Black Rose (Rose Kisses #1)

19

Isaline Winter

It was three in the morning. I'd been staring at the clock on Lucien's bedside table for the past hour and a half, unable to catch even the smallest wink of sleep. It made me envious of the man lying beside me, blissfully unaware of the world around him as his chest rose and fell steadily. How blessed he was that sleep had decided to bestow her gift upon him whereas I had been missed entirely.

My body felt like it was on fire. It had begun as a gentle glow of warmth, uncomfortable but bearable. Eventually, the heat began to spread and rise until it felt like I'd been engulfed in flames. I'd taken multiple cold showers prior to my defeat—my hair was still damp from the last attempt to cool my body down—but all of my efforts were futile. My body temperature only continued to increase.

At some point, I had tried laying on the floor naked beneath the open window but Lucien had gotten cold so I closed it and crawled back into bed, laying on top of the freshly cooled sheets. He had tried to snuggle up to me but I had shoved him away gently. I was far too hot to be held and I feared that I might burn him in some way.

The cool sheets only did so much before they began to warm up and I was left wading in a pool of heat again. A thin sheet of sweat glistened off my skin but I had given up on the hope that my body would regulate itself and I'd be fine. It'd been hours since the fever started and I feared that it wouldn't break for a while.

A sudden sharp pain deep in my abdomen caused me to groan out softly, curling into myself as I tried to ride it out. It felt like I'd been punched in the rib cage, my breathing coming out in short pants. When the pain eased, I stretched my body out gently only to be struck with another jab of pain, this one harder than the first.

Breathe, I encouraged myself. Just breathe.

It was easier said than done. With every inhalation, I felt my lungs contract and my ribs throb. The closest I'd come to experiencing pain like this was during a brutal beat down, and even then, the pain didn't compare to this.

I eased myself up into a seated position, supporting most of my weight on my arm. My arm shook and wavered before giving out and snapping, my elbow going inwards and jutting out beneath the skin. I fell into the mattress and cried out.

The sound caused Lucien to stir beside me and I prayed that he wouldn't wake up. I didn't know how I'd explain my broken arm to him without sounding like a fucking lunatic. To my luck, he remained sound asleep and I was left to suffer in strained silence.

I examined my broken arm in the dim lighting. There was no way in hell that I was fixing this on my own but I didn't know anyone who would be able to fix it either. All of the healers I knew were in Elysia and there was no way in Hell that I was going to try with the infirmary. Amina was the last on my list but I didn't even want to deal with her, especially at this hour. Lord knows she'd scream my ears off and cause me more pain than I was already in.

Deciding that my best option would be to deal with it myself, I slipped out of bed and searched for some clothes. I wasn't going to be able to put on pants in my state so I settled for an oversized tee shirt that I'd "borrowed" from Lucien's closet before slinking out of the room as quietly as possible.

I had no idea where I could go at this hour but somehow, I'd found myself outside standing before the forests that led to Braven. It was clear what my body was telling me to do but I hesitated. It felt wrong to seek help from them especially after leaving without warning and I was scared of the rejection I might face. But deep down, I knew that no one would judge me for the choice that I made. I didn't leave to hurt anyone, I left because I thought it was the best option for me and for my family. I knew that if there was anyone who'd understand, it'd be my grandparents and they'd welcome me back with open arms.