RAFFERTY
Pain shoots through my body as Tommie all but drops me on the floor of my tent. Instantly, my gaze travels to where Ember is sleeping soundly. Her chest rises and falls with steady breaths, so I shift back to Tommie and glare at him.
“We cannot be in here.”
“She’s asleep. I’m going to get Bea.” Before I can argue, he dematerializes.
“Fuck,” I snarl as I get to my feet and cross the room to a chair. My entire right arm dangles loosely at my side, little more than slack skin attached. If I’m lucky, Bea will have some of Heelean’s healing salve…if I’m not…well…I may never get to use my right arm again.
She and Tommie materialize directly in front of me, and Bea’s gaze hardens. In her hand, thankfully, looks to be exactly what I need to retain full movement of my arm. “How in the bloody hell did this happen?” she demands, her tone hushed.
I glance over at Ember, grateful she is still asleep. “We need to take this outside.”
“No. The others cannot see you like this,” Tommie scolds. “You were reckless tonight, Rafferty. Reckless, and it nearly got you killed.”
“I stopped the damn thing, didn’t I?”
“Nearly at the cost of your life!”
Bea’s fingers stroke over my shredded flesh, but I can barely feel the contact, thanks to the rest of my aching body. “You cannot be reckless.”
“How are my actions any different than yours?” I demand. “We were all trying to kill that beast.”
“They are different becauseyouare different. When this is all over, everyone will be looking to you as king, Raffe. You have to be alive for that to happen.”
I gape at him. “I’m no king.”
“Wrong.” Tommie turns away and shakes his head. “We came back together for you,” he says, facing me once more. “Because we believe in you. Don’t let us down because you have your dick in a twist over a human.”
Anger flushes through me, and I start to stand, but Bea shoves me back down. “Play nice, children,” she orders.
“She’s not just a human,” I growl.
To his credit, Tommie nods. Apparently, dying is not something he wants to do tonight. “I apologize, but you must know how important it is that you survive, Rafferty. Whether you want to admit it or not, you are not at the same level you were before—”
“Before Taranus sliced my wings off in front of everyone?” I interrupt. “Before he imprisoned me?”
“You know what I mean.” The other fae narrows golden eyes on me then runs a hand through the flaxen hair that falls to his shoulders. “I need you to survive. The Rebellion needs you to survive.”
While I massively disagree about me being the best king Faerie has to offer, I do understand that, in order to keep the Rebellion fighting, they need someone to stand beside. I also agree that, at the moment, that person is me.
A sharp pain shoots through my shoulder, and I wince.
“It’s going to hurt for a while,” Bea warns me. “The damn thing nearly ripped your arm clean off.”
“Tell me about it.”
Bea rests her hand on my uninjured shoulder. “Rest, Rafferty. Should be healed by morning.”
Already, I can feel the flesh knitting back together. First, there’ll be an ache, as there is now. Then, pain. And finally—my least favorite part—the itching as the remainder of flesh comes back together.
That in mind, we all know there will be no rest for me tonight. Still, I offer her and Tommie a curt nod as they head out into the night sky.
Then, I walk over to the pallet I’ve created for myself. The mixture of blankets and some plush pillows in the corner is not nearly as comfortable as the bed, but it’s far enough from Ember that I can relax, yet close enough that I can protect her.
“What happened to you?”
Her voice. It’s the most blissful torture. Beneath my skin, the dark energy awakens, slipping to the surface. She calls to every part of me—the light and the dark—in a way I cannot understand.