Love And Honour (Book 2)

Chapter XVI

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"I have told him no lies. He simply thought I was his smartest choice, my being so similar to Jasiel." She lifts her chin, her eyes glinting dangerously. Gethin steps up to her, purposely straightening his shoulders to appear as intimidating as possible, and she has to back up. His jaw twitches with amusement.

"I do not believe you."

"Do you believe Logan killed Jasiel?" She hisses. Gethin rolls his eyes.

"Let me guess, you suddenly have decided that someone else must have done it and your love is innocent." He rubs his chin. "But wait, he cannot be your love. You are marrying Egan and from what I heard, you asked him before he asked you."

"You have been spying on me?" She questions, her eyes catching the red fire from her hair.

"Yet somehow I clearly missed a conversation that would explain why you are suddenly Leader."

Gavriel groans from the bed and Gethin quickly leaves her to be at his brother's side. He presses his palm to his forehead and grumbles under his breath. His temperature has risen excessively and he has started to mumble and groan, his face quickly beading with sweat. "Get a healer." Gethin orders Zara, sharply. This time she does not argue but vanishes from the room.

Gavriel tosses around on the bed, his mumbling growing louder and more confusing. Gethin tries to keep him in one place but Gavriel hits out. Gethin grimaces and steps back, nervously glancing towards the door. Gavriel's eyes shoot open and he stares up at the celling, muttering something repeatedly under his breath. Gethin leans over him, unable to discern what they are from a distance.

"I am sorry, so so sorry. Please forgive me. I had to... Jasiel.... I am sorry, so so sorry. Please forgive me..." Gethin manages to catch from his brother's muttering before Gavriel falls silent and his body stops moving.

Gethin panics and yells out, "Somebody, quickly, please..." Anguish is obvious in his tone and that is what reaches the ears of a girl who refused to attend Zara's engagement celebration. She appears at the door and the colour in her face drains as she sees Gavriel silent on the bed, his skin drawn and grey.

She rushes in and touches Gethin's arm, who has frozen as he watches his brother struggle to breath, the raspy noise filling the air. He blinks several times before he looks to her. "Are you with me?" he nods slowly. "I need towels and cold water." He blinks again. "Gethin, I need you to get them for me." She sees it finally sink in and he nods an affirmation before running to the adjoining washroom. She soon hears water steadily running from a tap.

She presses her fingers to Gavriel's neck and counts slowly. It is slow, far too slow. She checks his head wound and cringes at the drying and fresh blood there. It has seeped into the pillow below his head. She needs bandages. He starts to mutter again and she hears him say his brother's name, the dead one. She bites her lip as he starts to toss, tears streaming down his face, bubbling up from underneath his closed eyelids.

A noise disrupts her and she glances at the open doorway. Zara stands there, her face pale and nervous. "The healer has gone to a village where an illness has arisen. Can you help him?"

"I need bandages. Go to his house, they will be in one of the kitchen cupboards. I need you to bring me one of each of the bottles you find there. Your brother is not struggling simply from a head wound." Zara nods, her wide frightened eyes settling on her brother before she darts away.

Gethin returns with the towels and sets down a large metal bucket with cold water on the bedside table. Dawn dips the towel in the water and dabs his forehead. "What else can I do?" He asks, his gaze straying around the room, unable to look at his brother.