Death Wind (Elven Alliance #3) - Tara Grayce Page 0,96
cradled Farrendel’s face and put her back to the others, blocking Farrendel from seeing anyone besides her. He already remembered far too much of torture and pain. This time, when he remembered this moment, she wanted him to remember only her.
“It’s almost over.” Essie stroked Farrendel’s cheek with her thumb. After the two weeks of capture, the hollows under his cheeks and eyes cut far too deeply. “Just hang on a little longer, all right? Just a few more minutes.”
He opened his mouth, like he was going to reply, but his face twisted, and he cried out.
Essie glanced over her shoulder. What were they doing to him?
Prince Rharreth gripped his hand before shaking it, as if he’d been burned. “Laesornysh’s magic is still coursing through the stone. I can still remove it, but it will be difficult.” He met the healer’s gaze. “You will wish to slide your magic between the stone and his body. That is what Princess Melantha did, and it gave Laesornysh access to his magic. You should be able to shield him from my magic with yours.”
The elf healer grimaced, but he nodded. Perhaps he didn’t want to protest that he couldn’t do it after Prince Rharreth just said Melantha could perform such a feat with her magic.
An icy glow started around the troll prince’s fingertips again, but he didn’t reach for Farrendel until the elf healer’s fingers were surrounded by a green glow.
Essie turned back to Farrendel, stroking his hair. Farrendel stiffened, his breathing growing ragged. How much pain was he in that even morphine and elven healing magic couldn’t numb it?
She resisted the urge to glance over her shoulder again. She didn’t want to see the surgeon cutting him open, the troll prince dragging stone from his chest. She ran her fingers over his cheek. “I just need you to survive a little longer, Farrendel. Just a little longer, and this will be over.”
Through the heart bond, she could sense the effort it took him to breathe, the struggle as he fought to stay conscious.
He cried out, and a wall of pain blasted through Essie. Her vision blurred as she struggled to draw in a breath. Her chest hurt, as if her heart were tearing itself apart with each beat.
Hands gripped her shoulders, keeping her standing. She braced herself against the table and buried her fingers in Farrendel’s hair. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought to stave off the wave of pain and blackness that threatened to crush her.
She couldn’t breathe. She tried, but she couldn’t get her lungs to fill. A buzzing sound filled her ears, her legs buckling beneath her. Only the table and those steadying hands on her shoulders kept her upright.
“Let go, isciena.” Weylind’s voice was soft and gentle near Essie’s ear, and only then did she realize he was the one holding her upright. “We cannot lose both of you.”
“No.” Essie gasped the word with the last breath in her lungs. She pressed her forehead to Farrendel’s. Please, Farrendel. Breathe.
“Isciena.” Weylind’s voice, pained and gentler than she’d ever heard, came from beside her.
“Essie.” Averett, his tone both firm and anguished, gripped her arm as if he intended to physically pull her away from Farrendel.
“No.” It was nothing but a whimper. She had promised Farrendel she would let go when the time came. That she would let this sacrifice be his choice.
But now that the moment was here, she just couldn’t do it. If she could just...breathe...
Farrendel gasped a choking, shuddering breath. Essie gulped in a lungful of air, her legs steadying, the blackness retreating. Her chest ached, but the sensation of having her heart beat for his faded.
Weylind and Averett didn’t say anything, but stood there, prepared to keep her upright if she needed them to do so.
But Farrendel kept breathing ragged breaths, punctuated only with a few moans of pain.
Finally, Averett rested a hand on Essie’s arm. “They’re done, Essie. Step back and let the healers finish cleaning him up.”
She swiped at her face and stepped back. The head elf healer had slumped against one of the poles holding up the tent, and another elf healer had taken his place, along with an Escarlish nurse. The nurse and healer appeared to be spreading salve and bandaging wounds. Why hadn’t the elves healed Farrendel completely? Was something still wrong?
Farrendel had slipped into unconsciousness, but Essie could still feel a deep, lingering pain from him. As if he was still badly injured.