New Roots (Fate's Intent Book 8) (8 page)

Chapter 18

Troy

Morning came quick as if the night passed within a single second. I woke when the sky was just becoming lit with its light of the dawn. This was the day I would get it all back. At least that’s what I kept on my mind as I looked next to me to see my sleeping wife. The pain would not seem to matter much. It would be the glory that remained and I was ready.

I got out of bed and ran my fingers back through my hair as I approached the door. I reached it and looked back at Jaylyn. I knew it would be the last time I would see her in a while and didn’t want to take my eyes off her but I knew I had to. I turned away and walked out the door.

The palace seemed unusually quiet. Only the sound of my own footsteps echoed as I walked through the hall. I reached the top of the back stairwell and that’s when I saw everyone.

Literally everyone. It seemed the entire palace staff knew what was happening and showed up for support just outside of the private arena.

I tried not to play it off as a big deal and started down the stairs like I didn’t notice them. Their faces looked sad but I walked through them with my head held high. A few flowers were thrown down in my path and I could almost hear the ceremonial drums for the walking dead but I wouldn’t let that happen.

I passed through the arena and stopped just outside the door leading down to the penitentiary because Zayden and Darius were standing in the way.

“You don’t deserve this.” Zayden said.

“You of all people should know that I do.”

“Bull.” Darius replied. “What are you trying to prove?”

“I’m not trying to prove anything.” I gently pushed my way passed them and started down the stairs.

“There are easier ways to get your life back.” Zayden said.

“I don’t want to be treated differently because of who I was. Where’s the fairness in that?”

“You realize what you’re asking me to do?”

“I never asked you. It’s just how it works but I was going to ask you guys to do something.”

“What?” Darius asked.

“I need you to take care of Jaylyn for me.”

“You’re not going to die.” Zayden said abruptly.

“Not that. We’ve agreed not to see each other until it comes time for her to heal the scars. If you haven’t noticed she already broke her word once.”

“I was going to ask about that.” Darius smiled, looking at my healed chest. “It’s weird to see nothing there.”

“Well, she doesn’t want to slip up again and try to do it while I sleep. It was her idea. You’ll watch her for me, won’t you and help her with anything she needs?”

“Of course.” Zayden said as he placed his hand on my shoulder. “You ready?”

I could see the large steel door in front of us and I nodded. “Yeah. Darius, can you make sure Jaylyn doesn’t come down here? I left her asleep upstairs.”

“Sure. I’m strong enough to hold back a hysterical woman.”

I smiled for the first time I’ve been down here. “Thanks. I don’t want to make this worse by having her actually see it happen.”

“I can make sure Adele and Ruby occupy her time. I’m sure she’s going to want to eat at some point anyway.”

The door creaked open and the King was standing on the other side. “It’s time.”

I nodded and looked next to me at Darius.

“Good luck.” He said, holding out his hand.

I took it and Darius pulled me into him and gave me a quick hug. “Thanks.”

“Come.” Izin turned and led Zayden and I into the room.

“Rift, you stay out here.” Zayden said.

He put his ears back but didn’t follow us inside.

I got my first look at the room and I stood there for a moment, taking a breath. The large door was closed behind me and locked the three of us inside.

Chapter 19

Jaylyn

It was sudden but something was screaming at me to wake up and I was jumped awake. “Troy!” I looked and his spot was empty. He was gone. Tears started coming to my eyes, thinking of what might happen and it only made this situation worse.

The night before I must have just pretended to be okay with it but when I knew it was actually happening, I was breaking down. I needed to help him. If only I could be in that room. I knew no one would allow me to be but I needed to be.

I sat in bed and thought of all the possible options until it hit me. I remembered Izin telling us that when Kathryn was pregnant with Zayden, she acquired his gift for the course of the pregnancy. Maybe, just maybe it was that way with me. If that was true, I’d be able to see in the room and maybe help Troy at the same time. It was hope and I had to try.

It was quiet which was good for concentration and I took everything I had and focused. “You can do this. I’m going to need your help my son. Daddy is in trouble. He needs us now. Help me see.” I focused hard but nothing seemed to be happening.  My eyes were merely straining. “Come on. I know this will work just let me try.” I closed my eyes for a brief moment with a breath and opened them again to try again.

It was strange. My eyesight started to move away from me. It was like I was just learning. I’ve seen this before but Troy was always the one in control. This time it was me but I understood his early frustration to get it right. It was that way for me too but I kept practicing because I needed this.

