Faethfully Yours: Unbound

Chapter Twelve

Elena was kept in the apartments on the top floor of the inn, watched over by a healer. At first, the thought was comforting, knowing that she was being cared for after she’d risked her life for me—again.  But in walking into her room, I felt like leveling the building in an instant. The healer was a younger girl, much younger than I. It was offensive and it irked me seeing her there. Surely they could have spared a more seasoned healer, yet they left her in the care of a child.

Kheelan moved past me to greet her, where she introduced herself as Karina. I moved past them both, pretending she wasn’t there—wishing she wasn’t there. I had enough emotions warring within to then willingly add another antagonist to it all. Instead, I busied myself at Elena’s bedside where various bowls cluttered the night table. I picked up each one, smelling the different herbs, trying to get some sense of what was being done to her.

Noting my futile attempts, Karina spoke to me from beside Kheelan, explaining to us both that, “I’ve been trying different potions. My healing abilities are not fully developed, but I’ve managed to keep some of her symptoms at bay with some concoctions I’ve read about. Her wounds were very serious.”

“They usually are when someone is trying to kill you,” I snipped and met her eyes with a pointed look. They were baby blue—as baby as her face.  “And I doubt some child playing kitchen is enough to heal them.” The words were wrong. I knew that. I couldn’t stop them from coming out.

Karina lowered her head instantly, taking a few steps back toward the wall. “Of course. I tried...“ she trailed off.

“You did the best you could do, and we appreciate the trouble you went through,” Kheelan spoke between us. He walked to her and placed an understanding hand on her shoulder. “I will take it from here. You should get some rest and replenish your powers. A lot was taken out of you these past few days.”

Karina lifted her lashes, offering him a small smile. Suddenly, I felt like crap. I could see my words creating doubt in her eyes. She had tried her best. It wasn’t her fault she’d been sent to care for someone much more than she was able to. I’d take that up with the Great Mother. Blowing out a breath, I turned back to Elena. I should have apologized to Karina, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from my friend—the only one who could slap me back to sanity. The only one I felt I could truly trust. I needed her.

Kheelan spoke to Karina quietly where she revealed that while she’d tried her best to heal Elena, a lot of Elena’s internal wounds were still serious. Loch’s men had beat her to the brink of death and left her there. I shivered, but held fast to the memory of killing each and every one of them.

After thanking Karina for her services, Kheelan offered to escort her to the front door. Hearing the door to the room close behind him, my knees weakened with suppressed emotion. I knelt beside Elena’s bed and closed my eyes against the quilt. All the tears I kept in while with the Great Mother, I shed there in secret.

A sudden, something plucked at my hair. I jerked back only to find glossy black eyes staring down at me. 

“Would you stop crying? Clearly, I'm not dead," Elena murmured, then squeezing her eyes against the light.

I opened my mouth, and at first no words came. And in finally seeing her trademark cold smile, no words came still. So I hugged her. Forgetting all about her wounds, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. Elena bristled beneath me, but after a moment, eased and returned the embrace with a weak attempt. It was the most I’d get from her—ever—so I took it for all it was worth.

Feeling her break away, I sat back, still staring at her unbelieving. "But that healer girl just said your injuries were still serious. I thought—“