AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Urgent knuckles rap against the door.
Alek’s worried voice filters through. “Ivy? Are you all right?”
Gods smite me, he must have noticed me take off and wondered why. It was obvious that I’d originally been heading for the dining hall.
I grit my teeth, fighting through the anguish to speak. But when my lips part, all that comes out is a groan that’ll only make him more concerned.
Benedikt’s voice joins Alek’s. “Come on, Knives. Let us know what’s going on. We can bring lunch up to you if you’re simply overwhelmed by royal admiration.”
I can’t even summon a hitch of a laugh.
They mutter to each other beyond the door, too low for me to make out the words.
My lack of answer isn’t helping anything, but they can’t get in regardless. They have to leave eventually, right?
Or I’ll recover and open the door as if nothing was ever bothering me.
A renewed burst of pain radiates through my body, and I can’t hold back a gasp. My thoughts spin out of coherence.
Ivy, you need help.Can you get to the door to let them in?
No. No. I shiver and squirm in the opposite direction, only making it a few inches before another surge of agony wracks my body.
Julita’s voice turns more frantic than I’ve ever heard her.This is— I can’t leave you like this. Please. I have to—
My mind whirls with a rush of dizziness. I hiss through my teeth, and the unnerving disorientation sweeps through me alongside the pain.
My limbs jerk. And suddenly, without any conscious intent, they shift to haul me around.
What—?
I grope for control, but I can’t stop my shaking arms from pushing me onto my hands and knees.
The sear of the magic’s attack rages through my body, and I almost don’t feel myself lurching up toward the door knob. Grasping it and turning—
No!
I wrench myself backward, breaking the spell, but it’s too late. Benedikt rams the door wider open, and the two men hurtle inside.
“Shit.” The bastard’s bastard drops to the floor by my face and touches the side of my head. “We wererightthere. How could someone have gotten at you again?”
“I didn’t see anyone in view who looked like they were focused on Ivy,” Alek says. A quaver runs through his voice as he grasps my hand. “But maybe they used the distraction of the king’s visit.”
“Or maybe it’s something else.”
I try to speak, to say something remotely reassuring, but another cough heaves from my lungs. My throat burns, and something wet dribbles over my lips onto my forearm.
“That’sblood,” Benedikt says, his voice turning shockingly urgent.
Alek squeezes my hand and starts to release it as he moves to stand. “I don’t care what she said before. She needs a—”
“No!” I manage to spit out, clutching at his hand to hold him with me. The next wave of pain that lances through me doesn’t hurt quite as much as the ones before.
There. It’s starting to ebb. I’ve made it through.
Just a little too late to escape the consequences.
Benedikt brushes his fingers over my hair. “Her breath is evening out. She can tell us what happened. Right, Knives?”
