Red Moon Rising(39)
“It’s too late.” James intoned as large leathery wings sprouted from his back. “The Red must burn.”
As her skin began to burn, Bree opened her mouth and shrieked. She writhed in pain as the flames licked at her flesh. She deserved to die; she –
Bree jerked herself awake. Her head slipped from the bed and she fell sideways, whacking her skull on the floor so hard she saw stars. Moaning and crying, she grabbed on to the bed and pulled herself into a sitting position.
She turned and leaned against the bed, barely noticing when the pressure of the bed split open the wound, and blood and foul-smelling pus dripped down her back. She ran her tongue over her lips, feeling the dry and cracked flesh, and cackled loudly.
She had burned to death in her dream, and now the fever would burn her to death from the inside out. She squinted out the window. It was dawn; she could see the sun rising over the horizon. She wished she was outside. It would be better to die feeling the sun on her face.
The door to the bedroom opened and she stared blearily at the figures in the doorway. “Hello Sophia. Hello Nicky.” She smiled at them and coughed harshly. Blood dripped down her chin and she wiped it away wearily.
“Are you here to kill me?” She asked dully.
“Gods be damned.” Nicholas gave Sophia a look of horror and the two of them ran to Bree. Sophia touched her forehead and her eyes widened.
“Nicky, she’s burning up!”
Nicholas squatted beside Bree and brushed her damp, lank hair away from her face. “Can you hear me little one?”
“I’m dying. I deserve to die.” She sang in a hoarse voice. Goosebumps rose on Sophia’s flesh.
“What’s wrong with her?”
Nicholas sniffed at Bree’s skin. “Bree, were you stabbed by the faeries?”
“Kaden!” Bree suddenly shrieked. “Where are you? I can’t find you! Where are you?”
Nicholas grabbed her shoulders and tilted her forward. The back of her shirt was covered in blood and a foul-smelling liquid, and he grimaced.
“She must have been stabbed. The poison from the spear is killing her.”
“Kaden.” Bree moaned. “Please help me.”
“Go and get James.” Nicholas said to Sophia.
Sophia was staring at Bree with wide, frightened eyes, and Nicholas reached out and shook her roughly. “Sophia! She’s dying. We need James. Go quickly!”
Sophia nodded and sprinted from the room, shouting James’ name.
Chapter 12
“How is she?” Avery sat down on the bed.
“Better.” James, lying on his back with Bree stretched across his body, gave his mother a thin smile. “She’s not coughing up blood anymore.”
Avery turned down the covers to Bree’s waist and studied her naked back. The swelling was still there but the puncture from the spear wasn’t quite as large. She stroked Bree’s back with both hands for nearly ten minutes before leaning down and kissing her pale cheek.
She touched her forehead and then rested her hands on Bree’s back. “The fever is completely gone.”
“Aye.”
“Has she woken?”
He shook his head. “No. She’s been muttering in her sleep but she hasn’t opened her eyes.”
“She will wake soon my love. Do not worry.”
“I said horrible things to her mama.” James said miserably. “I told her it was her fault Evan almost died, and that I – I should have left her to die in the forest.”
Avery squeezed his arm. “We all say things in anger that we do not mean. When she wakes, tell her you’re sorry. Bree is a sweet girl and she’ll forgive you.”
“I would neither forgive nor speak to her when, out of fear, she said she could never be with someone like me. Why should she forgive me for my deliberate cruelty?”
Avery squeezed his arm again. “She will forgive you when she wakes. I know it.”
“What if she doesn’t wake?” He whispered.
“She will. She is healing nicely. I imagine she’ll be awake before – “
Bree suddenly thrashed against James. “Kaden!” She cried loudly. “I’m sorry! Please don’t leave me.”
Avery frowned as James tightened his arms around Bree’s slender waist. “Shh little one. You’re safe.”
“Kaden, where are you?” Bree moaned. Her back arched, and she gave a short cry of pain before slumping against James. Avery rubbed her back soothingly as she stared at James.
“Who is Kaden?”
“I don’t know. She’s been calling his name off and on all day.” James replied. Jealousy coloured his words, and Avery patted his arm in sympathy before standing.