Page 96 of Maleen

I take a deep breath and nod, trying to calm the panic. He’s right. We can only blink somewhere we’ve been before, or we may never escape the shadows. And I have been at that fire lily before. But which memory is it?

Killian continues, “You have the memory. Just take a minute and feel it. Remember what you felt that night. Remember the sounds you heard, the temperature…” he continues muttering soft words as my mind sinks into the deep recesses of my memories.

The feel of the horse galloping through the woods, its warm, powerful body moving under us. Gretchen's grip as she clings to me just as much as I did her. The cool night air as it whips past my face and through my hair… and as I open my eyes, I see it, so clearly as if I’m there now.

We blink again and the forest holds its breath, almost as if it was waiting for us—and as the shadows free us from their cool embrace, that is when I spot an orange glow, just up ahead, illuminating the far side of a bush. “This way.” I point in the direction and he takes my hand again and squeezes it three times, his way of comforting me.

I return the three squeezes and jog over to what I hope is the flower and cry out in relief when it is. I pluck the flower carefully from the ground and gasp in amazement as it keeps its glow.

Above us, just like in my memories, the sky peeks through the canopy but the moon is nowhere in sight. Fuck, we must be nearing sunrise—we need to get back now if we have any hope of healing Aemon. Fear swims in my gut. I can only hope I’ve found it in time.

I hold a shaking hand out to Killian. “Let’s get back.”

AEMON LOOKS SO pale that one might think he’s already dead except for the croaking breaths he takes, his body vibrating with each inhale. Celeste says that it’s because the stinger secretes a paralytic that slowly shuts everything down.

The room is silent as we all sit around him, none of us daring to say a word as we wait for the potion to finish brewing. Celeste has been working non-stop, stirring constantly and whispering in a language I don’t recognize. Beads of sweat were rolling down her face when I was last out there. I offered to help, but she shooed me away.

Please let this work, please, I beg to the Fates. I just got all of them back. I went so many years not even remembering who they were. They can’t take him away from me now. What would I say to his parents and Vasari… She would lose one of her mates. She’s been on my case asking for updates—apparently Evisdor has fallen into a sleep and she can’t rouse him. I can almost feel her pacing as we wait.

My mates must feel the turmoil through my bond because Talyn comes and scoops me off my seat, and sits. He places me in his lap being careful not to jostle Nero who is curled up in my lap, and hasn’t said a peep since we arrived back at the cottage.

“We still have plenty of time. He’s going to be okay,” Talyn reminds me.

My shoulders shake as I give a shuttering sigh. “I know this, but my body doesn’t. I won’t feel at ease until his color is back to normal, his eyes are opening and he’s threatening to paint the field into a masterpiece with my enemies’ blood.”

Jesper laughs. “Fates, I would love to see him do that.”

“He will,” Killian rumbles.

Talyn tucks my head under his chin and whispers. “You’ve been strong for so long, Princess. Let us hold the weight for you. Why don’t you try to nap. We can all feel how exhausted you are.”

I’m just about to shake my head when Celeste comes barreling into the room, shoving Killian out of the way, which makes him look down at her in shock.

“It’s done. Ravina, I need you to tilt his head back and keep his mouth open as I slowly pour this in. He needs to drink the whole thing.” She holds up a pitcher of glowing orange thick liquid that shimmers in the light.

I nearly fly out of Talyn’s lap as I rush to the side of the bed, doing as she instructs. She begins to pour exceedingly slowly and part of me just wants to dump the potion down his throat as fast as possible, but she knows what she’s doing and I need to be patient. Fates, I’m starting to sound as unhinged as Nero.

“Not even close—you could do with some practice,” he mutters.

When the last drop hits his tongue, she nods. “Good, his color is already improving.”

I was so focused on the liquid going into his mouth that I didn’t notice the pinkness rising to his cheeks. A small bit of tension leaves my shoulders as I listen to his breathing evening out.

“He’s going to be okay?” I ask.

She smiles. “He will be okay. Maybe next time try to avoid the stinger.”

I straighten, memories of that battle coming back to me now Aemon is improving. Memories that make my skin crawl. “You could have warned us it was a spider.”

She shrugs. “Most fae are terrified of them. Every time I tell a warrior what that thing looks like, they run for the hills. ‘Spiders this, magick that, woe is me.’ We don’t have time for that nonsense. Now, let me get my piece of the Stone. Thank goodness you got the hide.” When her words are met with dead silence, she pauses in her rambles and turns back to us. “You did get the hide, didn’t you?”

I spin toward Jesper. I completely forgot about the hide after Aemon was hurt—he was supposed to be the one to get the stones. Jesper’s eyes widen as he rushes outside. When he returns, his features are clouded with frustration as he holds up a rock-hard piece of crumpled black spider skin.

We were too late. All of this was for nothing! Aemon almost died for nothing!

“Ravina,” Aemon croaks. “Where’s my mate? Where’s Ravina, is she okay?”

My anger fades and I rush over to him, tears streaming down my face again. “I’m here. I’m okay. Don’t you ever do that to me again. Do you hear me, Aemon Zorn?”