The Protected (Book 2)

Chapter 14: Friends

I had thrown up.

Somehow Mathew was the stronger of us two when he guided me away from the body. We rode for hours, rode long enough that we had reached Garain. We had just passed their borders. We only had one more night together until we reached the castle.

I needed to keep myself distracted, if I gave myself time to think my mind would wander back to the blood on my hands.

"Clary..." Mathew called to me. "Clarissa..."

I knew what he was going to say from the sound of his voice. He had been trying to get me to talk to him, he believed we should stop but I needed to keep going.

His horse turned in front of my blocking my way. I tried to move around him but he moved his horse to keep blocking me.

"We need to keep going," I tried to sound convincing.

"No we don't," he frowned. "You have a gash on your arm that needs attention and you really need a friend right now. Faraine can wait for all I care."

He... he just put me before our kingdom. I knew how much he loved Faraine. That meant a lot. Maybe I could use a friend.

I sighed in defeat. "Fine."

I was expecting a smug expression but Mathew just looked relieved instead making me feel guilty for worrying him so much. He was supposed to worry me not the other way around.

"I know there is a healer's inn near here," he said. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. How would he know that? He gave me a shrug. "I memorized the maps too."

We found the healer's inn, it was fairly nice. There was a beautiful garden in the back and a private hot spring. It was not busy, there were two men here other than us and the workers. I had the gash on my arm disinfected and bandaged along with the other little cuts I had gotten.

Mathew tried to get me to eat but I couldn't really stomach anything.

"Come on, take another bite," he tried to encourage me.

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry."

"You have not eaten anything all day and you threw up whatever you had in you from the night before. You need to eat something," he said before picking up a warm spoonful of porridge. "Choo choo, here comes the train."

He teased as he brought the spoon to my mouth. I laughed about it shaking my head trying to move away. Mathew scooted in closer than he was before.

"Open wide Clary Wary," he cooed still trying to put the spoon in my mouth. The only person in the dining hall left before throwing us a look as if they were saying kids these days. I was slightly embarrassed but it felt good to laugh.

"Okay fine! Fine!" I said prying Mathew's hand off my face that was pinching my cheeks. I opened my mouth and he brought he spoon into my mouth before I closed my lips around the spoon waiting for him to pull it out. Mathew's once joking expression turned serious before removing the spoon. His eyes stayed focused on my lips making me heat up. I knew that gaze and I wanted it. I wanted him to kiss me, but I couldn't. Alana was one day away. How could I face his future wife?

I cleared my throats looking to my side away from the prince. "Thank you."

I snuck a look back him. He looked deflated, saddened. "I will always be there Clarissa, you know that right?"