Chapter 2
" You're bleeding, Kel! "
She sat up immediately. The blood had soaked through her comforter. Somehow, she didn't feel the blood loss. Her hands under the blanket pullling it up to her neck, while she tried to hide her face.
" Kel! It's me, Neal. " He shook her for more emphasis.
She still closed her eyes. Last night she had gotten no sleep at all. Just nightmares about Keevan and those tears that had practically made her eyes that red that it could have looked like blood.
" Leave me alone, Neal. " she whispered. " Just freakin' leave me alone. "
" What the hell happened to you? " he demanded. His grasp on her shoulders tightening.
" Let go of me! " she warned. This was a little reminder of Keevan. Her voice shook of not laughter but fright. And her jaw hurt so much. It was still broken. " Don't touch me! Don't call me! Just... "
Neal grabbed her face and made her look up. " Open your eyes! " he ordered. She refused. " I'll use my magic. "
That would make her even more embarassed. Maybe he should heal me now and get it over with. At least I won't have to show this to Duke Baird or Lord Wyldon. Except she didn't do it. So he probed her with his magic.
Neal put his hands over her hot face. His callused hands feeling her tremble vigorously. The magic flowed out and into her veins. There was nothing wrong. Just some black and blue bruises on her back, stomach. Her jaw was broken. Her eyes were as red as a rose. An ugly rose.
He pulled back. He stared at his hands then his gaze worked it's way up her shivering body, eyes still closed tight.
" Keevan? " he asked gently.
She didn't want to answer. It hurt so damn hard to reply anyway. And it wasn't Keevan. It was her. Too stupid to realize that he was trouble. She just sat there dumbly and accidentally fell asleep as Neal picked her up and brought her to Duke Baird.
* * * * *
Keevan's green eyes smiled sleepily at her. This was the day it happened. She turned to get her food but he grabbed her and whisked her onto Peachblossom.
" Keevan, we can't go now. I'll get into trouble. And Lord Wyldon might do something. "
" Just come on, Kel! "
He was high. Probably took one of those drugs. She had to tell him today.
As I said, she told him and he raped her. Her mind reviewed what she could have done. And could not have done. His last hit before leaving her on the road was telling her: " If you tell anyone, you're dead. "
Threats. He never made them to her, though. And she thought he loved her. For who she was. When all along he was just using her.
* * * * *
" What happened, Your Grace? " Roald asked.
Kel was just faking that she was asleep. Her eyes were still hurting. Well, at least he's worried for me. Probably back from his mission.
" I really have no idea, Roald. " Duke Baird shifted uneasily in his chair. He yawned. The operation on Kel was harder than he thought. He had stayed up all last night. " She's lost alot of blood, Your Highness. Stab wounds in her upper arm. Both. "
Roald gasped and came in, folding both his arms across his chest. He looked at Duke Baird, then glanced at Kel as she shifted.
Go ahead and talk about me. It's not as if I'm not here. I'm only faking my sleep so I can rest my eyes.
" How did it happen, Your Grace? "
Was Roald always this polite, she wondered. I mean does he ever think normal things like us? I mean does he ever throw temper tamtrums? Or even raise his voice? She almost giggled.
" I think-"
" I was mugged. " she said quickly. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to hear him or even his name. And she didn't even want to know what would happen if her parents, Lord Wyldon and the others found out.
" Oh, you're awake, Kel. "
She turned over so he could only see her back. Duh, I'm awake. Her fingers were so cold but her skin was so hot.
He went over to her side to see what was up. She turned to the other side, her back hunched over. Duke Baird raised an eyebrow at her.
Roald pulled himself onto the sick bed. Kel tried to pull the blanket up more but her bandaged arms were too stiff. " Well, " he began casually. " Duke Baird, I'd like to talk to Kel alone. "
He hesitated but an order was an order. Only because it was from Prince Roald.
" You're bleeding, Kel! "
She sat up immediately. The blood had soaked through her comforter. Somehow, she didn't feel the blood loss. Her hands under the blanket pullling it up to her neck, while she tried to hide her face.
" Kel! It's me, Neal. " He shook her for more emphasis.
She still closed her eyes. Last night she had gotten no sleep at all. Just nightmares about Keevan and those tears that had practically made her eyes that red that it could have looked like blood.
" Leave me alone, Neal. " she whispered. " Just freakin' leave me alone. "
" What the hell happened to you? " he demanded. His grasp on her shoulders tightening.
" Let go of me! " she warned. This was a little reminder of Keevan. Her voice shook of not laughter but fright. And her jaw hurt so much. It was still broken. " Don't touch me! Don't call me! Just... "
Neal grabbed her face and made her look up. " Open your eyes! " he ordered. She refused. " I'll use my magic. "
That would make her even more embarassed. Maybe he should heal me now and get it over with. At least I won't have to show this to Duke Baird or Lord Wyldon. Except she didn't do it. So he probed her with his magic.
Neal put his hands over her hot face. His callused hands feeling her tremble vigorously. The magic flowed out and into her veins. There was nothing wrong. Just some black and blue bruises on her back, stomach. Her jaw was broken. Her eyes were as red as a rose. An ugly rose.
He pulled back. He stared at his hands then his gaze worked it's way up her shivering body, eyes still closed tight.
" Keevan? " he asked gently.
She didn't want to answer. It hurt so damn hard to reply anyway. And it wasn't Keevan. It was her. Too stupid to realize that he was trouble. She just sat there dumbly and accidentally fell asleep as Neal picked her up and brought her to Duke Baird.
* * * * *
Keevan's green eyes smiled sleepily at her. This was the day it happened. She turned to get her food but he grabbed her and whisked her onto Peachblossom.
" Keevan, we can't go now. I'll get into trouble. And Lord Wyldon might do something. "
" Just come on, Kel! "
He was high. Probably took one of those drugs. She had to tell him today.
As I said, she told him and he raped her. Her mind reviewed what she could have done. And could not have done. His last hit before leaving her on the road was telling her: " If you tell anyone, you're dead. "
Threats. He never made them to her, though. And she thought he loved her. For who she was. When all along he was just using her.
* * * * *
" What happened, Your Grace? " Roald asked.
Kel was just faking that she was asleep. Her eyes were still hurting. Well, at least he's worried for me. Probably back from his mission.
" I really have no idea, Roald. " Duke Baird shifted uneasily in his chair. He yawned. The operation on Kel was harder than he thought. He had stayed up all last night. " She's lost alot of blood, Your Highness. Stab wounds in her upper arm. Both. "
Roald gasped and came in, folding both his arms across his chest. He looked at Duke Baird, then glanced at Kel as she shifted.
Go ahead and talk about me. It's not as if I'm not here. I'm only faking my sleep so I can rest my eyes.
" How did it happen, Your Grace? "
Was Roald always this polite, she wondered. I mean does he ever think normal things like us? I mean does he ever throw temper tamtrums? Or even raise his voice? She almost giggled.
" I think-"
" I was mugged. " she said quickly. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to hear him or even his name. And she didn't even want to know what would happen if her parents, Lord Wyldon and the others found out.
" Oh, you're awake, Kel. "
She turned over so he could only see her back. Duh, I'm awake. Her fingers were so cold but her skin was so hot.
He went over to her side to see what was up. She turned to the other side, her back hunched over. Duke Baird raised an eyebrow at her.
Roald pulled himself onto the sick bed. Kel tried to pull the blanket up more but her bandaged arms were too stiff. " Well, " he began casually. " Duke Baird, I'd like to talk to Kel alone. "
He hesitated but an order was an order. Only because it was from Prince Roald.