Page 35 of Broken Hearted
“I had to take off your clothes because they were covered in mud and vomit,” she explained as she stood in front of me. “And you had a fever.”
I winced. The state I’d been in the last couple of days wasn’t one I’d want anyone to see me in, let alone a princess of Faerie.
Let alonethisprincess of Faerie, my mind whispered.
“I washed them in the creek yesterday though,” Isolde went on, her voice a nervous chatter. “They’re hanging on the line outside,but I’m sure they are dry by now. I can grab them for you if you want to dress.”
I waved her off and then ran a hand through my hair, feeling it catch on snarls and tangles. I needed a proper bath, but we had important things to discuss first.
“I’m good for now,” I told her and then crossed my arms over my chest. I didn’t miss how her eyes followed the motion and then slowly moved from my arms to my chest and stuck there. This time, I couldn’t hold back the smile. She liked what she saw, I could tell. And I liked that.
“Yes, well …” she cleared her throat and averted her gaze. “Now that you’re awake, and the fever seems to have broken, would you like some water?”
My throat was parched, but it could wait as well. Reaching forward, I laid a gentle hand on her arm, pausing until she looked back at me to speak.
“Thank you,” I said. “If it weren’t for you—” I suppressed a shudder instead of going down that road.
She shifted a step back, and I dropped my hand, but I noticed that she ran her fingers over the place that I touched. I don’t think she was aware that she was doing it though.
“It was nothing,” she told me, downplaying her heroic actions. “Anyone else would have done the same.”
I shook my head and rose to my feet, keeping a hand on the blanket so it didn’t slip off me. My muscles protested, but I remained steady.
“No, don’t do that,” I said as she glanced up at me with those clear blue eyes. “It wasn’t nothing. What you did took courage.Kidnapping an Ethereum lord and helping break the spell I was under.” I had to chuckle at that. I don’t even know if my brothers would have dared to do what she had. But then I sobered. “I don’t know very many fae who would risk themselves like you did. I could have hurt you badly.”
She shook her head, but I knew it was true. I wanted to believe I never would have hurt her, but I was so far under Elisana’s love spell that I would have done anything to get back to her.
A toxic mixture of shame and fury began to rush through my veins, but I grit my teeth and forced myself to relax. My anger was for Elisana, and Elisana alone. I would deal with my ex-fiancée and her treachery soon enough, but now wasn’t the time for that. Now was the time for apologies.
“It’s true,” I said with a frown. “I even used my powers against you.” A pang of remorse for what I’d done to her hit me as I indicated the rune on my chest.
I wasn’t upset that she’d put it there. I was glad she’d done it to protect herself from me. I just wished it hadn’t been necessary.
Isolde’s eyes widened as she focused on the glowing green mark.
“Oh, right,” she said, and before I had a chance to stop her, she pulled her dagger and swiped the tip through the rune. She didn’t so much as nick my skin, but the faestone dagger coming that close to my heart still caused it to beat furiously.
The rune dissipated immediately, but my heart rate took longer to slow. I felt my powers surge forward as they were unlocked inside of me.
“Thank you again,” I said, rubbing my chest where it had been. “But next time, give me a little warning before waving thatthing so close to me.” I nodded toward her faestone dagger and chuckled. “That’s one blade every Ethereum lord has nightmares about getting too close to their heart.”
She looked down at her hand, and her eyes widened when she realized what she’d done. “Sorry,” she said, sheathing the blade at her waist.
“Don’t apologize. You’ve done me a service. I don’t even know how to start to repay you.”
“I do,” she told me, and my eyebrows lifted.
“You do?” I asked, and she nodded. “Well, then tell me. If it’s in my power to grant, I’ll do or give you anything you ask.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” she said. “Because I need you to take me to the belly of the sea.”
Chapter Twelve
Isolde
Now that Adrien was awake and no longer under Elisana’s love spell, I could sense a change between us. He kept sneaking glances at me, and I was trying not to stare at his chiseled abs.Put a shirt on already!
I’d spent the last ten minutes briefing him on what the Wise Ones said, but no matter how many times I tried I couldn’t bring myself to tell him about the mates part. I was still on the fence about it all. Zane and I had kissed and nothing happened. Perhaps the same would happen if Adrien and I kissed as well. But even if Adrien was my mate, it didn’t mean anything. I was not going to end up like my parents.
