Page 143 of Ravenrose

And neither should I.

I drop the blanket, leaning back in my chair, arms crossed, as I try to work it out. The rune I put on her wrist works by blocking magic from coming out, but I guess I never thought to imagine she would try to take something in.

But the real question is: why?

The rune’s magic wouldn’t let her kill me herself, but she could have left—could have run. She could have even just stood there and watched me die. The rune couldn’t force her to save me.

She would have been free.

The rune’s power would have broken with my death…

“Did she try to run?”

Theo’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, and I find him leaning up against the doorframe, watching me. Stones know how long he’s been standing there.

“Please don’t tell anyone.”

I know my best friend has picked up on the intensity in my eyes—and the way I haven’t left the princess’ side…

“We saw her run into the woods…” I feel his gaze on the side of my face, and I hear the unspoken question in his words. Did I do this to her?

“Please don’t tell anyone.”

I shake my head slowly. “No,” I confirm quietly, staring down at the little thorn in my side, remembering the look of desperation in her eyes before she passed out. It doesn’t feel right to keep secrets from Theo, but… I won’t tell him my suspicions. At least not until I’ve had a chance to speak to her about it. “She saved my life.”

Theo straightens and I can see the question forming in his eyes, but I cut it off before he can ask.

“I don’t know how,” I confess, my voice low. “But whatever she did, she saved me.”

Theo studies me for a long moment before his eyes shift to the princess, his eyes falling to the rune at her wrist.

“She kept her promise,” I say, glancing down at Rowan. “She didn’t run. She came back for me.”

Theo nods just as Hayes brushes past him, coming to check on his patient. Although Kent is our medic, he hates Rowan, so I don’t trust him anywhere near her.

I watch as Hayes removes the dressing from the wound, my eyes dropping to the jagged little cut he stitched up so perfectly. He did a fine job given the circumstances, but it’ll still scar.

Hayes checks his needlework, cleaning the wound and applying more herbal salve before replacing the dressing with clean linen.

“Is she going to be okay?” I ask. It’s been over twenty-four hours, and while she’s breathing and there’s a little more color in her face today, she hasn’t woken up.

Hayes’ eyes lift to mine, exchanging a quick look with Theo behind me before he answers.

“Aye, unfortunately she’ll live to irritate you another day yet.”

A surge of relief ripples through me.

“She’s fae,” Hayes adds. “The rune you put on her won’t impede her innate fae healing.” My mouth tightens at his words. “But her body is spending a lot of energy in which to do so. She needs rest to recover fully, but she should wake soon.” He finishes packing up the rest of his supplies before taking his leave, Theo quietly exiting with him.

I stay, staring at her for a long moment before reaching forward and brushing a loose strand of dark hair away from her face, letting my fingers linger against the soft skin of her cheek.

“Why?” I ask quietly, knowing she can’t answer, but still needing to know.

The ever-present tension in her face fades away at my touch. My chest tightens violently, and I jerk my hand away, shoving back in my chair and gripping tight the armrest to keep from touching her again. As if she hasn’t already complicated things enough.

Chapter 59

ROWAN