TEMIR
Istood in my solar waiting for whatever plan Roe had come up with. Unable to stand still, I sifted through and reorganized the various elixirs on the packed shelf. Roe and the others had been here to retrieve the supplies they needed, and I didn’t want the king to notice a single thing out of place. He’d been here enough times that I couldn’t be too careful. There was a soft knock at the door, and I opened it to find Roe with a high fae soldier barely standing.
“Hurry,” he said.
I grabbed the soldier and laid him on the table.
“He looks fine,” I said to Roe.
“Exactly. He’s just knocked out.”
“You’re a damn genius,” I told him, pushing him out the door.
I frantically ripped at the soldier’s clothing and even used a clean knife to draw blood. Just as I set it down, I heard the barreling voice of the king hollering from outside the door. Still drunk. I placed my hands on the fae and bowed my head as the door slammed open.
“Who the fuck is that?” he yelled.
“I’m not sure, my king. He came in looking like he’d been through the grinder. Someone dropped him off. Said you’d be in after to wipe his memory, but he’s still unconscious. It took everything I had to heal him.”
“But I’ve got a whole fucking cave full of soldiers that need to be healed.” He narrowed his eyes on me.
“What happened?” I asked, feigning shock.
He shook his head in confusion. He probably still couldn’t believe someone had actually made a move against him. One he hadn’t seen coming. And now he didn’t have a healer to help.
“It’s not important right now. How long do you need to restore your magic?”
“I’ll need until morning,” I said, stretching. “I’m completely wiped out. I’m sorry, my king.”
“Fuck.” He slammed his fist into the wall. “Get out of my gods-damned sight.”
I left the room and wandered back to mine. It had been the longest night of my life. Even if I wasn’t completely drained of magic, I think I could have slept for days, but as I opened the door, Gaea launched herself at me. I held her so tight, I thought we’d never separate again.
But she backed away and then shoved me so hard I stumbled. “What the hell were you thinking, Temir?”
“I can’t talk about this right now. Rhogan got caught, the king is pissed at me and if I don’t lie down, I’m likely to pass out from exhaustion. I’m almost completely drained. The only reason I’m alive right now is because the king plans for me to keep him immortal.”
“Bed, now,” she ordered. “But I’m going to kill you as soon as you wake up.”
I turned, dragged my feet to the bed, and fell face forward, the last of the adrenaline leaving my wracked body. Seconds passed before Gaea shook me awake.
“Temir, you have to wake up.”
“Can’t,” I moaned. “Not yet.”
She pulled the blanket off me, grabbed my hands, and made me sit up. I cracked my eyes open. Amber sunlight shined through the drafty window. I must have been asleep longer than I thought. I could tell I hadn’t replenished my magic. Not fully.
“How long?” I asked.
“It’s only been six hours, but the king has ordered us to the throne room.” All color left her beautiful face, and I could see the worry within her stunning eyes.
“Did he say why?” I asked, getting out of the bed.
“No, but what if he knows? What if someone saw you? What if someone knew I was involved?”
I suddenly remembered Oleo’s vision of me in chains in the castle.
“Shit.”
