Page 75 of Heart of the Cursed
Chapter 30
He could only watch in horror as Selene went flying through the air after being hit with a ball of magic.
The door she had come through a short time ago with his brother, did little to stop or slow her momentum as she sailed through the air. It was only when she hit a stone pillar by a grand looking staircase that she finally came to a stop. She hit it with such force, he could hear her bones crack from fifty feet away.
Arun spun around and quickly sent his own ball of magic at the assailant before racing to Selene’s side. The male Fae screamed in agony, but Arun paid him no attention. His only concern was for Selene. She hadn’t moved since hitting the pillar, and she was barely breathing.
“I’m so sorry,” Taredd said as he ran in after him. “I couldn’t get to her fast enough. I shouldn’t have left her side. I should have waited until I knew it was clear.”
“It’s not your fault,” Arun assured him as he knelt down next to Selene.
He should have known his brother would do something like that. He should have been prepared for one of the guards to be behind him. But he’d been so focused on Agnarr and then Selene to pay any attention to what was going on around him. He hadn’t even thought to warn Taredd that it might happen and to be prepared for it. So, if anyone was to blame, it was him.
Taredd had been keeping an eye out for Dain down the side of the building in case he had any trouble getting out with the other females. He hadn’t been close enough to Selene when the male had jump down from the trees.
“I’m sorry, my friend,” Taredd repeated. “I didn’t see him until after he had thrown the ball.”
Arun had known something was wrong by the widening of Selene’s eyes, but by the time he knew what was happening, it was too late. The ball of magic was already flying past him.
“I know,” Arun said. “There was nothing either of us could have done.”
He itched to pull her into his arms, but he knew if he did that, he could end up causing even more damage to her. Without making contact, he ran his hands along her body, looking for the worst of her injuries. His natural healing ability would take care of his own wounds given enough time, but Selene wasn’t a Fae like him. He didn’t know what she was, so he didn’t know if her body would heal itself.
Arun closed his eyes as he concentrated on locating and healing the worst of her injuries. He started with her internal injuries before moving on to the damage on the outside of her body.
Taredd was silent as he stood watching over them while he worked. It took him a long time to heal most of her injuries. He knew she would have a lot of injuries, but he hadn’t been prepared for the amount he found.
Every single one of them that he healed made him see red. If he could, he would kill his brother all over again, only next time a lot slower. Especially when he realised she had sustained most of her injuries before his fight with Agnarr.
By the time he was finished, sweat was pouring from him and night had fallen. Dain had arrived with the females from his brother’s harem at some point, as well. Other than a few cuts and bruises, they all appeared to be fine.
“How is she?” Taredd asked when he looked up.
“Physically, she’ll be fine in a day or two,” he said. “Mentally… well, that might take a bit longer, if she recovers at all. Knowing my brother and the evil bastard that he is… was… he would have put her through hell.”
“It’s a good job she has you,” Taredd said. “She’s going to need your strength to get her through the tough days ahead.”
Arun wasn’t so sure he was the right person for the job. After all, it had been his brother that had put her through that hell. For all he knew, she could want nothing more to do with him after everything she had been through, and he couldn’t blame her.
“How are the other females?” he said, changing the subject.
“They seem to be doing well,” Taredd said. “Just a few minor scrapes and bruises, but nothing to be concerned with.”
Taredd frowned as he looked at the other females. Arun stood up next to him and faced the group. He could see that something was puzzling Taredd, but he didn’t know what.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Dain said when he found the females, they all had clothing on. So why wasn’t Selene wearing anything when he dragged her outside?” he asked.
“I honestly don’t know,” Arun said. “It could have been to prolong her torture, or it could have been to distract me. We won’t know for sure until Selene wakes up.”
Dain, who had been standing over by the broken door, picked that moment to join them.
“Did you have any trouble finding the females?” Arun asked him.
Dain shook his head. “Nope. They were right where you said they would be.”
“What about the guards?” he asked.
