Casey and Alli eased Daniel to the sagging mattress in the back room, then sank to the floor. Sweat darkened Alli’s pale hair, stuck chin length strands of it to her face. Casey felt like she had just run the length of the city. Twice. Fighting to catch her breath, she pushed soaked hair off her forehead, and leaned against the metal bed frame.
Daniel looked worse than both of them combined. He took in shallow, panting breaths, his face like carved marble in the frame of matted hair. Sweat drenched his shirt, tendrils of dark blood spreading out from the wound on his chest. Casey was running out of time.
“Alli, give me your water ration.” She pushed herself up to her knees, then reached over and snapped on the solar powered light attached to the steel bedpost, hoping it got enough sunlight to keep it charged. She let out a sigh when it lit the bed, highlighting just how pale and bloody Daniel looked. Her heart sank as she scanned his injured arm. Fresh blood stained the scarf, in more than a few spots. “Now.”
“It’s all I have until tomorrow! Why can’t you give him yours?”
“Because mine is gone. Please, Alli,” she whispered, despair creeping into her voice. “I have to flush out his wounds. He could die if I don’t.” She didn’t want to scare her little sister, but Daniel would die if she didn’t get the iron out of his wounds. It may have already been there too long.
Without another word Alli dug into her school bag and handed over the tall, square bottle. Casey lifted Daniel’s head, gave him small sips of water until he refused more, and settled him back to the mattress.
“Daniel.” After an endless moment, he looked at her. “I need to clean your wounds.” He shook his head. “It’s not too late—”
“Last night,” he whispered. “I’ve been out there since last night.”
Panic fisted her heart. “But you’re still here. That tells me you’re stronger than you think. Please, let me try.”
She went limp with relief when he finally nodded. He closed his eyes, only the slight rise and fall of his chest telling her that he was still with them. Casey took his hand and checked his pulse.
Alli watched her, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Can you help him?”
“I’m going to try. Thank you, pip.” Casey brushed her cheek. “I couldn’t have done this without you. And now I want you to go.”
“I’m not—”
“It’s still early enough for you to make it home for the evening meal. I don’t want you part of this, Alli.”
“You’ll be okay?”
“Cross my heart. Tell Mom I stayed to talk to Dr. Harrison—that way she won’t worry.” Or come looking. “And don’t save my portion. I want you to eat it. Now go.”
“Don’t let him die. I think I like him.”
Casey smiled, loving her little sister for that simple sentiment. “I’ll do my best, pip. Get out of here.”
Alli bent down and kissed her cheek before she ran out the door. Casey swallowed the dread tightening her throat, and picked up the water bottle.
“It won’t help.” Daniel’s raw whisper sparked her anger.
“I’m not giving up.”
“Why? For a reward from my father?” His anger burst through the pain in his voice and slapped at her. Casey held on to the bedframe, and refused to back down. “Nothing you do will stop his retribution—it looks like—”
“We hurt you. And we have every reason to want to. Let me finish this,” she snapped, when he raised his right hand. Probably to blow her across the room. “We can argue later.”
Daniel stared at her. Finally, just when she expected him to use what power he had left to punish her, he let out a sigh. “Do your worst.”
“Trust me—it’s going to hurt. And I am sorry for it.”
“Understood.” Sweat slicked his skin, sliding back into his hair. “Do what you need.”
“Okay.” She stood and sat beside him on the bed, wiped both hands on her skirt, then picked up her bag. She pulled out the medkit that cost her mother a year’s wage, and a sheathed knife she inherited after Dad was killed repairing a tower in the Eternal’s city.
Daniel flinched at the sight of it.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t think. And it’s not iron, I promise.” That got a hint of a smile from him. She set it next to her, and closed her hands around the small medkit. “I need to cut the scarf, so the water can get to your wound.”
“And the box?” She let out a sigh and opened the kit, showing him all of the instruments. To her surprise he smiled. “Dressed like a schoolgirl, armed like one of my father’s guards. I could—” A gasp cut him off. He curled around his arm, his breath tearing out of him.
“Daniel.” Casey caught his shoulder, eased him back to the mattress. “Look at me, Daniel. I need you to stay with me.”
She watched him struggle through the pain, tears burning her eyes. She heard Dr. Harrison’s voice in her mind, chiding her yet again for her too tender feelings. With a shaky breath, she blinked them back. She would be less than useless to him unless she held herself together.
“I’m here,” he whispered. He looked up at her—and a different kind of shock left her breathless. An attraction she could not have for him made her heart pound, her fingers shake. She clutched them in her lap, fought to keep her voice even.
One kiss from an Eternal, and she would be bound to him—lost to her family, to the life she had. It may be a hard life, but it was hers, and she wouldn’t let it, or her family go. Not for one of them.
She would focus on getting him better, then getting him home. As far away from temptation as she could get—
“Casey?” His low, raw voice snapped her head up. And she made the mistake of meeting his eyes. He looked concerned, and that emotion on an Eternal startled her so much she simply stared at him. “Casey.”
“Sorry.”
Heat flamed her face; with her pale skin, she knew it was like neon flashing her embarrassment. Daniel didn’t comment, but she saw, through the pain, that smirking amusement that always made her want to slap the young, arrogant Eternals who snuck into the city for thrills. It helped push aside her unwanted feelings, along with the low gasp when his arm twitched.
He slapped at her when she touched him.
“Don’t,” he whispered. “Too late—”
“You’re not giving up, Eternal. Not on my watch.” Casey grabbed his right shoulder. “Relax, and let me help you.”
