Bride of the Traitor (The Prophecy of Sisters #1) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,103
rest, my girls. I need to go to them,” I state.
There is a moment of silence before Elias lets out a sigh. “We need a plan,” he grunts. “We are almost finished here. If I leave, I need Merek to stay behind, make sure that we are victorious and that the castle is cleared and taken over completely,” he instructs.
Merek growls, but doesn’t protest. His head jerks to the side and his eyes find mine before his lip snarls. I’m not sure if he’s really seeing me though, or thinking of Katrina. I like to think, hope even, that he is indeed thinking of Katrina and that he needs to rescue her.
Rowan steps forward, his head held high, his gaze down his nose as he looks at Elias with steely determination. “I will do as you command, whatever you need from me, you have at your disposal.”
Elias nods, just as we hear a loud neigh and women screaming. Merek is the first to turn and run. I hear him whisper Katrina’s name. My feet are rooted to the ground, just as Elias scoops me in his arms and carries me out of the tent.
The Arion is there, front legs bent, head dipped and my three girls on his back. Merek reaches the side of the horse and without a single word, his hands wrap around Katrina’s waist before he yanks her off of the back of the horse.
She’s crying, her cheeks stained with tears, her nightgown stained with dirt and what looks like possible blood. My eyes widen then drift to the other women. They look the same, their hair is a mess, their clothes soiled, and Jasmine is holding her arm funny.
“Queen Sybilla, you’re okay,” Jasmine cries, her feet carrying her toward us.
Elias sets me down on my feet and immediately, I wrap my arms around my friend. “I’ve been so worried,” I breathe against the side of her neck.
Her entire body trembles as I pull her against me. “You need a doctor,” I mutter, even though I don’t want to let her go. She’s alive, she’s safe. She’s here with us.
Turning my head, I look back to Elias. “They need healers. I think Jasmine has a broken arm,” I call out.
Frederick calls out that he will bring the healer before I hear his boots crunch against the ground. “Are you okay?” I softly demand, looking back to Jasmine.
She lifts her gaze to meet mine and she nods. “Aye, my arm is broken, but I am okay. My mistress is alive and well, that is all that I need to get me through the pain.” She grins.
“You’re crazy.” I smile.
ELIAS
The healer arrives, taking the women inside of my tent where we can guard the outside, and we do. Reluctantly, Merek releases Katrina to go and be checked by the healer for any injuries. He spits on the ground before marching toward me.
“I claim her as my own,” he snaps.
Arching a brow, I try to hide my twitching lips and I fail. “Do you now, cousin?” I ask.
He snorts. “Sard duty. Katrina is mine,” he growls.
“Sard duty? My, how things have changed.”
“She was almost killed, nearly raped. So, yes, sard duty.”
Lifting my hand, I clap his shoulder and give it a squeeze. “She is yours to claim, as long as the lady wishes it to be so. You have my permission and if all goes well, perhaps you can have this castle as a wedding gift, once we conquer it, of course.”
“You jest.”
I shake my head once. “I do not. Does the cousin to the king, his nearest relative, his brother in battle not deserve his own land, his own holdings, and a castle for his bride? I think that you have more than earned those things.”
“If I choose to stay at your side, instead?”
Smiling, I flex my fingers against his shoulder again. “No decisions must be made today, Merek. It is just an idea, a thought. Later we can work out details, just know that you have my consent to marry the maid, my full consent.”
He nods, then lifts his gaze to the tent. He watches for a while and I know that he is deep in thought. Shaking his shoulder, I jerk my chin and tell him to gather the rest of the men.
It is time to end this war and to do it swiftly. We have much bigger things to worry over, like the mention of goddesses and the fact that our witches have seemingly disappeared.