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But it breathes hope because it means that those we seek are not lost forever. I continue on, reaching the other side and stepping into yet another hall carved through the mountain. This one with faint firelight at the end.
Carleah’s heart rate slows, and she falls still. “Carleah?” I stop moving and look down at her.
She doesn’t respond. The tunic that was pressed to her forehead falls to the ground, and crimson wells to the surface.
“Carleah!”
Still, she doesn’t answer. I begin to run, desperate to get to light so I can make out the true nature of her injuries. My footsteps echo, Shadow’s only adding to it. And finally, we burst into the center of what must be the dwarven village.
And there, standing right before me, is an elf I never thought I’d see again.
“Hello, Fort,” Affree greets. “We’ve been expecting you.”
“Carleah is injured.”
Her golden gaze drops to the woman in my arms then turns serious. “Come.” She turns, her white robe brushing against the dark stone. Lacrae’s sister moves quickly, and I follow, barely noting the homes carved in stone on either side of us and the dwarves watching us as we pass.
Affree has to crouch down to step through a doorway, and I mimic her, emerging inside a room with a bed, what looks to be a tub sunken into the stone floor, and a fire roaring in the corner. “Place her down, I will get you some bandages and a salve.”
I set Carleah down as Affree leaves the room. After looking over my shoulder to ensure she has closed the door, I start ripping at Carleah’s clothes. The tunic shreds easily, barely hanging on as it is, and once it’s gone, I note the depth of her injuries. Huge gashes rake up her abdomen from the waist of her torn pants up to just beneath her breasts.
“Son of a bitch.” My stomach drops, and I undo her pants then tug them down her legs. They stick, her dried blood making them cling to her injuries, and it takes me extra time to carefully remove them and not risk causing more damage.
Her boots come off, baring the only parts of her body that are unmarred. The leather protected her, but the rest—My heart is in my throat, my stomach burning with the need to kill something.
To do something to help her.
Affree returns quickly and crosses over. “What did this to her?”
“A worm tongue,” I say.
“You need to cleanse her. Their saliva is tainted with their twisted nature. Come.” She moves toward the tub and steps on a small square. It begins to fill just as the tubs in the elven forest did. As soon as it’s full, she takes some white powder from a container beside the tub and sprinkles it inside. Then, she meets my gaze. “She will survive, Warrior. Our Queen is strong.” She retrieves a towel and lays it out on the bed then turns to me. “Do you need me to bandage her?”
“No. I can do it.”
“Then I shall grant you privacy.”
As soon as she’s gone, I remove my clothes quickly, tossing them into a heap on the floor, before gathering Carleah into my arms. The water is warm as I descend into it, ensuring her entire body is submerged. She doesn’t make a sound even as I know the water must be making her injuries hurt worse.
Cradling her in one arm, I scoop water with my free hand to wash out her hair and face. Her breathing is labored, but the longer we remain in the fragrant water, the easier it seems to come.
“Come on, my love. Wake.” I urge her as I continue running my hands over her body, careful to avoid her injuries. As soon as all of the dirt and dried blood are cleansed from her, I carry her out of the tub and set her on the towel Affree had laid out.
I kneel beside Carleah and open the salve then smear it onto each and every one of her injuries before wrapping them in the bandages the elf brought for me. By the time I’ve finished, my body is dry.
Gently moving her to the side, I toss the wet towel to the ground and tug the folded blanket at the end of the bed up over both of us. I hold Carleah against me, listening to the sound of her heart beating and her even breathing.
Chapter 18
Carleah
The air around me is thick as I come awake. Sweat beads on my skin, soaking the thin fabric that covers my body. I hold it to me as I sit up and try to determine where I am. Did we reach the dwarves? Is it their home I lie in? “Fort?” I call out.
I receive no answer. I swing my legs over the bed and feel the cool stone beneath my toes. I’m just standing when a light breeze moves through the room from an open window and sends my hair flying in all directions.
“You still call to him when you wake.”
I stiffen, the masculine voice washing over me. The hair on the back of my neck stands and awareness that I am no longer alone dawns. “He is all that matters to me.”
