Broken Prince (The Broken Ones) (24 page)

His hands stilled for a moment before continuing.

"She doesn’t mean that," Bo said softly.

"I know." Prince’s voice cracked.

She writhed in pain underneath him. Her teeth ground
together as she tried to hold in another scream.

"I think she is well inside," Prince said,
his voice strangely even. "But the bleeding is bad. She has lost so very
much blood."

The ground shook beneath her. Prince removed his
hands. She opened her eyes and hazily watched him strip off his shirt and press
it against her side.

"What do we do?"

"I do not know. We have nothing to tend her."

The howl of wolves drowned out what anyone said next. She
wondered what it meant. Had one of the Were died? Was she dying?

Despite the pain, her eyes fluttered closed.

Pain flared across her cheek and she snapped them open
again.

Prince bent over her, his face too close. "You
must stay awake."

Blinking slowly, she tried to focus. His face faded in
and out. Voices murmured around but she could no longer make out what they
said.

Arowyn, can you hear me?

Rhee-en?

Yes. The Vor is dead.

Good.

You are gravely hurt. The prince has asked for our
aid. I will…

His voice faded away. She ignored another sting on her
cheek, the shaking of her shoulders, and let the darkness come again.

Chapter 30:

Rot it all

Quiet voices teased her into consciousness. She
couldn’t make out what anyone actually said, or even who spoke. As her mind
slowly rose from a deep sleep her other senses assaulted her.

Skin itched, feeling tight and hot. Her hair hurt.
Limbs felt strange, both numb and heavy. She didn’t have the energy to try to
move, so didn’t even bother with an attempt. At least her heart beat slow and
normal within her chest, her breaths came shallow but even. Her nose twitched
at the overpowering smells around her. The air seemed thick with sweat and
herbs and scents she couldn’t identify with her half-asleep mind.

"Give her more."

The voices stopped. A door creaked open and then
thumped closed. Heat pulsed through her body. Pain pounded through her skull
and behind her eyes.

A foul taste coated her tongue. She choked and
swallowed. If only she wasn’t so hot. Twisting on the bed, she tried to escape
the heat, to find a cool breeze, anything. Something cold and wet covered her
forehead and she sighed. The coolness moved over her face and neck and she
relaxed, her mind drifting off again.

Voices once again roused her. The terrible heat had
disappeared, but the horrible taste in her mouth remained. Her tongue stuck to
her teeth, the roof of her mouth. She tried to make spit, to lick her dry and
cracked lips. Her body felt odd and heavy. She didn’t worry too much that she
had no strength to move. Certainly it was normal after being so sick.

Cracking her eyes open, she relaxed at the weak light meeting
them. Blinking slowly, her eyes struggled to focus. Finally they cleared and she
took in her surroundings. The room was small, the walls made of logs. A closed
wood door centered the wall across from her. She was indeed in a bed. A bed! A
light sheet covered her. A thicker wool blanket sat folded past her feet. A
lantern hung by the door. Turning her head slowly, she saw another on the table
beside her. If there were windows, she couldn’t see them in the dim light and
they were certainly shuttered. Unless it was night. She realized she had no
idea when it was.

"Arowyn," Prince said softly.

She started when he stepped forward out of the
shadows. Lantern light flickered over his drawn face. He did, however, look
clean. A brown cloak hung over his shoulders, under it a new dark shirt.

"Water," she managed to croak out.

"Of course." He poured some from a jug on
the table into a small wooden cup. Leaning over her, he lifted her head gently
and held it to her lips. "Slowly now."

Once finished he carefully withdrew and pulled a chair
closer to the bed, taking a seat.

She worked her tongue around her mouth and licked her
lips, trying to get the foul taste out and remove all traces of dryness. Trying
to sit up brought no response from her body. Everything felt numb and heavy, as
if her body had fallen asleep and not woken up yet. "I feel strange. I
can’t…I can’t move."

"It is a side effect of your medicine. It will
fade."

His answer made sense, so she let her worry fade away.
"Where am I?"

"Rhee-En brought you to a small Were settlement."

She nodded, but her brows drew together. Were had
settlements? She’d never really thought of how they lived. "How long?"

