Queen of Nothing

Chapter 25

Cold. Cold surrounded me, closed in on me. I felt it spread through my whole body. Time seemed to slow. The fear I had felt moments ago had faded. I was not afraid. I felt strangely at peace. The cold and quite was not a bad thing. It felt like easing into a pool to relax. Somewhere at the edge of my mind there was someone calling my name. I ignored it. The cold flowed through me and wanted to pull me with it. And I followed willingly. Warm hands. There were warm hands somewhere on my body. Touching, shaking me. My mind struggled to register the motions. My side, my shoulders, my head and my hands. The warm hands seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at once.Noise. There was noise somewhere too.

"Jude!"

The name rang loud and clear in my mind now. I knew the owner of that voice but the name seemed so far from my mind. I didn't really want to search for it.

"Jude! Oh Jude please open your eyes!"

Desperate. The voice sounded so desperate. I felt like I should try to help it. I pushed my mind to think. Think. Thoughts were hard to grasp. A face. I saw a face in the back of my mind. Dark eyes, black hair. I reached for it. I felt like I knew this face well. But who was it?

"Jude!"

Jude... A name. My name. I was Jude. And the face was calling for me. My mind fought to reach for the name. Cardan. Cardan was calling my name. I wanted to answer him. So I forced my eyes open. Cardan let out a noise that could have been a sob.

"Jude." The relieve in his voice is unmistakable. "Don't close your eyes again." I blink a view times before I realise that my head is laying in his lap. His hand on my head. His thumb gently brushing my forehead. His other hand on my hands pushing against the fatal wound in my stomach. I study him hovering over me. His disheveled and bloodstained clothes. Blood. Yes Cardan had been bleeding badly as well. I search him. His shoulder is most bloody but the skin beneath is fine. Healed. His faerie healing abilities. "Your wound-" I begin. "Sssh. It's fine. It's going to be fine." His eyes shift from my face to my wound. I manage a sad smile. "I don't have healing abilities, Cardan." His throat bobs. I can see him grinding his teeth in defiance. "Jude." His voice had a hard edge to it that made my ears peak up. "I need you to trust me right now. Can you do that?" I frowned at him. "Cardan what-"

"Trust me." His eyes showed the slights hint of panic. "Trust me Jude." I tell myself it's that spark of panic that made me say. "I do trust you." He let out a relieved breath. As I felt the cold tugging on me again. It whispered to me to close my eyes. "I'm going to put a geas on you." I try to focus on his words but they take a moment for my brain to register. "What?" Is all I can manage. "A geas of healing. For this to work properly I need you to agree to this bargain." I squint at him. "You're going to ask me to swear myself into your service now?" He let out a soft laugh. "I could probably ask for anything right now huh?" An ironic statement. This was life and death. If I wanted to live, I would sell him anything at all. But I wasn't so sure it would be a life worth living. Maybe Cardan read that in my eyes because his next words had me truly baffled. "Agree to be my wife until the day you die and I'll grant you my faerie healing abilities." I stared at him. He could ask for anything. Anything at all. Yet this what he choose to ask me. I had asked him to swear himself into my service for a year. For a crown, for Oak and for power. I had controlled a King, him. And yet... "Why?"

"Because I value your company." He tried to give me his best mocking grin. But didn't quite succeed. "Just do it Jude." I closed my eyes for a moment. The cold so comforting. I could just let it take me. It would be quick.

"Jude!" Cardan shook me roughly. I blinked deliriously. "Mh?"

"Stay with me Jude." I felt Cardan's hand shaking as he tightened his grip on my hair. "Please just agree to this geas." I looked at him. I felt so tired. So weak. I didn't wanna argue. I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to rest. So I told him. "Yes Cardan. I agree." Although I don't quite remember what I was agreeing on, surely Cardan would let me rest if I agreed with him for once. The relieved look on his face was the last thing I saw before I closed my eyes.

"Jude Duarte, daughter of clay, from this day forward all your wounds will be healed like the wounds of Faerie do. They will heal faster. They won't get infected."

I hear his words but they sound so far away. Then I feel like a spark of static hit me. Followed by the incredible pain of the flesh of my wound moving. I grunt in pain. My hands start to tremble as I can feel the wound beneath them forcing itself closed. The progress is slow and painful. No wonder Cardan had looked like the living dead with that shoulder wound. The pain seemed to last for a short eternity. But then it stopped. I let out a relieved breath. And I heard Cardan do the same as he moved my hands from the place the wound had been. I gently intertwine my hand with his. He squeezes it tightly. I open my eyes to look at him. Cardan was grinning down at me like had had just been named the most handsome man in- well ever. "Hello Wife." I snorted as I contained a laugh.

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I am going to try to finish this series before my vacation in 2 weeks. Not sure if I'll make it or not. If not I suppose you'll have to wait at least 7 days form those 2 weeks until I find time to write. 

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