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I had to keep Scottie moving. I was worried that once she stopped, she wouldn’t start again. “Come on, let’s go.” I ushered her to her feet. I thought she would protest. I knew she was beyond exhausted, but she didn’t.
She got to her feet with my help, guiding her to follow closely behind me. We walked now, our bodies couldn’t last at the pace we were sprinting before. Neither of us talked, saving our energy and breath.
Scottie’s teeth were chattering so hard, I could hear nothing else in the forest. We hadn’t had proper food in almost two days. Earlier, we’d stopped by a creek long enough to drink murky water and eat some berries that I knew weren’t poisonous, but she needed rest and a fire. And fast.
Scottie’s body was starting to shut down. I thought it was damn freezing, and the cold usually never bothered me, but Scottie… her lips were bloodless, her fingers purple. I had to get some warmth into her again.
I finally slowed down as I recognized a small cabin to our left. I remembered it from hunting with Peter and my brother when we were younger. It confirmed my fear that we were heading in the wrong direction. This cabin was north of Kitlarn, but at least I knew where we were now. We weren’t lost, but we definitely weren’t going to make it back to the castle tonight.
I led her toward the broken door. “Come on. We’ll stay here for the night. We need to recover. Once the Alluse leaves my system, I’ll teleport us back to the castle.”
She nodded, too tired to speak as I shut the door behind us. The wind swept through the cracks in the foundation. It was warmer in the cabin but not by much. The cabin hadn’t been stocked or taken care of for quite some time. Once my father learned I would be a rank five, he refused to let us come. The days of doing anything for enjoyment were long over.
Scottie fell to the floor. Her shivering worsened as my shirt fell off her shoulders. Her nightgown was still damp from earlier this morning. Shit. “We have to warm you up.”
I carried her toward the small fireplace in the corner of the room. “I’ll be right back,” I said to her as I went back into the cold to search for firewood and rocks. She didn’t look up or respond. I was losing her rapidly.
After hurrying back, I found old blankets in a trunk to the right of the door. I dusted them off before covering her with them. She moaned softly as the blankets engulfed her.
I tried to talk to her as I made the fire. I needed to keep her conscious. “This is an old hunting cabin. Peter and I used to come here as boys, but we haven’t been back in years.” Her eyelids fluttered. “Scottie, stay with me.”
Once the fire started, I positioned her as close to it as I dared. Then I started taking off her wet nightgown.
“What… are… you… doing?” she puffed. Her voice was barely audible. I could see her breath lingering in the air.
“Scottie, whatever is left of your nightgown is soaking wet from your blood and the water from earlier. Your skin is frozen, and you’re shivering. I need to warm you up before the cold kills you.”
She narrowed her eyes at me but didn’t swat my hand away when I reached for her again. I knew she was still uncomfortable with being naked, so I added, “Whatever fabric is left of your nightgown isn’t doing anything to hide your body. I already saw everything. The only thing it’s doing is making you cold, and the wetness of it will prevent you from warming up. Please, Scotlind.”
“Turn… around…” she breathed. “I’ll… do it… myself.”
Too slowly. Too slowly, she undressed out of her slip. Once she did, I scooped up her clothes and laid them out before the fire to dry. Then I followed suit and pressed my body against her back, throwing the blanket over us both. She gasped, and I thought she would protest but instead settled back into the warmth of my chest.
“What… are… you… doing?” she asked between chattering teeth.
“I’m warming you up with my body heat. You can sleep now, Scotlind. You’re safe. Just sleep.” I whispered in her ear as I patted her wet, frozen hair. Her hand settled on my arm, and shortly I was listening to the sound of her breathing. I prayed to the Goddess that my words would be true and that she would make it to the morning. I’d never prayed before. I’d never cared or believed in Pylemo. But tonight, I prayed and prayed until my own body gave out and darkness overtook me.
THIRTY-SIX
SCOTLIND
I wokeup the next morning to thesmellof burnt wood. Iheardthe crackling of the fire. Ifeltthe heat of the flames. I screamed, my body not yet registering that I was alive and safe. My half-conscious self brought me back to my burning childhood home.
“It’s okay. You’re okay,” Sie gently soothed as he reached for me. I was panting as I focused on the sound of his voice. Vague memories surfaced—us escaping, running in the woods, a cabin, then warmth. I glanced around. A dying fire explained the smell. We were in a small room, lying on a dusty floor, curled up together.
Then I glanced at him. Sie was looking up at me through hooded eyes, rubbing small soothing circles up and down my arms, careful to avoid the tender areas that Kole carved. I felt his calluses scrap against my skin. I looked down at myself and screamed again as I reached for the blanket. We were both completely and utterly naked.
I pushed Sie away from me, but he barely moved as my strength was spent.
“Good morning to you too, wife,” he smiled. He actually smiled at me, despite everything that had happened the past two nights. He was so cold and serious on a normal day, but we had just been starved, tortured, and almost killed, and yet, he smiled at me. It wasn’t his usual smirk or half grin. I didn’t know if he’d ever smiled at me like that before.
He let out a small grunt as he repositioned himself. “You know, shoving someone is not the nicest way to wake them up. Especially when they just took a beating for you.” Was that a joke? How was he so playful and joking about this?
I sat up straighter, clutching the blanket like it was my lifeline. I was suddenly very aware that I had pulled most of the covers off him in the process. His chest and abdomen were now exposed as he sat up with me. The blanket now rested on his lap. He was peppered in dried blood and bruises. Images of Kole’s men taking hit after hit on him kept replaying through my mind.
I turned away, unable to look anymore. He could have beaten them up, he could have fought back, but he didn’t. He’d let them chain him and put the Alluse around his wrists, making him weak. The cocoon of togetherness we made seemed to vanish now that we weren’t in that warehouse and about to die.
“Why did you let them take you? Why didn’t you fight them? Why did you do that?” It was the first thing I said.