His head lowered slightly so she couldn’t see his
face. "A…few days."

He was lying, but she didn’t know why. Nor did she
care. Other more important worries distracted her. "Was anyone else hurt?"

His hand slipped into hers where it rested on top of
the sheet at her side. "No. Nothing that has not healed already. Other
than Bo’s leg, but it is doing well."

"Just me. Being troublesome," she said
weakly, trying to force a smile.

His gaze locked on their hands and he nodded slightly.

Unease filled her and her smile faded. "I’m still
alive. So the Were helped, right?" His hand squeezed hers tightly for a
moment, but he didn’t answer. "Prince," she whispered, fear making
her voice waver. "Tell me what’s happened? Where is everyone?"

"It is almost dawn. They are sleeping. Rhee-En
has gone for them." His thumb moved back and forth, gently caressing the
back of her hand. "Your injury was severe," he started slowly, his
voice low. "You lost so much blood." His eyes flicked over to meet
hers. "The Were tended your wound, yet you did not wake. You then fell
into a fever. They gave you every treatment they could think of to fight the
fever, to keep the pain away, to try to heal you."

"I’m awake now, so it worked?"

He lowered his eyes and slowly shook his head. "You
would not wake. There is medicine rarely used it is so dangerous, called
allorum. We gave it to you tonight. It broke the fever, but…" His quiet
words trailed off.

"But?"

Lips pressed together tightly, he pulled his hand from
hers. She watched as he carefully pulled back the sheet. Thankfully she saw she
wore a short cloth top, but her eyes locked on the thick wad of bandaging at
her side. Her stomach around it looked bloated and bruised. His fingers
shaking, he pulled the bandaging back.

Bile choked her as the stench of rot wafted up around
them. Closing her eyes against the putrid mess of rotting skin and puss, she
struggled not to vomit. "Enough," she gasped out. "I see."

The bandage gently rested against her skin again. Eyes
still closed, she struggled for calm as Prince pulled the sheet back up. Rot was
usually fatal, unless in a limb and it was removed. Gut rot? She had no chance
to survive.

She wished she’d died fighting. Regrets of everything she
hadn’t done and wouldn’t ever be able to do, settled heavily into her mind. She
hadn’t even managed to get Prince home.

"How long do I have?"

When he didn’t answer she opened her eyes again. He
sat forward in the chair, elbows on his thighs and head in his hands.

"The allorum has bought us only a little time. We
can’t give you more."

She nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at her. "So…
I can say goodbye to you all," she whispered.

The door slammed open, startling her. Kei bounded into
the room and around the bed. She smiled at his wild hair and the faint yellow
glow to his eyes. His face lit up when he saw her awake and he bent over her,
pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I missed you."

"Me, too," she said, her voice choking with
emotion.

Bo pushed Kei further to the side and took her hand. "How
you feeling, pup?"

"I’ve been better."

Garen nosed between Kei and Bo and she smiled as he
rested his head on her chest.
We have worried for you.

I know, I’m sorry.
She wished she had the strength to raise her hand to stroke his soft
fur. When she tried she got only a trembling limb for her efforts.

"Arowyn."

She looked up as Rhee-En entered, closing the door
behind him. "Thank you," she said. "For helping."

His head bowed and he sighed deeply. "I regret we
cannot help you more."

"I know, it’s… I understand." She fumbled
for words and gave up. Weariness stole away all attempts of thinking.

Rhee-En held out a small clay bottle. "The
allorum."

Prince turned away. "No."

"Give it to her and she will pass in her sleep."

"I said no!"

"She will not heal. You know this." The Were
set the bottle on the table. "If you do not, she will die in agony." Prince
stared at the wall, saying nothing. "I did not think you so cruel."

Aro trembled and Kei took her hand, holding it
tightly.

"She’s right here!"

"It’s fine, Kei. Prince told me."

"I am not cruel." Prince stood, his mouth a
straight angry line. "I just cannot let her go."

She blinked in surprise.

Rhee-En scowled. "It is there, when you change
your mind." He turned to her and bowed slightly before turning on his heel
and leaving the room.

The silence went on and on as no one could think of
what to say next.

