Chapter Two
I threw my braid over my shoulder and played with the ends nervously. I don't know what to say to Cameron, or how back to normal health he is going to be.
Is he going to be mad at me? Is he going to blame me for the attack? I shuddered at the thought.
Stop it, Freya. Thinking like that isn't helping anything. I already had a breakdown in the shower. I can't afford to have one in front of Rowan, and all the other people around. Though, there really aren't any other people. In the castle, at least.
We exited the castle and walked through a winding path through a small woods before coming upon an entire town. It's much larger than the village in the fae realm, and much more modern. Their town resembles more of a human one, with different sized houses and shops. There is even a McDonalds.
There are a few people out and about, but they don't acknowledge us much. They seem to all be on a mission to get where they need to go. Rowan led us down the street to an average sized building, with a medical logo on the front.
"This is our infirmary for guests. We have more of an actual hospital for our own people, and for guests in need of more terminal care," Rowan stated offhandedly while leading us to the building.
I noticed that he hasn't talked in my head since we got here. He's much more comfortable and relaxed here than he was there. Which would make sense, since this is his home. But this place seems to harvest many bad people. You would think, if it was as bad as everyone says, that he'd be more cautious here than there.
Rowan led us through the doors, to the front desk where an older lady sat. She beamed at Rowan the moment he walked through the door. "What can I do for you two?"
"We are here to see the young fae who was admitted here three days ago," Rowan informed her with a warm smile.
The woman's mouth dropped into a small 'o' as realization dawned on her. She turned her wide eyes to me. "Princess! It is a pleasure to have you here. Your guard is right down the hall, room A17."
"Thank you," I informed her, smiling warmly. She grabbed a pen and wrote the room number down on a little card with a clip on it, before handing it to me. I thanked her again and clipped it to my shirt. This is just like a human hospital.
We walked away without getting a visitor pass for Rowan. I guess he is to good for visitor passes. We turned right at the first hallway, and came upon the room almost immediately. I took a deep breath before slowly entering the room labeled A17.
As soon as I walked in, my heart dropped. Cameron's skin is ashen, his eyes covered in dark bags. He is shirtless, revealing the large white gauze covering the majority of his torso. He looks almost worse than when I left him.
"Is he not healing," I questioned, stepping closer to Cameron.
Rowan sighed. "He was in the beginning. But then the second day, the wound reopened. It's like the wound is healing itself, and then backtracking. The situation isn't dire, but it is unusual. He's been sleeping the majority of the time. Every waking moment he asks for you."
My heart clenched. How could he not be getting better? Could this be because I healed him? Could I have somehow actually made things worse?
"I healed him when it first happened. Could that be why this is happening?"
Rowan tilted his head for a moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't think so. It's more likely that the vampire who attacked him put venom on their claws."
That doesn't sound good. "So what does that mean for Cameron?"
My hand started to shake at the prospect of something happening. I've only known him for six months, but he's still the best friend I've ever had. Rowan's eyes softened at the sight.
"You'd be surprised how good our doctors are. He's better off here than anywhere else," Rowan reassured me.
I hope he's right. Instead of worrying myself more, I tried to push that feeling away and walked closer to Cameron. As I lay a comforting hand over his, his eyes slowly started to open. The second he noticed me, he jolted awake and tried to sit up. I pushed him back onto the bed immediately.
"Freya," he breathed out, not knowing what else to say.
"How are you feeling," I asked, forcing myself to smile.
"I feel great. I don't know why they still have me here. I'm fine."
I sighed. I know he's saying it for my benefit, but it only worries me more. Cameron would only sugar coat it if it's really bad.
"Freya, I'm fine. You healed me, so everything is going to be fine," he stated, though this time he might be trying to reassure himself. He must have seen the dread in my face, because he decided to change the subject. "They are treating me like a king. It's great, honestly. Best I've been treated my whole life."
I know that was meant to make me feel better too, but that made my heart pang even more. I never really thought about the way a guard would be treated in the fae realm. Besides the fact that they didn't get to eat with us, I didn't see much other mistreatment. A lot of things happen behind closed doors, though.
I forced myself to widen my smile. "That's great!"
He smiled sadly then and opened his arms as best as he could. I gave him a watery smile in return and gently dropped into his arms. I made sure to avoid the parts that were bandaged, taking special care not to hurt him. I laid against his chest and fought tears as he stroked my hair. This is ridiculous, I should be comforting him.
Despite that, I didn't pull from his grip. I need him right now.
After a while, Rowan placed a hand on my shoulder. "We should probably let him rest."
