Page 58 of The Crowned Queen

Yes. Araya closed her eyes. She was safe here. She could rest⁠—

A white-hot blade sliced through the darkness.

Araya’s eyes flew open, the scream in her throat strangled by the thick vine wrapped around her neck. Thick clouds of smoke stung her eyes, tears streaming down her face. Her hands spasmed, scrabbling at the leather restraints. She couldn’t see, couldn’t breathe⁠—

“Damn it—” Jaxon’s face swam into focus, black spots dancing across her vision. “Hold still.”

An iron blade flashed. Araya flinched—but Jaxon hacked through the vine around her neck instead, tearing it free. Araya dragged in a single, frantic breath, exhaling on a scream as the iron blade grazed her skin. The vine recoiled like a living thing, that presence in her mind screeching in fury and pain as hungry flames spread across the tent.

Jaxon slashed through the rest of her bindings, pulling her off the rack and dragging her free of the remaining vines just as the flames reached them, hungry tongues licking across her battered flesh. They staggered out into daylight, Jaxon pulling her clear of the blazing tent. Caylin had made it out. And the two guards. Araya was vaguely aware of someone screaming. No, that was her⁠—

Jaxon ripped his coat from his shoulders, throwing it over her.

“What were you thinking?” he snarled. “You set it on fire with us still inside.”

“Sir—” it was one of the guards speaking, his voice tight with fear “—there’s a clear protocol when the forest gets inside the wall. The burn has to happen immediately. We can’t wait to try and save some fae female⁠—”

“Do you have any idea how valuable she is?” Jaxon demanded. “I’d sooner set the two of you on fire than her.”

“Oh for gods’ sake,” Caylin scoffed, but her face was pale under the soot streaking it. “It was just a few vines⁠—”

“A few vines?” Jaxon rounded on her so fast she stumbled back, her eyes wide. “You have no fucking idea what you’re talking about. Those few vines can kill an entire scouting party and leave nothing behind to bury. If you knew how close we just came to dying you’d already be on the road back to Aetheris.”

Someone grabbed her, rough hands scooping her off the ground coat and all. Araya cried out, her voice nothing but a croak as fresh agony blazed across her body. This pain was worse than iron. Worse than anything she’d ever experienced in the camps.

“I’m taking her to the healers,” Jaxon snapped. “Get this all cleaned up and stay the fuck out of my sight. All of you.”

Chapter

Twenty-One

“The burns are largely superficial, but there’s significant crush damage to her throat, and she inhaled more than a little smoke.”

“But she’ll survive?” Garrick Shaw didn’t look at the blue-robed healer as he spoke, his attention fixed on the nervous apprentice spreading salve over the angry red burns on his son’s forearms.

Burns Jaxon had gotten pulling her out of the flames.

Araya shivered, pulling the thin linen robe they’d wrapped her in tighter around her body. Every breath scraped out of her throat in a pained wheeze, those superficial burns throbbing dully under the cooling salve the healers had slathered her in before carefully draping each one in damp linen.

“She’ll live.” The healer’s mouth twisted, his brow furrowing. “But we need to keep her here for observation. Between the smoke inhalation and the bruising to her ribs and throat, she’s likely to have difficulty breathing⁠—”

“No,” Jaxon said, his voice sharp enough to make the apprentice tending to him flinch. “She’ll recover better under my supervision.”

“It wasn’t a suggestion, Commander.” The healer snapped his folder closed. “I signed off on controlled interrogation, not setting her on fire. I will not release her to your custody until I’m certain she’ll survive it.”

Jaxon scowled. “Father⁠—”

“It sounds reasonable to me, Jaxon,” Garrick said, his voice cool. “Master Hayes is highly regarded, and this is his area of focus. I don’t recall you doing well in your healing circuit.”

Jaxon flushed, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

“What about the forest?” he argued. “Those vines came out of nowhere. If they could reach her there they could reach her here.”

“We have protocols in place for that, sir,” Master Hayes said, looking at Garrick instead of Jaxon. “Protocols that don’t result in the near-death of an important Arcanum asset. We are more than capable of keeping her safe.”

“I have the utmost faith in you and your team, Master Hayes.” Garrick straightened. “If you’ll allow me a moment to speak with my son and his bond, we’ll leave you to your work.”

“Of course, sir.”