Page 71 of Forgotten Fate

As we continued to travel, Elias persistently made sure my head injury didn’t have any lasting effects. As crazy as it sounded, our long kiss made the splitting ache in my temple almost entirely disappear – like the energy from his touch was able to numb the pain. I couldn’t explain it.

But he was still cautious. He asked me to do silly things like walk in a straight line, count backwards from one hundred, and name allof the living kings and queens of the Four Kingdoms.

“Callum, Janness, Darius, Lenora, Volund…why am I doing this again?” I crossed my arms.

“If your cognizance is affected, it could mean that the head injury did internal damage. We would have to take you to a healer immediately.” He watched as I crinkled my nose at the thought.

“Well did I pass your tests?” I asked impatiently.

Elias nodded. “For now. If you feel faint or dizzy or if anything feels off, tell me immediately,” he ordered.

I rolled my eyes again. “You’re incredulous,” I huffed.

“No, I’m worried.” He reached up and gently brushed the side of my face, right under the wound. I sucked in a breath, expecting pain, but his touch only brought pleasure. “Tell me about the bandits,” he said quietly, although I detected a hint of rage beneath his soft tone.

I explained the story of how the bandits had found me bathing at a lake. How incredibly stupid I was for not paying attention to my surroundings and being attacked from behind. A lump slowly began forming in my throat as I recalled the experience. I told Elias that from what Vick had said, he watched me from a distance while I bathed. Elias concluded that Vick likely watched me while Ripp and Remi searched for any companions that may have been with me. When they confirmed I was alone, Vick made his move – luckily after I had finished dressing. I watched Elias’s hands clench into fists and his knuckles turn white as I explained the rest of the story.

“I should have made their deaths much slower,” he growled. “They did not deserve a swift end.”

There was no doubt in my mind that there was pure rage behind his words.

I placed my hand on his, and felt his demeanor begin to calm. “I think you did the right thing. You may have saved countless girls’ lives now that that trio is gone. Including mine.”

Elias ran his free hand through his hair, and I noticed him wince slightly at the pain it brought to his side. He was still shirtless, and I wasn’t complaining one bit. But I knew he must have been in a lot of discomfort. I grabbed another elixir labeled “For Pain” and poured it onto a rag and began dabbing at his wound once more. He brought his hand up to caress my cheek, and I had to stop myself from trembling at the touch, the sensation of it rapidly flowing through my body.

“You think someone named Markus is hiring bandits to kidnap women?” he asked, gently gliding his thumb over my bottom lip. Elias was a killer, I knew for sure now, but with me he was so…gentle.

“I haven’t heard of women going missing in the woods. But if it’s girls like Magda and Nadia – girls who don’t belong to any of the Four Kingdoms – it’s possible the news just never spread far enough for us to hear about it.”

I was about to pour more of the pain-relieving liquid onto the rag, but Elias put his hand over mine. “I’m fine, Aura. Don’t waste any more medicine on me.”

“I don’t want you to be in pain,” I argued.

“You worry too much about me.”

“That’s because I care for you,” I replied. “Or did you forget?”

The corner of his mouth curved up, revealing a dimple that had my heart melting. “I did not forget, princess.” For the first time, it sounded like he said ‘princess’ as a term of endearment instead of my title.

I grinned at him, and couldn’t help but lean in until our mouths met. My eyes closed as the energy radiated through me again. Elias caressed my cheek with one hand while the other landed on the small of my back. I wanted nothing more than for our bodies to join as one, but it was Elias who pulled away again after a moment.

“We’re less than an hour out from the lake where you were taken,”he said. “We should get your things.”

“Things?” My eyes were still closed as I held onto the feeling of his lips that were no longer on mine, wanting to memorize the feel of them.

“Your pack and your bow.”

My eyes shot open. “Shit,” I cursed. It was yesterday that Elias last saw my pack abandoned at the lake. I only hoped that I had kept them hidden well enough, and that they were still there.

“Do you feel well enough to begin walking?” Elias asked.

“Me?” I scoffed. “What about you? You were nearly sliced open.Andyou carried me through the night while nearly bleeding to death. Did you even get any rest?”

He shrugged. “It looks worse that it is. I promise I’m fine.”

My eyes narrowed. I walked over to his pack and pulled out a clean shirt of his, then tossed it to him. He caught it easily, and gave me a curious look. “If you can put that shirt on without wincing, then I’ll believe you,” I said.

The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a grin. “And here I was thinking you were enjoying seeing me without a shirt, princess.”