Page 95 of Quest for her Knights
“Worse.” He chuckles as the others join us from where they were surveying the rest of the castle.
“Everything looks safe,” Ranger says, glancing at me for only a second before he looks at the others. It’s been two days since we left Shadowcross and he still hasn’t spoken to me.
“There are still a few staff members here to help us. They have a cook, a cleaner, a gardener and the house manager.”
“Who pays them?” I ask, curious.
Ranger finally looks at me when he responds. “Nobody, but they have rooms in the staff quarters, so they can stay here for free. They just upkeep the place.”
“Do you know where we can sleep?” Arrow asks as he leads us toward the large, curved staircase.
“Yes, the former king and queen’s suite is ready for you to use.”
My stomach clenches at the use of the word “you,” as if he’s putting distance between us. I try to take a deep breath, but my chest starts to ache. I place a hand over the pain, but it only grows worse.
Am I having a heart attack? No, that’s when your arm goes numb. Or is that a stroke? I have no idea, but as we start to walk up the stairs, the pain intensifies.
“Arrow?” I lift my eyes to his. “I don’t feel well.”
His relaxed smile shifts to concern as he takes in my expression. He stops mid-step and scoops me into his arms, marching quickly up the stairs.
“Arrow?” Blaze asks from behind us. “What’s going on?”
“Something’s wrong with Elora.”
I hear several sets of footsteps rush up the stairs behind us as Arrow asks, “Where’s the suite?”
“To the right, at the end,” Ranger says, passing us and glancing down at me with concern as he moves to open the door.
Arrow carries me straight into the bedroom and lays me down at the edge of the bed. He presses the back of his hand to my forehead and frowns. “You don’t seem hot. I don’t think it’s a fever.”
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Blaze asks, quickly moving to Arrow’s side as they both look down at me.
“I don’t know. She said she didn’t feel well, and she looks pale.”
“Elora, darling? What hurts?” Blaze drops to his knees and grips my hand, just as Draven climbs onto the bed beside me, gently stroking my head, frowning down at me.
“It hurts to breathe… in here,” I tell them, placing my free hand over my chest.
“When did it start hurting?” he asks, holding my hand between both of his, against his chest.
My eyes instinctively dart to where Ranger is standing at the end of the bed, watching us intently. It started the moment hemade it clear he wasn’t staying in here with us, but that has to be a coincidence. If I were going to suffer a broken heart, it would’ve happened a few days ago when he said I was only a job to him, that he didn’t care about what I wanted.
“As we were walking up the stairs, I think.”
“Maybe you just need a nap,” he suggests, and I nod. I do feel tired all of a sudden.
“Will one of you stay with me?” I ask, not wanting to be alone in this unfamiliar place.
“You don’t even have to ask,” Draven says, removing his chain mail as he settles in beside me.
Blaze takes off my shoes, and I snuggle into Draven as he wraps his arms around me.
“Just relax and go to sleep. We’ll be here when you wake up.”
I don’t remember what time of day it was when we arrived, but when I wake up, the room is covered in darkness. I wonder what woke me for all of two seconds before my stomach rolls.
Shit, I’m gonna be sick!
