when she smiled, and her long onyx hair was twisted back into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck. Her deep tan skin was flushed, and a dark rosy hue colored her high cheekbones. The male, however, looked as though he had never even seen the sun. His skin was pasty and ashen, but his green eyes were bright. He wore his dark brown hair tugged into a lopsided knot on the top of his head, and was dressed in a similar green tunic as the female.
