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“Just keep resting and get your strength back,” I murmur, already sliding toward sleep. “I’ll be right here... always...” The tension slides from my body as I let slumber take me, keeping me tethered to this precious girl. As the darkness engulfs me, I once more allow my eyes to rest — I have no choice. Shortly after, I come to my senses with a sudden jolt, gasping for air, briefly unsure of my surroundings.
As my vision clears, I look around in a fog to see the healer woman leaning over Jasmine. "Her fever has broken," she says, turning to me with a kind smile. "But you should rest. There is nothing else we can do." Her skin is still flushed and damp, but the terrifying fire of illness has left her.
Taking a rag from the basin, I gently begin bathing her face, arms, and body, wiping away the sweat and grime of our frantic journey. My hands shake as I smooth back her hair, reassured by the soft sound of her breathing.
My heart pounds against my ribs like a caged bird. I was so close to losing her. "Thank you," I whisper to the healer, my voice thick with emotion. I don't know what I would have done if Jasmine's light had gone out.
As I gaze down at Jasmine's resting face, taking in her delicate features, a realization washes over me, a realization that leaves me reeling — I really have fallen for this girl. Somehow, she has crept into my battered heart and taken root.
My decades of solitude and stoic loneliness seem to have evaporated, leaving only quiet tenderness and protectiveness where once there was only vengeance and grief. I sigh and rub a hand over my face. Surely, I must be going mad! How can I possibly justify these feelings blooming for Jasmine when my sworn duty is still to my murdered first love, Isa?
"Jasmine? Can you hear me?"
Her eyelids flutter open, revealing those piercing blue eyes that make my traitorous heart skip.
"Karul?" she croaks out in a weak rasp.
I laugh in pure, dizzying relief. She's awake, she's speaking - she's going to be alright. On impulse, I bring her hand to my lips, not even caring how the gesture exposes me.
"You're fine," I breathe. "Thank the spirits, you're going to be just fine."
Jasmine gives me a faint smile. And despite all my conflicting emotions and staunch denial, I feel something settle into place at the sight, some fundamental truth clicking home.
I enfold her in a careful embrace, tears stinging my eyes. "You came back to me," I whisper.
Her answering smile, though still weak, seems to lift the immense weight that has been pressing down on my heart. I press fervent kisses to her palms, heedless of propriety. She’s recovering. My strong, brave girl. My world is right again. It feels as if a massive, agonizing splinter has been pulled from my heart.
“Of course I did…” she says, barely over a whisper.
"About time you wake up… there I was, utterly distraught as you slept away, heedless of my turmoil!" I exclaim. "Absolutely selfish. I thought you were better than that!"
She swats my chest, unable to can't contain her smile. And just like that, the lingering shadows retreat, leaving only playful affection glowing between us.
Recovery and revelry await.
"We must be off. But first, I insist you eat," I say seriously. "We'll need your energy for all the trouble I have planned."
21
JASMINE
The journey back to the estate is filled with an uncomfortable silence. Karul sits across from me, his gaze distant as he watches the forest scroll by outside the window… He seems lost in his own thoughts, brows drawn together and mouth set in a tense line.
“How much longer?” he demands of the driver, pinching the bridge of his nose.
The muffled response, “Nearly there, sir,” floats back to us.
I long to ask what's on his mind but don't wish to disturb his brooding. He must be processing the traumatic events of the past few days, as am I. We both suffered devastating losses - the ruination of my childhood home and the massacre of my family and friends.
And yet, in the depths of shared grief, we found an unexpected closeness neither of us could have foreseen. The connection we forged in the darkness feels as delicate as a new blossom. I don't wish to damage it by prodding too insistently into his inner world.
So I leave him be, for now, occupying myself by watching the dappled play of sunlight through the forest canopy overhead. Nonetheless, questions churn in my mind: where do we go from here… now that our old lives lie in ashes behind us?
What future can bloom upon this scarred foundation?
I steal glances at his stern profile, wishing I could glimpse inside the complex workings of his mind. But his stony expression reveals little. So, I can only wait patiently for him to open up when he’s ready and hope that the fragile bond between us can endure past these quiet, heavy hours full of unspoken burdens.
The carriage finally rolls to a stop outside the estate. Karul moves swiftly, pushing open the door and climbing down without glancing my way. Taken aback, I gather my skirts and follow him out. He is already striding toward the front doors, spine rigid, giving orders for our luggage to be brought in. I hurry to catch up, confused by his abrupt, businesslike demeanor.
