Page 35 of Black Hearted
But my words seemed to fall on deaf ears as she threw me to the ground, and I landed hard, my head slamming painfully against the unforgiving stones. I lay there stunned as she left the cell, the sound of the lock engaging echoing in the silence. Her footsteps retreated down the corridor.
Zane.
I needed to talk to him, to tell him that not only his life was in danger but possibly his brothers’ as well.
The only problem was, sleep wasn’t something you could force, and at that moment, I was wide awake.
Chapter Twelve
Zane
Biscuit was a good girl. She stayed on the trail and rode through the night. Just before the morning light, we stopped at a creek beside a field of beautiful tulips to let her rest.
Exhausted from the fight and fleeing, I accidentally fell asleep for a few minutes, leaning against the trunk of a tree. That’s when Lorelei visited my dream.
If only I could have stayed asleep longer. But Nellie shook me awake, thinking she’d heard something nearby. It turned out to be nothing, but by then, it was too late. The dream was gone—and so was Lorelei.
Even in those few short minutes, I’d gained something I hadn’t had before: a place to start looking.
The Turtle Mountains.
But Lorelei was clear—she wanted me to go to her mother, the queen, first. I just hoped her parents would receive my message before I arrived. I didn’t want to waste time convincing them that Lorelei was in danger and that I was there to help.
“How’s your arm?” I asked Nellie as she used the creek water to rinse out her mouth.
“I’ll live,” she said, but her demeanor was less cheery. She winced whenever she moved too much. She’d dozed a bit while I held her on the horse, but the dark circles under her eyes told me she wasn’t well rested.
Having responsibility for this child, even temporarily, was something I took seriously. I needed to do a better job.
“The second we get to the Spring Palace, I’m getting you a healer,” I promised.
“What about saving Princess Lorelei?” she asked.
“I’ll do that. But getting you healed is also a priority.”
She smiled faintly at that.
“And I’ll bet your aunt will be glad to see you, too. Is she a Spring fae?” I asked.
I wasn’t sure how all of that worked here. Could different fae live in different places? I guessed so, considering all the refugees. We’d even passed several camps along the road last night. Seeing them had renewed my determination to end this curse. So many lives had been affected in both realms. This had to stop.
“Mmhmm,” she murmured, sipping some water. Then she pointed to her belly and said, “Feed me, please.”
I grinned. The girl was easy to please—keep her belly full and give her some sweets now and then, and she was agreeable.
I handed her a hunk of smoked meat, some soft herb bread, and a little surprise I’d been saving.
“Chocolate!” she gasped when I pulled out a huge bar.
I’d negotiated it as part of my travel package with Jasper back in Buttercup Village. Nellie had a sweet tooth.
“With dried fruits, yes. But you only get one square a day,” I said, breaking off a piece and handing it to her.
Grinning from ear to ear, and before touching the rest of her breakfast, Nellie snatched the small square from my hand and popped it into her mouth.
I laughed, folding the paper around the remainder of the bar and stashing it away. “Now finish your breakfast.”
She did so dutifully, but soon began to eye the road with concern.
