The Siege of Shadows: Book one

Fractured Shadows (49)*

The world shifted in and out of focus, a dull roar filling my ears as my body swayed, detached from any sense of time or place. The water was frigid now, the initial scalding heat long gone, but I couldn't bring myself to care. The weight of my clothes clung to me like a second skin, heavy and suffocating, and yet I couldn't bring myself to move. It was as though the cold was the only thing tethering me to reality.

I was floating somewhere distant when the pounding started.

"Rowan!"

Kael's voice boomed, sharp and insistent, but it barely registered over the white noise in my mind. He tried the doorknob, the rattling like the clinking of chains in my ears.

"Rowan, open the door!" There was something desperate in his tone, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. I stared at the ceiling, my breath shallow and ragged, my limbs too heavy to lift. The pounding grew louder, more forceful, but I was drifting further away.

The next sound shattered the silence—a crash, splintering wood, and then footsteps rushing toward me. A second voice cut through the haze, Ahren's. He sounded furious, though his words were muffled, indistinct.

"Gods, she's freezing!" Ahren knelt by the tub, his hands firm but careful as he pressed two fingers to my neck. "She's hypothermic, Kael. What the hell were you thinking?"

I couldn't tell if Kael answered. My head lolled to the side, and I caught a glimpse of his dark figure standing stiff and silent, his fists clenched at his sides. His presence made my stomach twist, a deep nausea bubbling under the surface, but I was too far gone to react. Too tired to care.

"She's barely breathing," Ahren snapped, his hands tugging at my sodden sleeves, peeling away the wet fabric that clung to my skin. "Help me get her out of here!"

Kael finally moved, stepping forward to grip my arms, though he hesitated. I could feel it—the tension in his touch, the uncertainty. His hands were calloused, too rough, and I flinched instinctively, a soft whimper escaping my lips.

Ahren swore under his breath. "Let me do it. You're the last person she wants touching her right now."

Kael didn't argue, his hands falling away as Ahren scooped me up, the movement sending a shudder through my limp body. He carried me into the bedroom, where the air was warmer but still felt like ice against my damp skin. I felt the weight of their stares, Kael's in particular, though I couldn't meet his gaze.

"She's not your type, Ahren," Kael growled, his voice low and strained. There was something possessive in it, something raw and unspoken.

Ahren's laugh was sharp, cutting through the tension. "You think I'm interested in her? Please. She lacks certain... attributes I prefer." He tossed a dry blanket over me, his tone softening as he added, "But she deserves better than this. Better than you."

Kael bristled, his armor clinking as he moved closer, but Ahren cut him off before he could speak. "Eiran would be ashamed of you, Kael. Do you even realize what you've done to her? Or are you so blinded by your own misery that you can't see the damage you've caused?"

The name—Eiran—hung heavy in the air, and for a moment, Kael said nothing. His silence was louder than any argument, a weight that settled in my chest, suffocating.

"She needs rest," Ahren said finally, his voice quieter now. "And warmth. Go fetch more blankets. It's the least you can do."

Kael left without another word, his footsteps heavy as they disappeared down the hall. Ahren stayed by my side, his expression unreadable as he adjusted the blankets around me.

"You're safe now," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just rest, Rowan. We'll figure this out."

Safe. The word felt foreign, hollow. I wanted to believe him, but the shadows lingered, curling around the edges of my mind, whispering that safety was a lie. I closed my eyes, willing the darkness to take me.