Page 75 of Fae Tithe

Lance laid a hand on Eleanor’s shoulder. She pulled back from embracing Helena and looked up at him with red, puffy eyes.

“We need to leave the city as soon as possible. Your mother can’t ride like this. I saw a cart in Beth’s stables. Buy it, borrow it, steal it – I don’t care how, but we need it to travel,” he said, his voice raw.

Eleanor gave him a confident nod and stood, her chin stuck out. She strode over to the clothing bag and exposed some of the silken dress she had been wearing when she had left Tithe Manor. She ripped a handful of ruby chips from the garment and pocketed them.

“I got this, Dad. You take care of Mum.” She nodded, before striding out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

A single tear slipped down his cheek and a broad grin spread across his face. Warmth flooded his chest as he watched the door close behind the Changeling. It was the first time Eleanor had called him that. Lance did not have time to address his swirling, grateful emotions at that moment. Helena needed him.

The High Prince turned back to her. She had eased herself back on the bed again. Her eye was still open, her chest rising and falling. She gave him a soft, pained smile. Lance returned it with a tender look, his expression softened with upturned lips.

“We have a lot to talk about when we get out of here,” he said. The Merman laid his hand over her swollen eye, a soft blue glow emanating from his shaking palm. He felt weak, almost drained, but he knew Helena would want to see fully. “Eye, and then legs?”

“Please. If I can see better and run, we have a chance of getting out of here.” Helena licked her cracked lips, looking up at him with her uncovered eye. “I’m so thirsty. Water as well, please, once you’re done.”

Lance nodded, pulling up from the internal, dwindling well of magic within. He shook his head, ridding himself of the dizziness as he did so.

You can do this. Len needs you. He clenched his jaw, pushing through the exhaustion.

After several minutes, he removed his palm. The surrounds of Helena’s eye were still puffy and red, but she would be able to lift her eyelid. More importantly, she would be able to see.

“I’ll get us some water while you try opening it.” He nodded and smiled down at her.

Lance stood. Pins and needles prickled his long legs from being knelt for too long. He stepped over to the water jug on the small table. Seeing that it was empty, he slipped into the bathroom to refill it from the copper tap, and then stepped back into the bedroom. Lance poured two cups, one for himself and another for Helena. He turned back to her, a cup in each hand. He nearly dropped them as his eyebrows flew up in shock.

Helena’s left eye was open. It was working, it seemed, as both the left and right met his gaze. She gave him a weak smile, her eyes crinkling at the edges. Lance was frozen as he stared back at her, mouth slightly agape.

“What is it?” she asked, furrowing her blistered brow.

“Your eye, the one I just healed… it’s orange,” he replied, kneeling back down and offering her the cup.

Helena pushed herself back into a seated position and raised her eyebrows. “Orange?”

“Orange,” Lance confirmed. “The pupil is also different. Like a line rather than round.”

She blinked at him. He watched as the line of her new pupil widened and thinned as her eyelids opened and shut. Helena licked her lips as she took the cup with her left hand, the dark grey scales brushing against his skin. She gulped the water as the Merman drank his, feeling his magic refill slightly, his hands slowing their trembling. He refilled their cups several times before he set them back on the side table.

“We do have a lot to talk about,” Helena agreed, her new eye taking in the grey-skinned hand and obsidian claws she held in front of her face.

“Later?” Lance offered.

As relief settled over him, seeing Helena was awake and talking, other emotions swirled within: confusion, frustration, and even anger. She had left him behind, and just like she had aired her feelings about his secret, the Merman felt that he had the right to voice his. He squashed the flurry of feelings down, knowing he had to find the right time for that conversation.

“Yes,” Helena agreed. “You saved me, Lance. I can’t even begin to explain how, but I will try, once we get out of this Faedamn city.”

Lance swallowed as he knelt beside the bed again. He helped ease her back onto the mattress, so she lay flat. He pressed a kiss to her forehead before turning his attention to her legs. He reached and tugged gently at the ruined material. Helena whimpered. The leggings were stuck. The liquid from the blisters and blood had dried, attaching the fabric to her skin.

“I’m so sorry,” the Merman said through gritted teeth. “I need to remove this so I can heal your legs enough so you can walk.”

Helena nodded, her eyes silvering. “Do it quickly, please. Just get it over and done with.” She bit the pillow next to her.

Lance nodded and pressed his shaking hand to the first leg. The flickering blue light alleviated some of the pain as he ripped the crusted material off. Helena still screamed, her teeth sinking into the cushion.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.” Tears prickled at the High Prince as he moved onto the next leg and repeated the step.

He quickly bathed her in his healing waters. Sweat poured from him as he forced it from his palms, panting, as his blue magic probed her injuries.

Lance’s brow furrowed in concern at the significant extent of damage to her body. Total recovery could take weeks, maybe months, even when my magic is replenished… He clenched his jaw. Don’t worry about the future, worry about now. Get her healed enough so that we can get out of this tides-damn city.