Blame Aphrodite - SAMPLE-

To Blame

"Valencia-," With a shaky breath, I reached toward her hip. Carefully, I raised the clothing so I could get a better look at her seeping injury. She whined a little as it grazed wound but still, she let me. "You're injured."

I tried to keep the panic out of my voice but that was proving rather difficult as my heart felt like it was jumping into my throat. Then, I noticed the ripped pieces of her clothing that were saturated in her blood piled on the other side of Orsetto.

She had been bleeding this entire time and I guess now she was giving up. I tried to place myself in Valencia's point of view. She didn't trust that the people on the beach were going to help her so she came up here to heal herself and when that didn't work, she was just going to let herself die.

"Come on, Valencia. Let's get this fixed for you," I said calmly but on the inside, I was anything but calm. "It's just a few minutes walk. They'll help you."

Orsetto growled at me as I tried to move her but I ignored its protests and continued with my plan. I worked quickly but also cautiously as to not worsen her injury. Once to her feet, she started to sway around and just before she collapsed onto the ground, I grabbed her.

Cradling her to my chest, I walked as fast as I could to get back down to the beach. She had grown more pale by the second, I knew she was running out of time. Death would soon be calling her name if he wasn't already.

"Don't fall asleep, Valencia." I pleaded. "Don't close your eyes."

I was nearing the huts now but they still seemed like they were miles away. It was as if the world was moving as slowly as possible. When I pushed through the makeshift curtains, I was relieved to see the doctor had returned and he wasted no time in taking the bleeding woman from my arms and placing her down on a cot.

My head felt like it was underwater as they began inspecting her. I could see Henry and Peter out of my peripherals, trying to talk to me but I couldn't process what they were saying. All I could do was watch in horror as the doctor and helping women tried to sop up as much blood as they could.

"Everett, come on. Let's leave them to work." Henry said, pushing on my shoulder.

"We need to give them space," Peter added and pushed on my other shoulder until both men had removed me from the hut.

Only then, when the image of her blood soaked body was out of my mind was I able to focus.

"This is all my fault-,"

"It is not," Peter quipped, placing his hand on my shoulder.

"No, it really is. This entire thing is all my fault. I got you fired-," I gestured towards my friend. "And you're going to forever have the English government after you." I nodded towards Henry. I let out a breath and raked my palms down my face.

The stress of everything was starting to get to me.

"I assaulted an officer and my father most defintely hates me more now than he ever has before." I leaned up against a tree to balance myself as my brain raced circles around my head. "Her home was destroyed. She lost everything she's ever had. And even after that, I still managed to make her life worse! I made all of us get on that stupid raft and now we're on an island with only god knows who! With doctors that probably don't even have the credentials to preform medical procedures but we have no other choice but to let them because in the midst of one stupid idea, Valencia was ripped open...!" My voice caught in my throat and with another small breath, I continued with my rant.

"She was pulled away from her own little world and plunged straight into mine. Our worlds shouldn't clash, ever. We don't mix. Water and oil, fire and ice, fantasy and reality. It was stupid from the very start but I couldn't help myself! I needed her in my life and now look, she could be shaking hands with death right now and it would all be my fault. Every little detail of the past few weeks are all on me."