Aware she had so little time left, Aro smiled, wanting
to make it as easy on her boys as she could. "You’ll all be fine. I know
you will."

Garen whined, Bo cursed, and Prince returned his face
to his hands.

Kei bowed his head over hers.
Don’t leave me.

I don’t know how to stay.
His tears dripped onto her cheek. Lips trembling, she
tried to stay calm. She didn’t want to cry in front of them. She didn’t want
them to remember her that way. "I’m sorry I’m not immortal like you. I
don’t have magic to heal myself."

Prince’s head shot up and he stared at her intently
for a moment before his gaze moved to the Fey still hovering over her. "Kei,
would you bind to her again?"

Aro’s breath caught in her throat. Her eyes locked
with Kei’s. The third binding. Mating.

Kei opened his mouth and then shut it again as he
stared at her. Prince didn’t know they’d bound together twice already. Her head
spun, she didn’t know what to think.

"I don’t know," he whispered, straightening.
Shaking fingers ran through his hair. "It’s not like the others. It’s not–"

"Others?
Others?"
Prince’s voice rose
as he sprang to his feet. His hand slammed down on the table. "What
others?"
His gaze turned on her, burning and angry.

"Two," Kei answered for her. "Friendship.
Family. The third…" his voice trailed off weakly.

"Mating. I know," Prince snapped. Knuckles
pressed against his temples. His nostrils flared as he fought to control his
anger.

She didn’t understand why he was so angry. Because she
hadn’t told him?

"Would it save her?"

Kei looked at her again. "I don’t know. It
is…much stronger magic, but…I don’t know if she would survive it. The binding
is…not like the others."

"No," she whispered hoarsely. "No."

"Arowyn, now is not–"

"I said no." She closed her eyes against the
tortured looks on their faces. "I won’t do that to him."

Hands clasped hers. She didn’t have to open her eyes
to know it was Kei. "I don’t want to lose you."

Shaking her head, she squeezed her eyes closed more
tightly. "No," she repeated. "I am mortal. I will die anyway. I
won’t…I won’t put you through losing a mate."

Arowyn, please.

No, Kei.

I love you, already. We would grow to love each other
as mates. I know we could.

She sighed, and opened her eyes. "I know. That’s
not why." The panic in his eyes nearly destroyed her. "I love you,
but I can’t give you forever." She closed her eyes again. "Just let
me go."

Kei’s fingers squeezed hers tightly. Lips pressed
against her forehead. A sob choked him. Then he was gone, the door banging
loudly behind him.

His soul wrenching roar echoed into the small room. She
flinched. Pain streaked through her body. Not all it stemmed from her wounds.
The anguish in Kei’s scream tore at her very soul.

Tears burned behind her eyelids. She refused to open
them, to let Prince see. He’d use it against her. Her sorrow wouldn’t go away.
Clenching her teeth, she tried to stop the trembling, to keep from breaking
down into soul wracking sobs.

"Is the pain coming back?"

Prince’s voice sounded so hollow and quiet she had to
clench her fists. "I just…need a moment. Can you go? Please."

"Arowyn. Look at me."

She didn’t want to, but the pleading in his voice gave
her no choice. Her eyelids flickered open and she met his steady gaze.

His fingers brushed hair from her forehead. "Always
so troublesome," he murmured.

"I heard Rhee-En," she said gently into the
silence. "I want to take it. Let me say goodbye, and let me go."

Dark hair hid his face as he bowed his head. His
shoulders slumped and he raised a shaking hand to his face.

"I’m sorry," she whispered. "You can’t
heal me. I can’t heal myself."

Prince raised his head and stared at her for a long
moment, his expression frighteningly blank. Without saying a word, he turned
and left.

Closing her eyes again, she let a few tears trickle
out. At least he hadn’t slammed the door.

How did she always manage to ruin everything? Death
loomed over her, yet she’d managed to run off the two men who meant most to
her.

"Don’t cry, pup," Bo said softly, taking her
hand now.

Garen pressed his wet nose against her cheek and then
sat.

"I just…" A sob stuck in her throat.

"We’re here." His hand squeezed hers. "We’re
always here."

Somehow she managed to squeeze his hand back.