“I can—feel the poison. I’ve been able to block it, but it takes too much—”
“Where?” He blinked at her. “Where is the block?”
“My elbow.”
She unbuckled the belt on her skirt, and yanked it out of the loops. “Hold still.”
He looked panicked. “What are you—”
“I’m going to give your block a boost.”
Using the narrow leather belt, she created a tourniquet just above his elbow, flinching at his muffled moans.
“Done.”
He glanced down at the belt, then up at her. “Thank you. It helps.”
“You’re welcome.” He shocked her again with the simple thanks. She forced herself to focus. “I know your arm is hurting you, Daniel, but I have to cut the scarf free, and I need you to hold still for me while I do. Can you?” He nodded. Pain radiated off him; it hurt that she was about to cause him more. “Okay. I’m going to wet down the fabric, to help loosen it, then cut it away. If you need me to stop, tell me.”
“No—worries there,” he whispered.
“I never doubted.” She pulled out the supplies from her medkit she knew she would need, and set them next to her on the bed. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“I’m going to rest your arm on my knees, and apologize in advance for the pain I’m about to cause.”
Carefully, using as little water as possible, she wet down the scarf, loosening the blood bond. Daniel closed his eyes when she unsheathed the knife, let out a low cry as the fabric peeled away from his wrist.
Casey focused on keeping her hand steady, appalled by the wound that appeared as the stiff fabric parted under her blade. Why isn’t he screaming in pain? He should be. Her respect for him jumped several notches.
Casey set the knife down, picked up the water bottle and started flushing out the jagged wound. Daniel recoiled.
“God, it burns—” Shaking fingers clawed at her hand. “Stop—you have to—”
“I’m so sorry, Daniel.” She gently pried his fingers loose and trapped his hand under her thigh. “I know how much it hurts, but this is your only chance. You have to let me finish.”
She carefully peeled the last of the scarf off his arm and poured water over the wound. He shook against her—and let out a string of curses that had her smiling at the sheer variety.
“I believe you just broadened my vocabulary.”
“You’re—welcome.” His humor surprised her. And made it harder to rein in her unwanted feelings. He took in a shuddering breath and closed his eyes, his low voice scraped raw. “Casey.”
The desperation in that voice scared her. “What is it?”
“I can’t feel my arm.”
“No—” Heart pounding, she checked the tourniquet. It could be too tight—or worse, his nerves had been damaged by the knife. She wouldn’t be able to check, not here, without the proper tools—
A stupid idea formed in her mind. She shoved it away before it could grab hold. His raw whisper thankfully interrupted her thoughts.
“How long—do I have?”
“We stopped the bleeding for now. Once the rest of the poison is out, you’ll be fine. You have people at home who can—”
“No.”
Casey twisted her fingers around each other, afraid she already knew the answer to the question she was about to ask. “Why not?”
He swallowed several times before he answered her. “I don’t know who to trust.” He opened his eyes, looked up at her. “Who—betrayed me.”
“You don’t think your family—”
“I don’t know.” His anger blasted her. His despair kept her from snapping at him.
Shaking off the emotional assault, she leaned over him, pulled off her cotton sweater and used it to wrap his arm. He didn’t make a sound, but the agony she caused battered at her. “I won’t leave you here to die, Daniel, so don’t even go there.”
“There is another alternative.” Casey waited for him to continue, his labored breathing scaring her with every minute that they waited. “You can forget you ever found me.”
“Absolutely not.” She fought to control the outrage roaring through her. “Will you let them win, after fighting so hard to survive? I won’t leave you to—” She broke off, her voice trembling. “I won’t let you die, Daniel, not as long as I have any breath left.”
“Casey—”
“I have to take you home.”
* * *
“No.” He didn’t know panic could take over so completely—until now. “They will think you hurt me—”
“You can tell them I didn’t.” She took a shaky breath and touched his wrist. “There’s no other way—you’d never make it across the wasteland on your own.”
“Please, Casey—I can’t go back, not until—”
His arm chose that moment to twitch. With a low, muffled cry he clutched the edge of the mattress, rode out the pain. Casey kept her hand on his wrist, her quiet presence soothing. She constantly surprised him, this pale-haired mortal who looked like a good wind would knock her over. Her strength, and her courage, had saved him. Now she was willing to walk straight into Father’s court, knowing full well his people would instantly blame her.
He thought he knew who ordered the attack on him—a horrifying knowledge that squeezed his heart at just the idea of it being true. Casey would take the brunt of that hate, and he would never discover the truth.
Those clear green eyes studied him, waiting for him to decide.
I won’t let her sacrifice herself for no reason—
“Dr. Harrison is going to kill me,” she said.
He stared at her. “What—”
“My teacher. He’s the only person I can trust, the only person who will think of someone else before himself. And he won’t be happy to see you.”
Hope flared—and the fear that he misunderstood threatened to choke him.
“You would do this for me?” he whispered.
“Yes.” Her smile drove right through him, sweet and real. Unlike the girls he knew, who smiled coyly, knowing they fawned over the future King. It was always about the title, never about him. No wonder he had a short list of trustworthy people. “It’s an incredibly stupid idea, of course, but I won’t leave you here.” Relief nearly doubled him. She wiped at her face, tossing the yard of pale hair over her shoulders. “We have to go now, while it’s dark. Can you walk?”
“I will crawl if necessary.” He closed his eyes and gathered the remains of his strength. “Casey.”
“Yes, Daniel.” Her quiet voice, her warmth, gave him the courage to believe.
He swallowed, and looked over at her.
“Thank you.”