Chapter Thirty Nine

Aerilyn

Four days.

That’s how long Everett had told her that she’d been asleep. She had been completely unconscious for the entirety of that time. The thought of being so vulnerable like that made her feel a slight bubble of panic. He had explained to her that he hadn’t left that entire time. He had stayed by her side and kept her safe through it all. She could tell that he was telling the truth by the way darkness consumed the space below his eyes. He hadn’t gotten much sleep in the time she’d been unconscious. She hated that he’d done it for her, but she was forever grateful for the man.

When she was fully awake, Everett had asked Marianna to bring her a meal which was swiftly delivered. Her entire body felt heavy as she tried to force her muscles to work once again. Everett seemed to notice her struggle and offered help with each spoonful of the warm soup. It felt like every muscle in her body had been frozen, only slowly thawing now that she was awake. It was odd trying to regain feeling in each of her limbs. She disliked feeling so weak but was grateful for Everett’s presence. He didn’t speak of her weakness, he stayed quiet as she sipped on the soup.

“Is Blaise safe?” Her voice was hoarse still. It felt odd to even speak. “He’s safe, though he’s been really worried about you. He stopped by a few times to make sure you were still breathing. Marianna seemed to also be extremely nervous about the whole thing,” he explained to her, his voice softer than usual. “That young girl from the dinner also stopped by, she begged Marianna to let her brush your hair. I have no idea how you got so close to her, but that child adores you,” the story he explained made her heart warm. Rose had visited while she had been asleep. Not only that, the small child had even brushed out her hair. The thought alone made her smile as she recalled the night Rose had begged her to do her hair.

“Thank you for staying by my side. You have no idea how much that means to me,” she reached out, cupping a palm over his cheek. Her hands were shaking and her movements weren’t as smooth as usual. His face leaned into her touch as if he were savoring every moment of it.

“I’m sorry I ran away. I wish I had argued and stayed by your side. I can’t help but feel guilty for what happened to you.”

“You couldn’t have prevented it. The people were dying. They were so injured, I couldn’t let them suffer. It was my choice to go to the breaking point. I had to save them,” her eyes met his and she could see the pain in his gaze. She wished that he didn’t blame himself for her own decisions. It was out of his control. Nobody had made her do it, she’d made her own choices that day. Even when she was on the verge of death, she didn’t regret any of it.

“You’re too good for this world, Aerilyn.”

The words that left Everett’s mouth only warmed her chest. The smile that crept onto his face made her feel even better than the soup that had replenished her body. She ran her thumb over his jaw, trying to provide him any comfort that she could. “I love you, Everett Delagros,” she leaned into him to press a soft kiss to the side of his face. He smiled in return, moving his hands over her cheeks.

“And I love you, little thief.”

His mouth covered her own, kissing her more gently than he ever had before. It was too delicate as if she were about to crumble beneath his fingertips. She was thankful for the slowness of the kiss, wanting to savor every second of the way he tasted. The closeness to death that they have both come over and over was beginning to weigh on her. She wasn’t sure how many more times they could both face death in the eyes and survive it.

Aerilyn reminded herself that this was all her own doing. She had chosen to continue using her powers even when she felt drained. She had decided to save the other people. She chose to face death in the eyes this time, it wasn’t Azazel’s doing. As much as she wanted to blame him, she had saved his life. She had put herself at risk, and from the darkness under his eyes, she could tell that she’d put Everett through hell when she made that decision.

She pulled her lips away from his, taking a few deep breaths. She never wanted the kiss to end, but the exhaustion was weighing on her. “What are we going to do?” Her voice was too soft. She hated how broken it sounded. “You need to heal up. The moment you’re feeling better we need to get the hell away from this place,” a frown took over his features. She hated the worry that flashed in his eyes.

“Azazel will come after us, we won’t have time to look back. We’ll need to head straight for Orissia.”

Everett nodded in agreement, running his fingers through his messy curls. “I’ll talk to Blaise about a plan. The moment you’re feeling better, we’re getting the hell away from this place,” he kissed her forehead, trying to bring her comfort when she knew he was as terrified as she was.

A knock broke their conversation and the door opened as someone stepped into the space. Azazel was wearing a fancier outfit than his usual attire and had his crown on. Something must’ve been going on for him to change his appearance. Seeing him for the first time since the attack made too many memories come rushing back. She hated that she remembered the way his bare chest had felt under her fingertips and the way it had felt to curl into his chest before she had lost consciousness. He was a consuming force that occupied her thoughts more than she would ever admit. She noticed the way Everett tensed when he realized who had entered. The two men exchanged a look that Aerilyn could easily identify as absolute hatred. As much as she wanted to hate Azazel, a part of her cared for the king, in an odd fucked up way. He said horrible things to her and put her in shitty positions, but he still had done so much to protect her in all of it. He had been there to save her twice, she couldn’t deny her appreciation for the man.

“I’m not here to start anything,” he began, holding his hand to silence whatever Everett was about to say. She was somewhat thankful for that, not wanting to see the two men in an argument so soon after waking. “My council and I have decided to set off on a mission for the Sword of Aleksi. After the hound attack, we’ve tried to decide on a reasonable approach to handling this new threat. They’ve never come into Korth before and that’s worrisome for all of us,” he paused, moving closer into the room, leaning against the bedpost at the end of the bed. “The last we heard of the sword being seen was in the Ash Mountains. There’s a cave there that was infested with hounds when my guards were traveling. Only one made it back alive, but he reported seeing a sword on display in the middle of the cave. He swore upon his soul what he saw,” Azazel explained, his eyes only on Aerilyn’s the entire time he spoke. Her mouth fell open in a gasp as the man admitted to having an idea of where the sword could possibly be.

“So, what are you saying?” Aerilyn began, pulling herself up into a sitting position against the headboard of the bed. “I’m asking for you both to join me on the mission. You’re both strong fighters and I wanted to use this as a peace offering. You’re a part of my kingdom now. I don’t hide things from my people,” he explained, keeping their eyes locked. The look in his eyes held something more.

What does he truly want from us? The thoughts began to spiral within her mind.

“Why should we trust you?” Everett spoke up for her, giving her the moments to process what the king was saying. “You don’t have to trust me. This is an offer that I’m simply extending to the both of you. Take it or leave it,” Azazel shrugged, looking down at his shirt as he brushed out each wrinkle to ensure its perfection.

“We’ll come.”

“Aerilyn, you’re too weak. You need more time to heal,” Everett tried to reason with her agreement to the deal. His concern was written across his expression, but she wouldn’t back down this time. “We need to get the sword. The longer we wait, the more lives are taken. I’m stronger than you think,” she explained, trying to find any words that would push him into agreement. “I never once thought you were weak. You just need to understand your limits and take care of yourself. I can’t watch something happen to you when you reach those limits,” his gaze lowered as the words fell from his lips. “Once we get that damn sword, then I can relax. Until then, none of us are safe,” she pushes further.

“We leave tomorrow, be prepared to leave at sunrise,” Azazel broke their conversation before he left them alone with the offer still lingering in the air between them.