Page 80 of Earthbound

Anyah nodded.

Furi paused, her eyes homing in on someone. She pointed to one of the faeguard who was maintaining the queue. His bright orange gloves were so distracting that it took a moment for Yeeran to realise what Furi was looking at. The faeguard’s collar was pulled up against his neck.

‘That’s not uniform regulation,’ Furi said quietly.

Anyah crossed the gap between her and the soldier. ‘Pull down your collar,’ she demanded.

The guard shook his head, his lips quivering. ‘One of two things are happening. You are either refusing an order from your superior because you wish to be stripped of your rank. Or you misheard me the first time, so I will ask again: pull down your collar.’ Anyah’s voice was sure and clear.

The soldier pulled down his collar, his face crumpling as he did so. Underneath his skin was purple and mottled.

Jay’s reaction was immediate. The guard was directed towards the healers on the other side of the fence.

‘We have to search the barracks,’ Rayan said. ‘The soldiers will have been the first infected.’

Because Furi sent them to kill the rats. Yeeran saw the guilt etched into her face.

‘It wasn’t your fault, Furi. You didn’t know.’

Furi shook her head, but Yeeran wasn’t sure what it meant. Furi turned to Anyah once more. ‘Keep an eye on anyone wearing their collar up or wearing scarves.’

‘Yes, Commander.’

‘Not any more. That role lies with you now.’

Pure terror crossed Anyah’s features before crystallising into determination. ‘As you say, my queen.’

The young woman marched off and Yeeran thought, not for the first time, how right Furi had been about hiring her.

‘It’s time for you to go,’ Furi said to the group. ‘You’ve done all you can for me for now.’

Rayan gave her a forlorn look. ‘You’ll survive this, Furi.’

The queen did not smile. ‘Go now, I need to lie down.’

‘I don’t want to leave you,’ Yeeran admitted.

‘You will have to. Don’t worry, I’ll have Jay by my side if I need anything.’

But what about my needs? Yeeran wanted to shout. I need you, I breathe you, I live for you.

Instead she looked across the space between them and said, ‘Don’t die, Furi, or I’ll have to kill you myself.’

Furi huffed out a half-hearted laugh before she turned away and shuffled across the quarantine border. Only when she was safely inside did she turn to look at Yeeran again. Her lips quivered, and a single tear fell from her eyes. ‘I love you,’ Furi said. The three words seemed to shatter the queen, and she began to sob.

Yeeran found herself running. Not away from Furi but towards her.

‘What are you doing?’ Furi said as Yeeran threaded her arms around her. Furi tried to push her away but Yeeran’s lips found hers, the kiss soft and gentle, healing them both in other ways.

‘There, if I’m infected, I’m infected,’ she said after drawing breath. ‘Besides, I told you, I didn’t get sick after taking care of Lettle.’

‘Yeeran, this was foolish,’ Furi said without bite. She rested her forehead against Yeeran’s.

‘But I couldn’t leave you. I had something very important to say and I wanted you to hear it.’ Yeeran whispered the words onto her parted lips.

‘I love you too.’

Chapter Sixteen