Read Online (Skeleton Key) Princess of the Damned by Wendy Knight - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Wendy Knight
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and vomited.
She'd not done that before. Never eating, it hadn't been necessary to throw up. It was a new experience, and not a welcome one.
"It's okay. You—I think you have a concussion. Look at me."
She whimpered and rolled back toward him. Toward his warmth. It wasn't until he'd pried her eyes open that she realized he'd built them a fire. A real fire, made for warmth, not for devouring everything in its path. Unassuming, but warm . Unaware of her preoccupation with the fire, Landon was still talking. "Your pupils aren't dilated. I'm not sure what other signs to look for. What year is it?"
"What?" she asked groggily. Talking wasn't her friend.
"Crap, yeah. You wouldn't know that. Okay…what—what's two plus two? Wait, do you know math? You've never been to school—"
"Four, Landon." She smiled, despite the pain.
He nodded, relieved, and sat back on his heels. "I think you'll be all right."
She tried to raise an eyebrow, but it hurt. "I will."
It was his turn to smile. "Of course you will. Always." His hand reached out to brush her cheek, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. Self-consciously, she smoothed her hair. "No." His hand stopped hers. "You're perfect. Just like this."
"I'm a mess."
"Yes." His eyes sparkled. "And it's beautiful." He was still torn up, battered, bruised, bloody. But he was beautiful, too. His soul shone through the wounds, gold, just like she'd pictured it. In a world where everything was black, he was light.
Landon ducked his head, seemingly embarrassed under the intensity of her stare. Maybe where he came from, girls were used to his beauty, and so didn't devour him with their eyes whenever they had the chance, but she was not used to his beauty, and she could not tear her gaze from his.
He leaned against the wall of the cave and pulled her toward him, until she was curled in his arms. "Is this okay? You don't know me like I know you—I'm sorry. Should I—should I let you go?"
"Definitely not." She would have giggled, if such a thing were even possible on this side of the mirror. "I never heard your voice, but I felt your soul. I know your soul better than you know mine."
"But I know all your hopes and dreams. Your fears. That's gotta count for something." She could hear the smile in his voice, and her heart thrilled at it.
"Yes. It does."
They stayed that way for hours. Days. Years. She didn't know. It was dark in the cave, and the weak outside light couldn't reach them. It was warm, and she wished never to move, never to have to face the Isle again.
But that, of course, was a stupid wish.
"Eiress, tell me the rules."
She'd assumed Landon was asleep. He hadn't moved for a while, and she thought he'd succumbed to exhaustion. Apparently not.
"The rules. Okay." She nodded, and was pleased that the cave didn't spin around them this time. "I don't know them all. I do know the important one, though. If one person comes through the mirror, only one person can go back out. It's never mattered before," she rushed on, even as she felt him suck in a devastated breath, "because we were chained, and none of us could escape. And it has to be before the gate to hell opens again. So you see…" she trailed off, because he was dead silent now, holding his breath, but she could feel the bone in his jaw working where she leaned against his cheek. "So you see," she started again, sadly, "only you can go back out. I can't go with you."
"But—no." He shook his head. "No. That can't be right. I unchained you. I did what your mother said. I came and set you free—"
"My mother?" she gasped, whirling around and coming up on her knees so she could see him better. "You've spoken to my mother? You've seen my mother? How is she? Is she well? Did you see Kaida? Is he older now? Of course he's older. He'd be…I don't know!" she cried. "I don't know how old he would be now!"
Landon swallowed hard. "Eiress, there's something I need to tell you."
And Eiress knew. In that one look, she felt the pain
She'd not done that before. Never eating, it hadn't been necessary to throw up. It was a new experience, and not a welcome one.
"It's okay. You—I think you have a concussion. Look at me."
She whimpered and rolled back toward him. Toward his warmth. It wasn't until he'd pried her eyes open that she realized he'd built them a fire. A real fire, made for warmth, not for devouring everything in its path. Unassuming, but warm . Unaware of her preoccupation with the fire, Landon was still talking. "Your pupils aren't dilated. I'm not sure what other signs to look for. What year is it?"
"What?" she asked groggily. Talking wasn't her friend.
"Crap, yeah. You wouldn't know that. Okay…what—what's two plus two? Wait, do you know math? You've never been to school—"
"Four, Landon." She smiled, despite the pain.
He nodded, relieved, and sat back on his heels. "I think you'll be all right."
She tried to raise an eyebrow, but it hurt. "I will."
It was his turn to smile. "Of course you will. Always." His hand reached out to brush her cheek, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. Self-consciously, she smoothed her hair. "No." His hand stopped hers. "You're perfect. Just like this."
"I'm a mess."
"Yes." His eyes sparkled. "And it's beautiful." He was still torn up, battered, bruised, bloody. But he was beautiful, too. His soul shone through the wounds, gold, just like she'd pictured it. In a world where everything was black, he was light.
Landon ducked his head, seemingly embarrassed under the intensity of her stare. Maybe where he came from, girls were used to his beauty, and so didn't devour him with their eyes whenever they had the chance, but she was not used to his beauty, and she could not tear her gaze from his.
He leaned against the wall of the cave and pulled her toward him, until she was curled in his arms. "Is this okay? You don't know me like I know you—I'm sorry. Should I—should I let you go?"
"Definitely not." She would have giggled, if such a thing were even possible on this side of the mirror. "I never heard your voice, but I felt your soul. I know your soul better than you know mine."
"But I know all your hopes and dreams. Your fears. That's gotta count for something." She could hear the smile in his voice, and her heart thrilled at it.
"Yes. It does."
They stayed that way for hours. Days. Years. She didn't know. It was dark in the cave, and the weak outside light couldn't reach them. It was warm, and she wished never to move, never to have to face the Isle again.
But that, of course, was a stupid wish.
"Eiress, tell me the rules."
She'd assumed Landon was asleep. He hadn't moved for a while, and she thought he'd succumbed to exhaustion. Apparently not.
"The rules. Okay." She nodded, and was pleased that the cave didn't spin around them this time. "I don't know them all. I do know the important one, though. If one person comes through the mirror, only one person can go back out. It's never mattered before," she rushed on, even as she felt him suck in a devastated breath, "because we were chained, and none of us could escape. And it has to be before the gate to hell opens again. So you see…" she trailed off, because he was dead silent now, holding his breath, but she could feel the bone in his jaw working where she leaned against his cheek. "So you see," she started again, sadly, "only you can go back out. I can't go with you."
"But—no." He shook his head. "No. That can't be right. I unchained you. I did what your mother said. I came and set you free—"
"My mother?" she gasped, whirling around and coming up on her knees so she could see him better. "You've spoken to my mother? You've seen my mother? How is she? Is she well? Did you see Kaida? Is he older now? Of course he's older. He'd be…I don't know!" she cried. "I don't know how old he would be now!"
Landon swallowed hard. "Eiress, there's something I need to tell you."
And Eiress knew. In that one look, she felt the pain
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