Chapter 18

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

ORION

T he agonizing burn of the silver blade spread through my intestines, my heart racing, the damage an angry pulse. My temperature went through the roof, all of me sweaty, shaking, wrapped in a rotten blanket of nausea.

I lay on my back, hand on the dagger's hilt.

This wasn't the first time I'd taken a knife to the stomach. Only, this time, there was no Basil to heal me.

Wendy landed on my cheek. "No. Please. You can't die. Not now."

"He doesn't have to," the king said.

I lifted my head to see him flanked by his guards, radiating superiority. The weak moment he displayed was gone, the king's regal power restored.

Dawn stayed quiet in the skull, watching. Was it learning? Making notes to help its growth?

Wendy flew at the king, buzzing around his head. "Heal him now. Heal him!"

The king swatted at her gently, carefully. "Sting me and I'll have him dragged to the nearest crevasse."

Wendy flew back to my cheek. "What do you want?" Her tone was as cold as the ice outside.

"Honey. I don't care how much of it you have to make for my plan to work. If you value this fae's life, then you will do as I ask. Fill every one of these cells a thousand times over if need be. Just give me what I want, and I'll heal your friend."

Many fae possessed a healing ability. I did, though I couldn't heal myself or fix fatal wounds like Basil or King Damien could.

"Heal him now and I'll?—"

"No!" he clapped back. "I have given you your options, now you obey or let him die."

"I'll take him to another fae."

"Will you? What about your honey? I'll burn this hive if you leave."

The cruelty in Damien's eyes hurt my insides more. I lowered my head, too riddled with agony, too dizzy to keep it up.

How long did I have? Would the king keep his promise?

Screw his promise. I'd rather be dead than let him have his way. Wendy had already explained why this wasn't possible. Anyway, he was part of the problem, playing with fire, trying to be a god, and had helped make a godly monstrosity with destructive ambitions.

Now we all paid the price.

Thump, thump.

Thump, thump.

Miko's earthy scent greeted me before his voice.

"Ori? What the fuck's going on?"

"King Damien stabbed me."

"What?" he boomed.

"Wants the honey to make another Faery. Hurt me to blackmail Wendy. Stars… It hurts to talk…" Or think-talk, every word a hot coal to scald me.

"He can't be serious. Fuck. I'm coming for you."

"The gates…"

"I don't give a fuck about the gates being closed. I'll move every mountain for you. Hold on. Don't give up. I'm not losing you."

His loving warmth caressed my pain, momentarily alleviating it. "Miko…"

"I love you."

"I'll be okay."

"I have to find you…"

The connection broke before I could answer.

"Miko?" Goodness, think-speaking his name sapped too much strength.

"I suggest you get to work," the king said softly. "Although his death will come slowly, it will come without proper healing." I heard him snap his fingers offensively.

I hated rude finger snaps.

"It will be impossible," Wendy replied, the tickle of her tiny legs on my skin a huge comfort.

"Then you have doomed your friend, I'm afraid."

"This is exactly why I left here in the first place," Wendy muttered.

Regardless of the impossibilities, she got back to work.

"I'm glad to see we're all on the same page," the king said. "Now, is there anything to drink around here?"