The King's War

36. Blockade

AVERY

I'll never forget that night — seeing Chase's lifeless body lying across the room; clutching Nate's limp hand as he bled out on the floor, barely breathing; my throat hoarse from crying out for help.

I hadn't meant to be away so long. I'd only meant to say goodbye to Daphne, thank her for the cure, and leave to wait for Nate. I didn't expect Daphne to have a lot more to tell me, something that was not good news. I'd left the attic with my nerves on edge, wondering how to break the news that the rebels' superweapon wasn't exactly in super condition. That nervous feeling spiked when I saw the broken guesthouse window. I'd feared the worst, and it had almost come to pass.

Nate rested in one of the manor's guest rooms. He looked so pale and still, one would think he was dead at first glance. It was a better state than the one I'd found him in. Daphne had heard my cries for help and come to the rescue. She'd healed the worst of his wounds, but he was still going to need time to recover.

A low groan escaped Nate's lips, putting me on alert. He grimaced as his eyes fluttered open, squinting and shielding his eyes from the light. "Where am I?"

"Safe," I replied, smiling. The urge to fling my arms around him overwhelmed me, but I didn't want to risk hurting him, in case some residual pain remained.

He slid the blanket down and pulled his shirt up to examine the wound that wasn't there anymore. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Daphne Sinclair's handiwork?"

"Yep." I didn't even want to think what would've happened to him if she hadn't been there. He'd lost so much blood. He might have died by the time he could be taken to the hospital... I placed my hand over his. It was warm. "Nate, what happened in there?"

Nate swallowed. "Chase ambushed me."

"And you killed him," I said quietly. The image of Chase's bleeding, cracked skull flashed through my head and I suppressed a shudder.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Nate said, his face sobering. I caught the hidden meaning in those words. He wasn't sorry Chase was dead. I wasn't either. But I'd rather it didn't happen the way it had.

"Don't be," I said. "I'm just glad you're alive."

Nate smiled thinly. "I had to survive. For you."

Tears stung my eyes. I squeezed his hand, wanting nothing more than to reach over and hug him, but that could wait until he was feeling better. "You have no idea how happy I am that I didn't lose you."

He gestures me over and I slide down to lay beside him, our hands still twined. "It's going to take more than one vindictive madman to keep me from your side."

I giggled in spite of myself. "Let's hope we don't run into any more."

"How are the rebels taking this?" he asked after a pause.

I blew out a long breath and gave him the short of it.

Lydia had run in after she heard me screaming for help. The Duke and Daphne had beat her to the scene. She'd seen Chase, and her wails of anguish were going to haunt my nightmares. We were never going to be friends again, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Chase may have had it coming, but she still loved him. I couldn't begrudge her her grief.

After Nate was safe and healed, the Duke announced his plan to help the South's forces in Atlanta. He asked Rowan if he wanted to be a part of it, but he refused, saying he was going to take Lydia back home to her parents, along with Chase's remains. Apparently, the Bells had been released from prison after Nate was deposed. I guess treason no longer counts when it's against a king who's no longer in power. It still didn't sit well with me that they'd gotten away with it.