Broken Prince (The Broken Ones) (26 page)

Everything seems to be fine. The walls are holding.

Yes, though if you came under attack I do not think
they would hold for long.

True,
she
agreed with a grimace.
But at least I won’t have to rebuild them. I worried
being sick would destroy everything.
Letting out a deep breath, she tucked
a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
So, what do I do? Teach me.

A rare grin appeared for a moment before he turned
serious once more.
The ability to heal is born within us. As we grow, we
learn to use it instinctively.

She frowned.
So you don’t know how to teach me?

Not from the experience of learning myself, no. Yet I
am certain I can guide you. You simply must become aware of your body.
He stepped forward and cupped the side of her head
with his hand.
You have learned to become aware of your mind, which is a
rare thing amongst mortals. It is not much different from that.

His nearness, the touch of his hand, distracted her. She
pushed thoughts of him aside and tried to figure out what he was talking about
.
What do I do?

Your mind is within your body already, simply step out
from here. Not to the outside world, but further within.
He dropped his hand.
Close your eyes and push. I
will be with you.

She did as he asked, but nothing happened. Trying again,
she cursed in frustration.
Nothing is happening!

Try harder. Imagine yourself moving through a wall,
from your mind into your body. It is not a thick wall, not hard to pass
through. You can do it. Glide through. Push.

His litany of instruction lulled her into a calm
state. Her breath slowed, her body relaxed. She spread herself out, searching
for the wall he spoke of. Finally, after what seemed like forever, she hit
something. Her eyes snapped open and she smiled.
I think I found the wall!

A relieved breath sighed out of him and he rubbed at
his forehead.
Well, that is progress. Now try to get through it. Hurry,
Arowyn. We do not have much time. Kei has found the Fey, they are all returning
now.

How long had passed? She had no idea. Hope fluttered
within her chest. Perhaps she would survive. Closing her eyes once more, she
quickly found the wall and tried to push through again and again…and failed.
It’s
not working!

Again.

Her attempts continued. Prince believed in her. Though
weariness began to descend on her from all of her efforts, she kept trying.

You can do this, Aro.

Eyes still closed, she shook her head in defeat.
I’m
tired. I can’t–

Again.

Chapter 32:

Inside Out

Bo and Garen have returned. They want you to know they
are here.

Aro opened her eyes and struggled to focus on Prince.
Trying to break down the wall stole all of her strength away. Weariness dragged
her down and her shoulders slumped as she shook her head in defeat. She’d
failed. She couldn’t do it.

Prince took her face in his hands.
Do not give up.
You can do this.

I can’t get through,
she cried.

Yes, you can.
His hands gripped her face tightly.
You are one of the strongest women I
know. Everything you have been through and you still stand tall and fight. You keep
going. Do not give up now,
he said fiercely.
Never give up!

His words lifted her heart and she smiled wryly that
he’d finally called her a woman. Not that it mattered really. Yet, his belief
in her meant something. It gave her something to hold onto.

Pulling from his grasp, she flung herself at the wall
again and again. How strong could it possibly be? Certainly it would break
eventually? Stepping back, she spun toward it, intending to give it a swift
side-kick.

Instead, she spun right through.

The shock froze her for a moment, and then panic set
in. Her body had disappeared, sound, sight, everything vanished.
Prince!

I am here. Well done, Arowyn.

She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t feel.
What do I do?

For now, orient yourself. Feel where you are. Sense
your body. Kei and the other Fey have arrived. I am still with you, but I must
speak with them.

Don’t leave me here!

His faint laughter echoed around her…in her? The
relief in it chased away much of her panic.

I am always with you.

Comforting words. Words she wished she could read more
into. Instead, she did as asked and tried to sort out where she had ended up.
Normal sight had gone, yet a strange wash of color surrounded her.

Everything felt inside-out and upside-down. After a
few moments, she began to make sense of the colors around her. She could feel her
blood pumping through veins and saw them as multitudes of thin strings of light
around her.

Discomfort tugged at her. Something felt wrong…hot.

Power is coming to you now.

I feel wrong.