Once I got passed the thrill of doing it, I had to concentrate harder. I pushed my sight out of the room and was outside. Now I had to find Troy. I tried using my own gift at the same time and felt around for his presence. When I got it, I used this new vision and followed it. It led me down underground passed Darius and I followed the passage around through the halls to the outside of a large steel door where Rift was laying, staring at it.

“Troy.”

I knew he was in there and slowly moved the vision forward but was afraid of what I’d see once on the other side of that door. I was right. Tears fell when I saw him. They had him on a stone slab in the restraints with a wooden dowel in his mouth and Zayden was standing next to him while Izin was more steps away. There was already blood on him and he was taking heavy breaths, clearly visible from his pounding chest.

I had to pull myself together with words of confidence. “You can do this. Concentrate. Son, we need to help him. Not heal him but help with the pain and keep him alive. Give me strength to try.”

My vision appeared as if I was standing on the other side of Troy across from Zayden. I reached my hands out to him, trying to place one hand on his head to limit the pain and the other over his heart to keep it beating but it wasn’t working. My hands kept seeming like they were just going through him.

“Come on. He needs our help. If I ever wanted something more in the world, this was it. Help me. He needs us.”

I tried it again and failed but I didn’t give up. I kept trying until I finally felt the skin under my hands like I was really there with him. I smiled and tried to keep everything steady. I could already see Troy’s pain fading and hoped that he didn’t notice this extra touch.

It seemed that hours went by and I tried to keep my eyes on absolutely nothing. I didn’t want to watch what was happening to him but I did notice that his tolerance for the pain was high and it surprised both Zayden and Izin. I could see it in their faces. I only hoped that they wouldn’t figure out it was because of me and have to start all over again. That’s the last thing I would want, to see Troy go through even more because of me.

It was a good sign of relief when Zayden started to clean his hands and he leaned over Troy with his lips moving. I caught a few phrases like ‘it’s over’ and ‘you did well’ but didn’t get the whole conversation.

Troy’s wounds that covered his body were stitched up and wrapped so they could begin to heal. I kept my hands in place so he couldn’t feel much of the needle and he was probably used to having them there by now and just didn’t know it.

He was rundown from the blood loss he suffered and I noticed he wasn’t really coherent to what was happening. He was almost on the brink of passing out and I slowly moved my hand to let him. His heart was still beating thanks to me and I thought it would be safe. I closed my eyes for just a moment to rest them because I felt tired as well and when I opened them, I was back in our room.

I let out a heavy sigh and fell back on my pillows with my hand on my stomach. “We did it. He’s going to be fine. Now I need rest.”

I closed my eyes for what seemed like enough to blink before the door opened.

Chapter 20

Darius

After the good news, I went upstairs to tell it to his wife.

“Jaylyn?” I walked in and made my way to her on the bed. “Jaylyn.”

“Huh? I’m awake.”

“It’s just me. I just came to tell you that everything went—well. He’s going to live.”

She smiled and closed her eyes with her head still on her pillow. “I know. I was there.”

“How did you get passed me? I was standing at the entrance to the penitentiary the whole time.”

Her eyes popped open and she tried to make up an excuse. “I mean, I felt it. I knew he was still alive. Yeah, because I can do that. See? Completely explainable.”

She was obviously lying. “What did you do?”

“What? I told you.”

“You’re a bad liar. At least just now. Tell me.”

“No. You’re not exactly a good secret keeper.”

“Of course I am.”

She laughed and sat up. “Yeah right! Every secret you ever kept, everyone ended up finding out about.”

“I can keep this one. Promise. Just between us.” Jaylyn paused and was just looking at me like she didn’t believe me. I had to get her to trust me somehow. “Come on. I know about you and Troy not seeing each other for a while and he asked for us to take care of you. I can’t exactly do that if you’re not going to tell me what’s going on.”

She broke with a heavy sigh and literally continued without breathing between her words. “All right. It wasn’t my fault. Last night I said I was okay with it but when I woke up and he wasn’t here, I realized I really wasn’t and knew I had to do something. I thought long and hard and discovered that I could actually use Troy’s vision because of the baby and I—”

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa.” It was hard to keep up with all of that but I did catch that last part. “You can use Troy’s vision?”

“Yeah. Through the baby, like I said.”

“So that’s how you got in the room but why would you want to watch that?”

