Battlefield

Chapter 13

The tip of the dagger was covered in poison—the same poison that Meri had been exposed to so long ago—I realised with a jolt. It pierced my back, right between my shoulder blades, with a sickening squish/thuk sound. The poison quickly became a living thing, zooming through my veins like a shark on a scent, leaving red-hot agony in its wake.

My eyes flew open—though I had no record of closing them—to hands reaching for me. Faces both familiar and unfamiliar filled my vision as hands reached for me. Jay's hand gripped mine, his face deathly pale and eyes filled with fear and worry. His hands shook as he signed, the same sentence over and over. You're going to be okay.

A whimper broke from my lips, quickly turning into a scream as the blade was removed from my back. The pain was so intense I blacked out.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in our room, my head spinning. Multiple pairs of worried eyes greeted me. My eyes darted around the room, terrified that the assailant was lying in wait. Jay sensed my fear and shook his head.

The assailant was already gone before we could properly identify him. Thankfully, no one else was injured. We were able to remove the blade without injuring you further. You were so lucky, Nerissa. An inch to the right and it would've pierced your spine. His eyes were dark and haunted; I noticed how hollow his cheeks were.

My hands shook as I raised them. Signing was a challenge, since every move sent red-hot pain radiating through my body. When can I get back to my duties?

David and Jay exchanged glances. My stomach dropped. David gently took my hand, his eyes filled with concern. You suffered a grave injury. You shouldn't even be moving, much less swimming. Let's give it a week.

The full weight of what happened slammed into me with the force of a thousand rogue waves. My lip trembled as my eyes filled with tears.

The door opened then, familiar red-gold hair appearing in my vision. Meri swam in, her face streaked with tears. She was in my arms minutes later, trembling with the force of her sobs.

Seeing my sister break down in tears—my strong, brave sister who could face anything and come out smiling—made red-hot anger flow through my veins. Her signs were shaky and rough as her hands shook. The palace is on lockdown. As is the rest of Aegrem. Residents have been advised to stay home unless absolutely necessary. We've also sent a pair of guards each to every house. We're taking every precaution.

Exhaustion tugged at me, but I shook my head, refusing to close my eyes. Jay smoothed a stray curl from my forehead, nodding. It's okay to sleep. Your body needs it. We'll be here when you wake up.

It wasn't the thought of sleep that terrified me, but the things that accompanied it. Nightmares. Sleep quickly won, however, as my eyes closed and my hand went limp in Jay's.

It was pitch-black as I opened my eyes, blinking several times to clear my blurry vision. I suddenly cried out as a hand gripped mine, dark green eyes appearing as a torch flared to life. Brandon stared back at me, his dark green eyes filled with malice.

I tried to jerk away, but his grip was like a vise. He led me into a lit room and turned to face me, a cruel grin on his face. A notepad was in his hands before I so much as opened my mouth. Feeling better, Nerissa? That was quite the injury you sustained. Pity I wasn't around to finish the job.

Fear gripped my heart with icy fingers as realization dawned on me. Brandon was the one who'd ordered the attack. My mouth opened and closed several times. I grabbed the notepad, scribbling a message. You? Why?

He scoffed. You really have to ask? Surprising, considering you're the one who dealt the blow in the first place. Anyway, I have a message for you.

Naia. He was talking about her death. As I read his response, the last sentence nagged at me. What? My head throbbed and spun as I struggled to concentrate, a sign that I was beginning to wake up.

Remember when Aegrem was attacked? Naia was the one who orchestrated it. Said it was payback for her banishment.

His words didn't register at first. When they did, however, his figure was blurry. I was waking up. I bit down on a sob as I opened my eyes, breathing shakily. Jay scanned my face. What's wrong?

I opened and closed my mouth several times before finally shaking my head. It was too much. The image of Jay's parents was permanently etched in my mind—their joined hands, unwilling to leave each other even in death—filling me with dread and fear.

My eyes widened as a thought slammed into me. Carla and her kids? Where are they? Are they okay?

He nodded. They're fine. They're with Bella.

David swam in as he finished signing. I just heard from the guards. All is well. He glanced from Jay to me, his eyes lingering on me. How are you feeling?

A broken sob escaped me, then another as my shoulders shook. I took a shaky breath, exhaling slowly as I raised my hands. I know who orchestrated the attack on Aegrem. Though it pained me deeply, I looked into Jay's eyes as I signed the words I knew would wound him. It was Naia. But Brandon was the one who stabbed me.

Jay's expression changed in the blink of an eye. His jaw clenched as his hands formed fists. My arms shook as I attempted to push myself into a sitting position. Almost immediately, I felt hands on my arms, steadying me. I was panting and sweating by the time I finished.

David gently put a hand on my arm. You need to rest. We're not going anywhere.

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could so much as raise my hands, sleep quickly claimed me.

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