I nodded and slowly pulled away from Cameron. "Get some sleep, okay? I'll be back tomorrow."
Cameron nodded as his eyes drooped slightly. I bent down to kiss his cheek before slowly walking out of the room. I let out a small breath as I exited.
"There's a meeting tomorrow at noon about him, if you want to come," Rowan offered.
I smiled gratefully. "Thanks. I'd like that."
He nodded and led me out of the small hospital. I didn't realize how long we were there until I saw that it was pitch black outside. I looked up at the sky, marveling at the way the stars shined. They are much brighter here than anywhere else.
"We turn all the outside lights off after dark, so that everyone can enjoy the sky. The Daemonium kingdom favors the night, unlike the fae who favor the light," Rowan informed me as we walked.
"It's beautiful," I murmured.
We walked in silence the rest of the way, taking in the beauty of the town. When we got to the woods that lead up to the castle, I shuddered at how eerie it was. The lights being off may make the town pretty, but they make this woods the enemy.
I subconsciously walked closer to Rowan, ignoring the slight smirk that grew on Rowan's face as I did. Though, I did notice that he picked up the pace a bit. Probably for my benefit. We came upon the castle quickly, and I practically ran to get out of the woods.
Rowan chuckled under his breath. I narrowed my eyes at him and huffed. "What if Freddy Krueger came running out and killed us!"
Rowan laughed. "First of all, Freddy only appears in your dreams. And second, I'm pretty sure that I'm much scarier than some burned guy with claws."
He's probably right.
He led me up a flight of stairs, and then we were back in the hallway my room lay. This castle really doesn't have many stairs and I love it. It probably can't even be considered a castle. It's less than half the size of the fae one, and more like a modern mansion than anything.
Once we stopped at my room, Rowan turned to me. "Are you going to be okay alone tonight?"
Truthfully? Probably not. But I'm a big girl and need to learn how to deal with my problems by myself. So I squared my shoulders, looked him straight in the eye, and said, "I'll be fine."
Rowan analyzed me for a few moments before slowly nodding. "My room is right down the hall, so holler if you need anything."
I nodded. Rowan looked at me one last time before turning around and going down the hall to his room. I watched him go, having half a mind to make him turn back. I refrained myself, and forced myself to go into my room and close the door.
I leaned against it and sighed. One day down, 181 more to go. Well, actually 178 more to go. I was out for three days.
It's fine. It'll go by fast.
*****
I can't move. Every single part of my body is currently not part of my control. I tried to flex my finger, and even that wouldn't move.
My heart started to race. My biggest fear has always been sleep paralysis. And now I'm experiencing it. Though, I'm not in a bed. I'm standing up. In an empty room. I feel like that's worse.
I tried to move my eyes to look around the room. When even that wouldn't work, I really started to panic. Then, I saw someone familiar. Selene.
I tried to scream her name, but nothing. I even tried to speak to her in her head, but it was as if there was a film blocking my mind from leaving my body as well. I was completely and utterly useless.
Selene didn't seem to be experiencing the same thing. She was walking around the room as if everything was fine. She was dancing, actually. Humming to music I couldn't hear as she danced around the small room.
As she danced, someone started creeping up behind her. They were covered in a cloak, everything about them a black abyss. I attempted to widen my eyes and scream Selene's name to warn her, but I was still unable to do anything.
The person got closer as I watched helplessly. They came up behind Selene. She kept dancing and humming as if she couldn't notice them behind her. I felt like I was screaming her name until my lungs went raw, but in reality I wasn't even opening my mouth.
The cloaked figure looked at me then, and I could have sworn they smiled. And then they slit Selene's throat. I watched, helplessly, as blood squirted out of her throat, and she gurgled. Watched as she slowly fell to her knees, and then flat onto her stomach. Watched as she slowly bled to death.
Then everything went black. Thank god.
All of a sudden, I was back in the room. I still had no control over my body, and Selene was dancing again. Oh no. The cloaked figure appeared again, and I knew. I just knew what that meant. I am going to watch Selene die over and over again. And I am going to be powerless to help her.
My heart sunk, my whole body practically shaking. I tried to close my eyes or even blink, but I wasn't even able to do that. I had to watch her die over and over and over again. Watch the man slit her throat. Watch the blood slowly bleed out of her. Until finally, I was able to scream. I felt the pressure release from my throat, felt the true rawness as I screamed louder than I ever have.
And I didn't stop.
