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“A couple weeks, max. That’s when we’ll have the wedding.”
“What?!” I cried, unable to stop myself. “No!”
His smile faded, and he glowered at me.
“What do you mean, no?” he asked, clearly unfamiliar with the term.
“I mean…” I inhaled, carefully choosing my words. I didn’t need to antagonize him. I had no illusions about how he treated his wives, much as he wanted his virgins. “She’s not strong enough, Jesse. You can’t push her.”
“You heard what he said,” he insisted, turning his attention back to the head fae healer. “Ten days, right?”
The fae nodded, oblivious to my scathing glare. He wasn’t afraid of me. He wanted to tell Jesse exactly what his boss wanted to hear.
“Good.” Jesse stepped back and beamed at us. “Then we’ll arrange for the wedding in two weeks’ time. I’ll have the arrangements made.”
He gave us a last look, licking his lips in that way that made my skin crawl before shuffling toward the door, his erection fully noticeable in the front of his pants. I shuddered, thinking about what poor woman he was going to use that on, and turned away. Bile filled my throat, and I barely managed to swallow it down as Dahlia moaned softly. I shushed her, warning her with my eyes not to say a word in front of the healers.
“You’re done here,” I told them flatly. “Get out. She needs to rest.”
They started to argue, but they seemed to see the madness in my eyes and threw up their hands.
“We’ll be back,” the male told me warningly. “She needs constant attention.”
“She needs rest,” I fired back. “And to be out of here.”
They murmured amongst themselves, and I swallowed thickly, wondering if I’d said too much. Would they report my words back to Jesse? I’d have to be more careful.
“Get out,” I said again, this time more forcefully.
They rose from their collective spots and made their way toward the door, but they continued their chanting, which I suddenly wished they would stop.
I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood, but it stopped me from barking at them. Rushing after them, I did my best to secure the door from any other unwanted visitors, but there was no lock, no real way to keep anyone else from bursting in. The useless, rickety table I put in front gave me no sense of peace before I returned to my sister, touching her face and brushing her blonde tresses out of her face. She really did look better, but it was a double-edged sword. I wanted so badly to fixate on the good, the color back in my twin’s face, but it wasn’t enough.
“Dahlia, look at me,” I begged her. She did, and I exhaled with some relief. “You have to get strong enough to get moving.”
“I’m trying,” she whispered hoarsely, and her shoulders dropped.
The effort of speaking alone was taking too much out of her. This was going to be a hell of a road.
“They said you’ll be better in a week or ten days. Can you do better, so we can get out of here before we have to get married?” I asked, knowing I was begging her for miracles.
Tears filled her eyes, and I wanted to slap myself. It wasn’t her fault she was in this position. I couldn’t put this weight on her.
“Just get better,” I told her, throwing my arms around her. “Leave the rest to me, okay?”
“I’ll do my best, Bee.”
“I know.”
We clung to each other until my exhaustion took hold, and I eventually succumbed to the sleep I so desperately needed. But when my eyes closed, I dreamt of our wedding night, and when I woke up, I vomited all over the floor.
Chapter13
Atlas
“How did it go?”
Sage slid several pages toward me while I shaved, my eyes darting over the marble countertops through the mirror before retreating back toward the doorway of the master bathroom. I arched an eyebrow.
