AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He watched her eyes for signs of movement. She sent nothing back.
“Where thefuckis the vedhma,” Grigor muttered, followed by a long grumble of agitation.
They’d switched places, Tyr realized. Grigor had lost his hope, and Tyr had never had more.
I know you’re there. I know you’re fighting my efforts. And I think I know why. Do you still trust me, Ana?
Seconds ticked. Grigor’s pacing continued.
I do.
Tyr fell forward from the weight of his relief. He kissed the side of her mouth.Open your eyes. Open them and come back to me, and I’ll make it all right. I’ll make everything right again.
You can’t, my love. You shouldn’t have brought me back. The high priestess sentenced me to die, and I have earned this death.
Tyr sat up in shock. He glanced at Grigor to see if he’d picked up on the subtle shift in Ana, but the man had both hands pinned on either side of the window frame as he stared into the storm.
The high priestess did this to you?
I asked her to.
Ana, I don’t...
I can’t live with what I’ve done, Tyreste. Magda has been punished, and so must I be. You were only supposed to find my body, so you didn’t spend your life searching for me. You weren’t supposed to save me.
Find your body? Ana, I have already mourned you and decided it’s not for me. I’m sorry, but you are not in the right mind to choose death. Your soul is wounded, and it can be mended, but a broken soul cannot make such a choice. And I won’t accept it.
Tyreste, you don’t—
Tell me this, Anastazja. If it were me on this table, begging to die, would you abide my wish? Would you stand back and watch me die?
No answer came.
It was the only answer he needed.
He kissed her and broke away, leaping off the table. Grigor left the window and stormed over.
“We need to clean her up,” Tyr stated. His hands twitched, already imagining her flesh made whole. “Anywhere there’s a wound must be free of blood and dirt before I can close it. You clean. I’ll follow your path until we’ve taken care of all of it.”
Grigor reached for another sheet and started tearing. “We’ll start with her legs.”
Ana listened to the voices for hours. She could’ve woken sooner, but she craved the solitude of private rest, loath to surrender it until she had to.
It was far too soon for any thinking on a deeper level. Tyreste had healed her, and she was so proud of him—would’ve been prouder if it were someone else he’d saved. But with some rest under her, she finally understoodwhyshe had been saved. Why the Ancestors had intervened and given him his magic back.
Dying was a coward’s way out of a problem she’d been an integral part of perpetuating. Mortain would still be free to terrorize the Ravenwoods. And though she would act surprised when Ludya gave her the news, Ana had heard Ludya explaining to Grigor and Tyreste where she’d been and why. Both men had argued, and how she loved them for looking after her, for loving her so, but Ludya was right.
“She needs to rest!” Tyreste cried. “She almostdied.I don’t even know if I got everything, if there’s still some internal bleeding, or... or...”
“Your remediation was sufficient,” Ludya said, as placidly as ever. “I have confirmed this myself. A proper healer you are, Tyreste Penhallow. I hope I am forgiven for speaking coldly to you when we last met.”
“I don’t care how you speak to me! I care that you want to drag Ana away from here, into that cursed fucking cave, to the... thebeingsthat almost killed her the last time!”
“The kyschun are not wicked, nor murderous. And they have at last decided to offer Ana the information she seeks.”
“Then she can golater,when she’s well enough.”
“We are beholden to their time. They are not beholden to ours.”
