AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His head rolled, his eyes only half-open. He was breathing, but shallowly. “I told you to run.”
She ignored that. “Where are you hurt?” She spread a hand over his chest and ran her fingers over his sides. He had a thin slice on his arm, but nothing serious. She touched his shoulder and he hissed.
Her lungs froze. She tugged at his shirt until she bared his shoulder, but confusion washed over her. There was no gaping wound, or horrible flow of blood. There was nothing but a small puncture mark. The skin around it was lividly red.
At first, it didn’t make sense—then everything clicked into place.
The darts, from when they had first tried to run. He’d been struck. The darts were too small to be dangerous on their own, which meant they carried poison.
Cardon had been poisoned.
Her chest constricted, and her hands shook. “You said you were fine.”
He made no response. His pulse was erratic, his eyes barely open now.
She pulled his arm closer to study the shallow cut that leaked blood, and she could feel the throbbing heat coming from his flesh. His arm was stiff. Too stiff.
He’d been poisonedtwice.
“You’ve been poisoned,” she said, shocked and horrified.
He peeked up at her, his breathing thready. “I know.”
She clenched her teeth. The fates-blasted man had known the dart was poisoned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He blinked slowly, his eyes opening to mere slits now. “I didn’t want to alarm you.”
She cursed and clenched his hand in hers. “I don’t know what to do.”
He winced when he tried to move. “My entire arm is numb. I don’t know what this poison is, but I think it spreads faster the more I exert myself. I’m quite dizzy.” His eyes fluttered closed.
Serene grabbed his face in her hands. “Don’t close your eyes.”
The lids of his eyes pulled open, but barely. “Keep going south,” he rasped weakly.
Her stomach clenched. “You’re a fates blasted fool if you think I’m leaving you here.”
“It will spread to my legs soon enough,” he said quietly. “My heart.” His eyes slipped closed again. “I need you to go. Keep going. Wilf will find you.”
Her pulse pounded. Panic gripped her. Her fingertips pressed against his cheeks, and he managed to look at her again. Her voice wavered, desperation and fear twisting together in her words. “Cardon, please. Don’t leave me.”
He slowly lifted his right hand and laid it over hers, his thumb smoothing weakly over her knuckles. “I’m sorry, Serene.”
Her breathing hitched, but she refused to give in to the tears flooding her eyes. She didn’t blink as she glared down at him. “No. You get up.Now. You’re not dying. I need you.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured again.
Serene clenched her jaw. “Don’t apologize. Just don’t leave me. That’s an order, Sir Brinhurst.”
She thought his mouth twitched. “Hate that name,” he muttered. His eyes fell closed. “Go. Be safe.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you.” Her breathing hitched as she fought against the flood of tears. “Cardon, please—Cardon?”
His eyes did not open.
Horror choked her. “Cardon.”
Nothing. He was barely breathing.