“I didn’t go there to watch. I—ah—”

“What? Please tell me you didn’t already try to heal him.”

“No. Of course not. That would have been too obvious. I just wanted to help. I made sure his heart stayed strong and—I may have possibly made him believe that it was a lot less painful than it actually was.”

“Jaylyn!”

“What?! I had to! Please don’t tell. I know I can’t heal him and I didn’t necessarily do that but I still don’t want him to be mad and have it done over! He’s going to feel the pain of it every time he moves. Isn’t that enough?”

I sighed and understood why she would have done it. “Yeah. It is. I didn’t want him to do it either.”

“So, you won’t tell?”

“No. Not even Ruby.”

“Thank you.”

“Though I don’t think they’d disagree but I know it shouldn’t get around to Troy.”

“Good.”

“They’re going to be bringing him up soon. They were just working on wrapping him up when I left. You want some help bringing your stuff to another room?”

“No. I think I want to stay actually.”

“Is that really a good idea? He said you’d want to heal him in his sleep.”

“I know but I feel a little better knowing I helped already and he needs someone to take care of him.”

“That’s why we have maids here.”

“But I’d like it to be me.”

“Then who’s going to take care of you?”

“That’s why we have maids here.”

I smiled to her tone like she was mimicking me. “Okay. I get it. You’ll just have to find another way to explain this to him.”

She paused and looked towards the door. “I don’t have that much time. They’re coming. Can you get the door?”

“Yeah.” I got up off the bed and went over to it. Izin and Zayden were helping Troy walk slowly this way and he was still a little out of it.

“Oh, good.” Zayden said. “Did you get Jaylyn out?”

“No, she decided to change her mind about that. Knowing he’s alive made her feel better about it, I guess.”

“We’ll see.”

They reached the door and I took Izin’s place holding Troy. “I’ve got him.”

“Make sure he stays in bed. He’s going to soon notice that it’ll hurt to move when he comes completely back to us.”

“Yes, father.” Zayden said. “We will.”

Izin walked back down the hall and Zayden and I brought Troy into the room.

Jaylyn perked right up. “How is he?”

Troy was moving his legs but didn’t look as if he was even conscious.

“He’ll be all right.” We placed him on the bed and Zayden carefully lifted his feet up on it too. “He just needs rest now.”

“How do you feel? I know you had to—”

She trailed off and Zayden just paused for a moment while looking at Troy. “Awful but he took it a lot better than we expected. I’ve never seen anything like it. Maybe because he chose it. Who knows? I think he deserves to get everything back from what he went through.”

I looked over at Jaylyn, knowing why he took it so well but I kept my mouth shut like I promised.

“Will he get it back? It was his goal, you know?”

“Of course he will. He just can’t be fully reinstated with his title until he’s completely healed and can get the mark back but as far as respect and honor goes, he has that right now.”

“I didn’t want to see him like this.”

“You can always change your mind again. You won’t be able to touch him for quite some time. I can only imagine how hard that will be.”

“No, it’s okay.” She smiled. “I’m fine with that as long as he gets better. He’s going to need me here to take care of him.”

“I guess that part is true. He will need you. Not to make the pain go away but to help him forget about it.”

“Is it everywhere?”

“No. His back is fine since he’ll have to be on it to recover. It’s just the front side.”

“Not all of it I hope.”

I couldn’t help but laugh.

“No.” Zayden said. “I didn’t tamper with that region. No one deserves that kind of punishment.”

“Good even though it’s not going to be much use to me for a while. I thought I’d ask for the long distant painfully tormenting future I’m about to have.”

I still had my smile and stepped closer. “Well, he did say we could help you with anything you needed.”

Jaylyn smiled back but before she could reply, I heard Troy’s low voice. “Get out.”

“Oh, look. He’s kind of conscious. Zayden, you should really watch what you say around him. Jaylyn is not that kind of woman.”

“Please.” Troy muttered with a little sigh behind it. “It was obviously you.”

“Perhaps it is best if we go.” Zayden said. “Come on, Rift.”

“I agree. I don’t even think Adele or Ruby know the news yet.”

“Be sure that you stay rested, Troy. You’re going to need it.” Troy barely moved his head for the nod and Zayden leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Remember you did well, brother and everything you want will come back to you.”

Troy tried nodding again. “Thanks.”

“Take care of him, Jaylyn. We’ll check in every now and then.”

“I will.”