The Beauty In Love And Murder

Chapter Fifty Three - Adrienne

The light filters in through my window and I open my eyes sleepily. Theodore's sleeping face comes into focus in front of me and I smile.

"Good morning." He mumbles, grabbing my hand and kissing it gently. A shiver runs up my spine as I watch him, and I suppress a laugh of sheer happiness.

"How was your sleep?" I ask, yawning mid sentence.

"It was good." Theodore kisses me gently on the mouth as he moves to get out of bed.

"No." I grab onto his torso and pull him back into me, pulling the blankets back up over our heads. Theodore laughs as he rolls over in my arms to face me.

"We can't stay here forever." Theodore kisses my nose and I shake my head in defiance.

"We can absolutely stay here forever." I grin at him and shut my eyes. "Go back to sleep."

Theodore kisses my neck coaxingly. "I have to go check on Zeph." He whispers in my ear, making another shiver run up my spine as his breath brushes past my skin.

I grumble as I get out of bed, clambering over him to reach my trousers. He suppresses a smile as he watches me put my clothes on and I glare at him. "It's not like this is unfamiliar to you." I say with a smirk. "Women crawling out of your bed and putting their clothes back on."

Theodore's jaw drops and he looks so hurt that I'm about to apologize, right before a pillow flies into my face. "You just insulted the Crown Prince. Apologize immediately." Theodore says with a stately air. I scoff.

"Crown Prince or not, you don't get to tell me what to do." I wink.

"And why not?"

"Because you're in love with me and shall grant me pardon as soon as I do this." I say with a playful smile. I lean into him and kiss him hard on the mouth, and I feel him smile back against my lips.

"I suppose you're right." Theodore whispers.

I nod with finality. "Of course I am. Now get up. Our dear friend is dying in the next room and you're wasting valuable time."

Zephyr is breathing somewhat normally when I open the door to his room. Sweat stands on his forehead and I wipe it off gently as not to wake him up. I touch a hand to his skin and it feels feverish. I remove his bandages quickly and I see the blood is still fresh around the wound— it hasn't slowed at all since last night.

"He needs a healer." I whisper to Theodore. Theo nods grimly. "But where do we find one who won't turn us in?" He asks.

I think for a moment before it finally hits me.

"I think I might know someone."

A half hour later, Tobias and I walk quickly through the busting streets of the city, our cloaks fluttering around us at every step. The people around don't pay us a second glance— too many people with too little time to care about a man and a woman walking with urgency towards the village square.

As I walk, I see posters on walls and lampposts. Drawings of myself, Tobias, Zephyr, and Tarryn stand stark against the paper, bounties standing enticingly above our heads. "They got my mouth wrong." I mutter to Tobias, who snickers.

"I think it looks about right." He whispers back. I punch him in the shoulder and he shuts up, but not without shooting me a wink first. 

"Just keep your head down. Someone is going to recognize us if we're not careful." I hiss.

"Remind me again why we're here." Tobias murmurs as we walk into view of the village square.

"I have a friend who can help Zephyr. But she doesn't know I'm alive."