A Court of Shadows and Pain

Ten

Valery woke up with her body shaking. She was sweating like crazy. Her back was stinging like hell, the pain unbearable.

It had been a few days since she had been thrown into this cell by Amarantha. The bitch hadn't let her heal the big wounds on her back, causing them to get infected really fast.

Valery felt like she was dying. Maybe she was. She wouldn't care. It wasn't like she had anything to live for anyway.

Valery groaned quietly as she tried to push herself on her feest. But she failed, falling right back on her ass.

A door at the end of the hallway opened, soft footsteps coming right towards her cell. Valery slowly pushed herself to the corner of the room. The comfort of shadows calming her.

Her own shadows had disappeared. Probably the Fae Bane doing. She felt empty and alone without them.

A few seconds later, the door to her cell opened and she met those violet eyes. Valery couldn't move, she only sobbed.

"I'm so sorry." Rhys said, his voice almost breaking. Valery didn't answer him. He only walked closer to find her sitting on the ground.

Shock lined his eyes. "You're dying." he said.

Valery looked up at his words. "I know, dumbass." she said quietly, groaning as she slowly moved again.

Rhys immediately walked over to her side. "Don't move." he said, lifting her shirt. Valery winced as the fabric brushed her skin. She could feel Rhys stiffen as he looked at her back.

"Amarantha asked me to heal you." he said, breaking the silence between them. "She told me she wants you alive."

"Great." Valery said softly.

Rhys stayed silent for a moment while working on her back. It felt so fucking uncomfortable. Valery could only squeeze her eyes shut while pressing her nails into her palms.

"Why did you come here?" Rhys asked.

To be honest, she didn't know. She was a fool for thinking she could've stopped this.

"I hoped I could've stopped it." she spoke. "Instead, I got stuck here."

Rhys had now finally finished cleaning and healing her back and sat down in front of her. The wound being healed and cleaned immediately lessened the pain, but it still hurt.

"Thank you, for thinking about me. For trying." Rhys said, head hanging low. "We're going to survive this, okay?"

Valery met his eyes, tears threatening to fall down them. She only nodded.

"Come here." he said, as he pulled her against his chest.

She let the tears fall, sobbing quietly against Rhys's chest. When she pulled away from him, he had tears falling down his own face.

He then looked up, as if someone had called him. "I have to go." he said, standing from the place he had been sitting.

Valery grabbed his wrist, making him turn around. "Will I see you again?" she asked quietly.

"I'll try my best." he said, keeping his voice from breaking again.

He then walked out, closing the steel door behind him.

Valery was once again greeted by darkness. She was all by herself again.