by Zora Marie
Zelia swept her hair behind her ear. “No, I’m not an elf, though I did spend many winters with them long ago.” She spun a gold coin across the bar to the bartender. “As you well know, appearances are not always telling.”
“Did you tell her?”
“No, but her knowing doesn’t surprise me.”
Alrindel sat forward. “Know what?”
“He’s a wolfblood and something else,” she replied in a hushed tone.
“Oh, them.”
“So, maybe you can explain to me how the two of you met?” Zelia asked.
Nikolas scratched his short, rough beard. “As I would like to know more about you. Not often someone recognizes what I am, but what do you mean ‘and something else’?”
She searched his eyes a little closer, noticing again the black streaks that ran through his golden irises. Fregnar, she thought the name of the god of death, but thought it best to wait until they were away from prying ears.
“You about done here? We have a ride home if we leave within the hour.” Koin came up behind them.
Nikolas looked Koin over. “Another friend of yours Skylar?”
“More family than friend. I’ll be back in a second.” A man in the corner got up and started for the door, but Skylar grabbed him and slammed his head on the table. “You thought you could just run off? Well, usually I’d give you a fighting chance. But it would seem I have a deadline so off we go.” He bound the man’s hands without heed to his curses.
Zelia cringed as she slid from the stool. All the pain she’d been ignoring and pushing back flooded in at once.
Koin grabbed her and searched her eyes. “The infection spreading?”
Nikolas put the back of his hand to her forehead.
“She’s burning up. What the hell kind of infection takes someone from looking fine to this?”
“We need to get her home.” Alrindel scooped her up without waiting for her response.
“I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” she muttered and grabbed at her side. She pulled herself closer to Alrindel and bit her lip with her eyes clamped shut against the pain. She concentrated on steadying her breathing and heart rate.
She wasn’t sure how he did it, but Nikolas convinced Koin to allow him to come with them upstream. The Elvish barge captains worked hard to push the overloaded barge upstream at a faster pace than usual.
“Get Eadon!” Skylar called out when they neared the docks the next morning.
By the time they tied off, Eadon had started down the short wooden dock. He glanced at Skylar and Alrindel, then down at her. Koin and Lighnif explained what had happened and what they had done as they followed Eadon to the main house.
“Zelia?” Eadon’s tone was soft with an undertone of pain.
“Umhm.”
“We have to get the armor off.”
She nodded and pried her hand away from her side. They removed her armor and laid her on the bed. Alrindel and Skylar held her down.
“I’m sorry Zelia, but the arrowhead is still in you.” Eadon looked as if he could have cried. “I have to remove it, or the infection will continue to spread.”
She gave a slight nod and a moment later something cold and sharp cut into her side, sending both a spike of pain and a shiver up her spine.
She tried to hold back her scream by biting her lip as she had always done, but without adrenaline, there was nothing to keep her from feeling his every move.
A pained gasp escaped her lips. She could hold it in no longer and she let out a blood-curdling scream. She didn’t understand it. Why did it hurt so much? She knew she’d been through far worse without so much pain. Eadon’s warm hand slid into her side and fished around for the arrowhead.
Just as Eadon began to withdraw his hand, a tremor spread across her body. Her breaths shortened and her eyes rolled up into her head as she gave up and passed out.
The sound of Alrindel’s voice echoed through her head as she lay half conscious.
“Stay with us Zelia. Stay with me.” His voice went wobbly as he continued, “I can’t lose you, not again.”
>
This time, she felt the pain before she even opened her eyes. She lay there unable to move with a throbbing side.
Nikolas’s deep, gruff voice carried across the room. “You expect me to believe she’s the prophecy child?”
Eleanor’s fruity voice came from the doorway. “It doesn’t matter what you believe. Only the truth matters.” The bed shifted beside her. “I know you are waking. Try not to move. The arrowhead was hard to find, but Eadon managed. You will be fine, but you need to heal.”
She pried her eyes open. Her vision was fuzzy as she blinked the sleep from them.
“And I mean it this time. No running off to train, fight, or anything else.”
“Ah, really?” her voice was hoarse.
Skylar moved to her bedside, across from Eleanor. “Or I will kick your butt.”
She laid her hand across her side and winced. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Oh, you’re on. Once you’re healed and not a moment sooner.”
“You’re awake. That’s a good sign.” Eadon entered the room with Alrindel close behind.
“Real reassuring Eadon. May I sit up? Lying on my back makes it hard to breathe with the metal plate.”
Eadon checked her side, lifting the bandage carefully.
“Yes, but not on your own. You might rip the muscle if you do.” He sat her up with pillows behind her, then sat on the bed next to Eleanor. “I take it your armor is magic. It’s the only conclusion I can come to for you still being alive.”
“It was a gift from a…” she paused. “Well, I guess he’s family.”
Her perplexed expression made everyone smile.
Even Nikolas cracked a grin. “Nice to know someone else’s family is more messed up than mine.”
“Happy to help, though we still need to discuss who your father is.”
“But not today,” Eleanor gave her a soft smile, then stood from the bed. “Come, let’s leave Zelia to rest.”
Eadon stood to follow Eleanor. “You are to stay in bed, alright?”
“I’m not promising anything, but I’ll sure as heck try.” She gave him a mischievous grin, and he shook his head as he slipped out of sight.
“So, what do you have up your sleeve now?” Alrindel asked once they were alone.
“Figuring out why Nikolas is here and how much he knows.”
“About what?”
“His father, but that can wait for a while longer.” She snuggled against him and found sleep and a little slice of peace, eager to take her for the first time in a long while.
Book 2 Available Now
Tempered in Ice (A Phoenix of Hope Novel, Book 2)
You can find a link to it on your favorite retailer at:
https://starcatcherpress.com/product/tempered-in-ice/