If pain were a student, Maeve was its teacher. I was still recovering. It was the second day after waking up. Everywhere hurt. The adrenaline that had helped me get up on the first day was gone.
I was in no condition to stand. I felt weaker.
My body was drained.
Still, instinct took over.I pushed myself up, searching for painkillers.There had to be some. I needed painkillers.
I leaned against the drawer, as much as my clumsy shaking fingers would let me.
Useless. All of it. There had to be something I could take.Morphine?Fentanyl?
The door opened.
Maeve!!
She stood there holding a tray of what looked like herbs, steam rising faintly from them."What are you doing?" she asked.
"I'm looking for painkillers. Do you have any?" Her brows arched slowly. As if she were silently judging. "We're not doing that."
I snapped.
"I need them. I'm in pain, do you understand? I need medical attention."
"That's why I brought this," she said, shoving the tray forward as if to emphasize the point.
She left it on my bed.
The smell made my stomach turn.
I wanted to ask what it was, but I already knew she'd sneer at my attitude, curl her lips like I was wasting her time.
"Is Kael here?"
He would be reasonable. He'd know I didn't need herbs or whatever was brewing in that thing. Poison ivy was probably in it.
I would rather a whole bottle of fentanyl.
I realized I'd been staring at the tray for too long, contempt and disgust written all over my face.
"What? What?" Maeve sneered. "You have a better way to get better?"
"Err—no. No. This is alright. I'm alright.
I don't think I need these. This won't do."
"Well, it's too bad. I'm here. It's just you and I. I'm not shoving it down your throat."
I didn't tell her I couldn't wait.
I couldn't breathe in these walls, couldn't look out the window, because every fucking time I heard their voices. Kael and Kain.
Using the bond,
Breaking me.
"Earth to Riley. Is she still there?" Maeve snapped her fingers, dragging me back to reality.
"I can't really eat right now. I just want to rest. If you can't give me something to knock me out, at least let me sleep in peace."
She looked at me. I couldn't tell if it was exasperation or contempt.
"Kael said not to hurt you for now. That's why I'm leaving you alone."
She turned and walked away.
Her anger lingered in the air.
She didn't slam the door.
I almost gave in. Almost drank the damn herbs myself.
Kael was here. I knew it.
I could hear him and Maeve outside.
They were probably talking about my stubborn will to die.
I was impossible to work with. I knew that.
I heard Maeve say, "She's stupid."
I hadn't really looked at the cabin since I arrived. I would have noticed that the mirror showed anything but my reflection…
There was so much to explore
I moved slowly down the hall, taking in everything; the antique collections, the books, the doors that refused to open.
It was old. Heavy.
Like it had been pulled straight out of a damn fantasy book. Then I saw a door.
It looked different from the others.
I walked toward it.
Just as I reached out to touch it.
"Riley."
Kael !!
"What do you want?"
"Riley, we have a deal."
"I don't remember making one" I muttered.
"Stop behaving like a child," he said sharply. "Do you have to be so difficult?"
"I almost got killed," I snapped. "Shit happens when you almost die, alright? You can't relate to it, can you? Maybe you should just kill me now that I'm useless to you. That's all I ever do, right?"
He said nothing. Then, "I heard something today."
My grip tightened on the door handle.
"I heard your mother might still be alive." The words landed softly. Carefully.
My chest burned. He knows something..
Something valuable
"It would be… unfortunate," he paused "if information like that were to disappear. Knowledge is fragile here. It gets misplaced. Forgotten."
"That wouldn't be nice, would it? To work so hard for answers, only for them to vanish." He stepped closer.
"Riley. Answer me."
"No," I whispered. "It wouldn't be nice." His gaze softened, just enough to look convincing.
"How is your health?" he asked quietly, studying my face. "You look exhausted."
I stared at the doorknob. At the keyholder beside it.
Anywhere but him. If I looked long enough, maybe he wouldn't see the tears gathering in my eyes. If I looked at him he would see everything.
"I thought you wanted to know about your mother."
"I do, you know I do"
"Then what's the problem" he asked
"I don't want to command you," he said. "I don't want to use the bond."
A beat
"It hasn't gotten us very far, has it?" Because he knew. He knew how much it hurt. And he said it anyway. The devil,
"Then," he said at last, voice firm, final,
"take the damn tea."