I woke up, drenched in my own sweat. Sleeping in a long sleeve shirt was not the best idea in the world. I tried to catch my breath, but I knew it wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I reached up to rub my face, and was shocked to feel wetness. I had been crying. I wiped the tears away angrily, not stopping until I had practically rubbed my cheek raw.
I fell back onto the bed, bringing a pillow up to my face so I could muffle a scream. I felt it rip through me, and knew it was a good one. It didn't make me feel any better, but it was nice in the moment.
I stared up at the ceiling, wishing I was back in the fae realm. I miss Lily and Liam. They always brought me comfort, only a few feet away in the bed. I miss Amilia, only a call from the vent away. I miss Selene.
The tears fell silently, and I let them. I could use a good cry. That's all I've really been doing lately. Crying. I wonder if it will ever get better.
I leaned over and looked at the small clock on the nightstand. I blinked the tears away and saw 5:46 blinking back at me. Normally, I would just start my day if a nightmare woke me up. Going back to sleep certainly isn't an option. But what would I do here if I stayed up? I've only been here a day. There's nowhere for me to go.
I sighed and stared up at the ceiling, hoping the time would go by fast and someone would come get me. The minutes ticked by in slow motion, my brain on overdrive. There is no way I will last even an hour like this.
I sighed and slowly sat up. I swung my legs off the bed and quickly made my way toward the vanity. I grimaced at the sight of my hair. This will be fun to brush out.
I rummaged through the drawers of the vanity until I found a brand new brush. I cringed as I ran it through the knots of my hair. It took awhile, but once it was brushed out, I felt much better.
I walked over to the closet and found a pair of ripped jeans and a tube top. I threw them on, along with a bralette. Hopefully if I feel cute, my mood will lift.
I found a toothbrush, but no toothpaste. Hopefully there will be some in the bathroom. I walked out of my room, practically dragging my tired body to the bathroom. When I got there, I was surprised to see the door closed and a light on.
Who else would be awake this early in the morning? I shifted uncomfortably on my feet and waited a few moments for whoever was inside to exit. When they didn't, I decided to knock. Maybe someone just left the lights on.
The door slowly started to open and my heart dropped. That's embarrassing.
Rowan poked his head out of the door, a smirk taking over his features when he saw me. He raised his eyebrows in my direction. "Yes?"
"Uh," I hesitated, almost forgetting why I came here in the first place. Instead of responding, I held up the toothbrush in my hand.
Rowan chuckled. "Me too."
He opened the door more, ushering me in. My heart practically stopped at the sight of him. He's wearing turtle pajama pants that hang dangerously low on his hips. His shirt is nowhere to be found, showing off the sculpted chest of a god. How am I supposed to breathe around this?
I tried to ignore his very shirtless body as I walked to the sink and turned the water on. I wet my toothbrush before using Rowan's toothpaste. Then I wet the brush again and started to brush my teeth. Rowan gave me a weird look as he put the toothpaste on and then wet the toothbrush. What a heathen.
I awkwardly moved to the side so we could both be in front of the sink. It feels a lot smaller now that his bulky body is taking up most of the room. My eyes wandered around, not wanting to make eye contact with him in the mirror. He stared at me, having no such qualms. I tried to ignore the hot flush covering my skin and brushed my teeth as fast as possible.
He laughed under his breath but I ignored him, spitting out the toothpaste and practically sprinting out of the bathroom. That was one of the most awkward experiences of my life.
*****
I spent the rest of my long morning teaching myself how to fishtail braid. It turned out a lot better than I was expecting after try 5, and it was a good way to pass the time.
I was going to go get Rowan to take me to see Cameron when he came barging into my room like he owned the place. "You ready for the meeting?"
My heart skipped a beat. I forgot about that. "Yeah, definitely."
Rowan nodded and started walking away, knowing I'd follow. I had to practically run to keep up with him, as his long strides far out match my small ones.
"Could you slow down," I whined. I didn't get enough sleep last night to have the capacity to practically run through these halls.
Rowan looked at me out of the corner of his eye before sighing and slowing his pace slightly. It wasn't much, but it was better.
Not long after that, we stopped at a room. It gives off an office vibe, with a long table in the middle and rolling chairs surrounding it. Rowan walked all the way to the head, motioning for me to sit next to him.
"Who's all coming to this meeting," I whispered, as if there were other people in the room.
"You'll see."
Only moments later, people started filling in. They didn't fill the whole table, with only five new people entering the room, but it was enough to be nerve racking. The variety of people shocked me. I'm so used to all blonde haired blue eyed people.