He took a moment to respond.
The allorum is wearing
off. Your fever is returning. We must act quickly. Move toward your wound.

Move? She didn’t know how to move, or which direction
to go. Frustration pulsed through her. She felt her heart rate speed up. How much
time did she have?

Picking a string of colors, she focused on them and
pictured herself moving closer. Actually moving startled her for a moment and
then a sense of relief and pride washed through her.

The other way.

Of course,
she
muttered back to Prince and then made herself turn and head in the opposite
direction.

The colors washed out for a moment as power suddenly
coursed through her like a lightning strike. It hummed around her. The fury
erupted from it, red flames blazing in every direction. She didn’t know what to
do.
Prince!

Ignore it for now. We will contain and guide it soon
enough.

The strange colors around her continued to catch her
attention and threatened to distract her. She followed veins and arteries,
slipped down her throat and past heaving lungs.

Almost there.

The heat within intensified. Ahead, the normal
rainbows of colors changed to sickly greens and black. Drawing closer the
simple feeling of wrongness overcame her.

Very well done. Pause here. Now imagine gathering the
power to you. Collect it and send it forth to the wound. Direct it to heal, to
make things as they once were.

You expect too much from me,
she grumbled. Everything he told her turned out to be
easier said than done.

And yet you always manage to accomplish what I ask.
You can do this
.

Doing as instructed, she called the power to her,
surprised when it actually came, if somewhat sluggishly. With a great shove, she
pushed it toward the sickness within… and screamed.

* * *

Eyes snapping open, she heaved up in bed. Had the pain
not been so excruciating, she would have wondered about now being able to move.

Her boys surrounded her, and now held her down. Bo had
her feet, while Kei and Prince each held a shoulder and arm. The pain lessened
for a moment and she didn’t fight them as they pushed her back down.

"You didn’t mention to go slowly," Kei
snapped angrily, his eyes glowing red. "That healing quickly hurts?"

"No," Prince admitted. "But we do not
have time…"

Kei growled his frustration.

"You should have made time," Rhee-En
snarled.

His voice shocked her and she turned her head to find
him next to Kei. She hadn’t expected him to be there.

Listening to them argue, she panted past the pain and
overwhelming heat flooding her body. The four Fey stood near the end of the
bed, watching her with wide, glowing eyes.

"Thank you," she choked out. "For
coming."

Cano nodded to her, his hand snaking around his mate’s
waist and pulling her closer. "Of course. We will aid you as we can."

"Who is next?" Prince looked over his
shoulder at the Fey.

"I will," Aron said quietly, the glow in his
eyes rising to red as he stepped closer. He hesitantly touched her leg.

Her breath hissed out at the surge of power and fury. "Prince,
I’m not inside!"

"Try from here. You understand how it works now.
You have seen the wound."

Squeezing her eyes closed, she fought to control her
erratic breathing so she could concentrate.

Prince squeezed her shoulder. "We are here. The
Fey will keep the power coming. You just have to keep pushing it at your wound
and healing. You can do this."

Kei slipped a hand into hers, the other remaining on
her shoulder. "It will hurt. Hold tight."

Somehow she managed to gather more power like Prince
had shown her. Pushing it once more, she couldn’t prevent another scream of
pain. She’d never felt such agony. Voices faded around her as it rolled over
her, attacking from every side. No matter how much she screamed or thrashed
about she couldn’t get away from it.

"Too much is escaping," Rhee-En said.

"I am amazed she has the control she does. It
will have to do."

"Her eyes are glowing."

"They do that," Kei answered quietly.

The pain faded again and she stopped fighting,
collapsing back onto the bed. Her heart thundered in her chest, her breaths
came in frantic, pain filled gasps. "Wither me," she whispered.

Prince stroked her forehead, pushing hair from her
face. "Well done. It is almost over. Stay strong, little one."

The fury within roiled, urging her to get up and
fight. Her eyes darted about the room. Lissana reached forward, sending her
power. Garen paced along the wall. Rhee-En stood slightly back, watching her
with wide, fascinated eyes. Did he think her some kind of monster?

Power and more fury surged through her and she gritted
her teeth. Lissana had given her much more than the younger Fey had.

