Scorched

Chapter 15

"Let's not make a habit of me visiting you in the infirmary, alright?" Xander said, his voice low and worried. His blonde hair stuck up all over the place, like he had just rolled out of bed.

Gwen rolled from her stomach carefully onto her side, her face inches from where Xander was perched on the small wooden stool.

"I never see you any other time. Maybe I'm doing this on purpose," Gwen said, grinning impishly at him.

Xander rolled his eyes and leaned forwards on his elbow.

"What'd you do anyways?" he asked. "It couldn't have been worse than stealing a Wyvern and trying to escape a life of eternal servitude, could it?"

Gwen could see how hard it was for him to make a joke of the situation, but she was glad for the distraction from the burning pain in her back.

"So what's the tally now? Broken arm, twelve lashes, slashed with a sword; am I missing anything?" Xander chuckled, surveying her like a doctor would.

"Oh just various bumps and bruises, the usual. Besides, my arm barely hurts anymore. I was a very clumsy child you know. I always kept my brother busy." Gwen laughed quietly, remembering the days of falling out of trees and cutting her knees up on rocks.

Xander grinned back at her.

"I can imagine. Nothing's really changed though."

Gwen scowled and smacked him with her good arm. A comfortable silence fell between them, her mind churning through the events of the last few days.

"My brother!" Gwen exclaimed, as she finally had time to process what had happened with the rebels. "I saw my brother with the rebels. It had to be him!"

Xander pushed back from the bed with a start.

"Your brother? The one who had me dragged back here to be beaten within inches of my life?"

Gwen winced at the reminder of her involvement in Xander's punishment, finally being able to sympathize with the amount of pain he must have been in. Her heart sank, reliving her own experience and comparing it to what Xander had probably faced.

Xander stared at her with a furrowed brow, noticing her hesitation to talk about her brother.

"You were saying?" he prompted.

"I--I was running after some of the rebels and I thought I saw Kai with them so I tried to follow. I almost caught up with him but Rowan--" Xander cut her off with a scoff.

"Of course," he muttered scathingly. "The amazing Prince Rowan once again has a starring role in the story."

Gwen glared at him, pushing herself up on an elbow. "He was just trying to protect me," she shot back.

Xander rolled his eyes, laughing bitterly. "Since when have you needed protecting?"

Gwen pursed her lips, ignoring the jab.

"Well?" she asked. "Do you know anything about what happened to the rebels that got caught?"

Xander hesitated, momentarily looking uncomfortable.

"They're to be publicly hung at sunrise."

He glanced out the small square window, the light of the sun just barely visible over the horizon. The sun would be up in two hours at the latest.

Gwen shot up, ignoring the jolt of pain that shot through her body with a clench of her jaw.

"Today?" she exclaimed, horror racing through her body. No matter what Kai had done to Xander, he was still her brother. "Please Xander, we have to help him," she begged.