They each have dark hair, but the different shades are striking. They also have a variety of eye colors, though none of them blue except for one. Their skin colors even vary, though most of them are on the darker side. There are two females, and three males. One of those females happens to be Rowan's sister, who is currently giving me the stink eye from across the table.
"What is she doing here?"
"It's her guard. Shouldn't she have a say," Rowan questioned, leaning back against his chair and setting his hands on the table. He tilted his head in her direction, waiting for her to challenge him.
They both went silent, clearly talking in each other's minds. Mal huffed almost immediately and relented, though she never got rid of her glare. The other people in the room barely looked at me at all. They couldn't care less about me. I can't decide if it's nice, or unsettling.
A man with hair almost black and light hazel eyes started the conversation. His voice is gruff, almost scary. "I've never seen anything like this before. The vampires must be creating new venom, because I can't identify it."
Rowan shifted slightly, the only indication that this might be bad. He leaned over the table, as if to engage more in conversation, but used it to slip a comforting hand on my thigh.
"If you can't identify it, no one can. What are we going to do?"
The girl spoke up then, her voice like honey. "With all due respect, why are we trying so hard? Clearly he's going to die. He's just a guard, why don't we put him out of his misery?"
My whole spine tensed, and Rowan squeezed my thigh tight. It helped, but not enough to calm my racing heart.
"With all due respect, that's not an option. In case you forgot, we are both from enemy territory, here on a courtesy. If he dies on your soil, that is an act of war. Is that what you want," I questioned, tilting my head in her direction. I made sure to match her feral smile with one of my own.
I heard Rowan let out a laugh behind me, but I ignored him. Everyone else looked at me with wide eyes. The women who spoke slowly shook her head, and backed down immediately.
"The princess is right," Rowan shrugged, making sure to add my title to remind them who they were talking to. "If he dies on our soil, that means war. We can not afford a war with the fae right now."
There were a few murmurs of agreement. Mal stayed silent, merely analyzing me with her bright eyes. With her dark hair, they look almost eerie.
"Bret, is there anything you can do to better identify why he's not healing," Rowan asked.
The man who started the conversation, Bret, spoke up. "There are a few tests I can do. I will make sure to keep a close monitor at all times. In the meantime, princess..."
I looked over at him as he trailed off, making sure I was listening. I nodded for him to go on. "I need a small favor from you. I need you to find out the medical history of your guard. You'll just have to contact someone from your kingdom and they will be able to pull it up no problem. I'm not allowed access to it because he's not from my kingdom."
I nodded. "Of course. I'll get that for you right away."
"Good, good. Then that shall be all for now," Bret announced.
I raised my eyebrows. This wasn't a very long meeting at all. When Saxon would leave for meetings, he would be gone for hours.
Everyone nodded and started getting up to leave. Everyone except for Rowan, Mal and I. Bret was the only one who acknowledged me as he left. He shot a small smile in my direction. "It was very nice to meet you, princess."
He barely let me smile in response before he was out the door. At least someone here is nice.
Rowan turned to Mal. "Have you seen anything?"
Mal's eyes widened, and then narrowed. She looked from me to Rowan, anger clear in her gaze. "No."
Rowan nodded slowly. "Let me know if you do."
"Whatever," Mal stated, before getting ready to storm out of the room.
Rowan stopped her, his eyebrows furrowed. "Why are you pissed?"
Mal huffed. "Why the hell would you tell her that I'm an Oracle."
My eyes widened. I know Saxon mentioned that the Daemonium kingdom had to have some kind of Oracle, but I didn't believe him. How is this possible?
Rowan's eyes lit up in amusement. "I didn't."
Mal's mouth dropped open, and a small blush coated her cheeks. She refused to look in my direction as she mumbled an apology to Rowan and dashed out of the room.
I turned my wide eyed gaze to Rowan. He merely shrugged. "Not my story to tell."
Great, so he's going to leave me in the dark about this. I huffed. "Fine."
Rowan grinned and shook his head before standing up. Only when he stood up and my thigh went cold did I realize that he had his hand there the whole time. It really did help calm me down.
I heard a buzzing sound, and Rowan furrowed his eyebrows. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a ringing IPhone 8. He has a phone?
He slowly slid to answer and looked down at the incoming FaceTime call.
"Rowan," a familiar voice screeched from the phone. "Where's Freya?"
I jumped up and ripped the phone out of his hands. My heart was racing, my hands were clammy. I missed her so much. I slowly looked down at the phone and let out a small sob.
Amilia.
*Hey guys!
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying it so far. I can't wait for you to see what this sequel has in store for you.
Don't forget to vote and comment!
-Xoxo, Gab :) *