"Again," Prince commanded.

She didn’t want the pain. How much more could she
take? Her entire body trembled already.

Gathering the power, she shoved it down. Pain blinded
her, white pulsing lights filling her vision. A searing pressure bore down at
her side. Arching her back, her heels scrambled to dig into the bed as she
screamed.

Kei’s hand tightened around hers but it didn’t help.
The agony would destroy her.

Fury swelled and broke as she fought the hands holding
her down. Their strength overpowered her. The pain lessened slightly, but not
enough. She needed her hands free to rip herself apart and relieve the still
growing pressure.

"Help me," she gasped, writhing on the bed
and staring up at the broken faces of her boys. Tears streaked down Kei’s face.
Prince had paled, his face hard and set as he fought his emotions. "I’m
tearing…apart…I want…" She screamed again.

Prince cursed and scrambled to remove the sheet now
twisted around her. "Kei, hold her." Cano reached for her, but Prince
held up a hand. "Wait!"

He tore the bandaging from her side and cursed again. "The
wound has closed. I need a knife!"

Kei shifted over her, taking her wrists in his hands
and holding them to her chest, pinning her down.

A knife… Squeezing her eyes closed, she shook her head
frantically. A choked gasp rattled from her as Prince cut into her side. Warmth
followed, sliding down her side and then something cool, wiping, wiping along
her wound and side over and over again. The scent of rot overpowered her.
Someone gagged. The door creaked open, letting in more fresh air.

"Now, Cano."

"No!" She wailed and fought against Kei. "P-please,
no!" More fury exploded through her but she couldn’t overpower the weight
of him on her chest.

"Fight, Arowyn. Heal yourself."

She wanted to rip Prince’s throat out. He didn’t
understand. The pain controlled everything, now a living thing destroying her
from the inside.

"How long can she withstand this? A human heart
is not meant for such stress."

Rhee-En’s words caused a shudder to run through her.
Would she die in agony then?

Aro, please,
Kei begged her.
Don’t leave us. Keep trying.

Kei…
A sob
shook her. Sweat ran down her face and stung her eyes. It soaked the sheet
under her. The new power overflowed within her and she struggled to control it.
Finally she managed to grasp some of it and forced it to move, to heal.

Pain…pain…pain…

"Kei!"

"I’m here."

Her eyes fluttered open as he put more weight on her,
trying to control her frantic flailing. She would never escape the pain. Her
breath hitched into short, desperate gasps. The fight left her, her body going
still except for a constant, jerking tremble.

"Once more," Prince said quietly. "Kei."

Tears flooded her eyes. She couldn’t do it again, she
just couldn’t.

Kei released her wrists, his hands slipping up to cup
her cheeks. "Look at me."

Blinking rapidly, she cleared the tears and met his
flaming red eyes. Certainly her own matched his now. His face lowered and he
pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You can do this," he told her firmly, his
eyes holding hers once more.

Fury swirled within her, wanting something to fight. She
pushed it away. She wouldn’t fight Kei. Nodding to him slightly, she waited for
his power.

It came swiftly, the power and fury crashing through
her.

I love you,
he whispered fiercely through her mind, his eyes still locked on hers.

She shuddered, not from his words, but the power
raging within. His power was so much stronger than the other Fey.

Heal, Aro. Finish it. Stay with me.

His mind voice vibrated with such power she couldn’t
refuse his command. Power gathered once more, a massive swirling ball. With a
last, final burst of strength, she pushed.

Despite Kei’s weight across her chest, her back flung
into an arch of agony. Every limb trembled. She couldn’t even breathe. His
fingers tightened further around her face, his now golden eyes never leaving
hers. Her scream strangled into a gasp as the pain suddenly spiked and then
abruptly vanished. Wilting, exhausted, her eyes fluttered closed. The sound of
her raging heart pounded loudly in the sudden silence of the room.

Wet, coolness swiped along her side once more.

"It is done," Prince whispered. His hand
rested briefly over her closed skin, trembling slightly. "You did it,
child."

Her eyes snapped open, blazing in red fury.