Page 74 of Halfblood Deceived

Icy fear slid down his back and froze the air in his lungs.

No, not his fear.

Aella’s.

His blood in her system allowed him to be sharply aware of her strongest emotions.

He was out of bed in less than a second, yanking his door open and rushing to find the door to Aella’s room ajar.

He skidded inside, freezing at the sight of Aylana and Sebastian, kneeling at each side of Aella on the bed, trying to hold her still. Kamilla stood by the bed mixing two potions into one.

Aella was still screaming, her legs tangled in the duvet as she kicked and cried. Blood ran down her nose. “No, no, please, no! Don’t kill her! Please! Do something! Please stop! No!”

Zeydan couldn’t breathe. Horror curled in his chest at the horribly familiar scene.

Aella delivered a kick to Aylana’s gut.

Aylana grasped Aella’s leg and gripped it against the bed. “Aella, it’s alright. It’s just a nightmare,” she tried to soothe, slightly out of breath.

“Is it just me, or is she quite strong?” Sebastian asked, imitating Aylana’s motion.

Aylana let out a rough breath, placing a hand on Aella’s shoulder to pin her to the bed just in time to avoid being head-butted by accident. “She hit herself so hard she broke her nose and eardrum, so yeah.”

Aella had hurt herself in the middle of her despair again.

Goddess, when would it stop?

Kamilla shook the mixed potion, brow tight with worry. “Kerian!”

Her brother was zooming inside the room two seconds later. His face was tight with concern.

“Can you put her in a trance?” Kamilla asked. “I’m afraid I’ll break the needle inside her and we can’t force her to be still without hurting her.”

Aella’s near convulsions were much stronger than the ones she’d had days ago. Perhaps because she was less wounded now than back then. Her incoherent screams of pain and despair and her sobs squeezed Zeydan’s heart. Her face was red and blotchy, tears falling non-stop from those haunted gray eyes.

Zeydan realized Aylana and Sebastian’s effort to keep Aella still came from their reluctance to use their full strength to subdue her. Because they were sure to leave marks if they did, and both had witnessed the horrible display of cruelty on Aella’s skin before.

Kerian inhaled roughly and placed his palm on Aella’s forehead. He shook his head, pupils turning vertical and so dilated they almost occupied his entire eye. Teeth gritted, Kerian muttered an incantation that Zeydan couldn’t hear… and then Aella’s body relaxed. Her eyes were still open, and she was whimpering softly, but her screams and kicking subsided.

Kamilla hurried to inject Aella directly into her neck.

Almost immediately, what remained of Aella’s struggle faded, her eyes crossing before her eyelids fell. A rough breath left her and her head lolled to the side.

Kerian removed his palm from her forehead and stepped back, going to lean by the wall, placing his hands on his knees and taking calming breaths.

Sebastian let go as well and rubbed his sternum with his palm.

Aylana cast a silent spell that banished the blood from Aella’s face and pillowcase. She took a deep breath and chanted a familiar incantation as she placed her hand on Aella’s cheek. Verdant healing magic flared in the half-fey’s eyes and palm.

The sound Aella’s bone made as it snapped back into place sent a shiver down Zeydan’s spine.

Kerian was blinking and shaking his head. His pupils were still abnormally dilated.

“What did you see?” Zeydan asked, his voice barely audible.

Kerian gulped. “Flashes of Tatsuki and his family. They cut Anna into pieces in front of Aiko. The dark-haired brute, Micah, was going to kill Aiko next. Aella fought him, but he overpowered and stabbed her. Then the other, the one who almost clipped you, dragged Aella out, but she could hear Aiko’s screams. Those screams.” Kerian’s skin took on a greenish color. “Aella can hear them even after the darkness comes and she can’t see anything. But somehow, that’s worse.” He took a measured deep breath. “There is more, but I should have never seen it, and I am not going to share it.”

Zeydan swallowed hard, barely holding back his bile.

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