Til Death Do Us Part - Red Queen Fan Fiction

Chapter 48 - On the other side

The pain is unbearable...then it is gone. I hear my name, in the distance. Mare. Mare. Wake up please Mare. I can't lose you. Not you. I try to open my eyes, but I can't. Something is pulling me away, telling me to let go. Let go Mare. Stay. I don't know what to do.

Everything goes dark.

...

I open my eyes suddenly and they are blurred from being shut too long. The light is bright and hurts my eyes. They water. It takes a little while to realise what is happening and where I am.

"It's ok Mare. Take your time" Shade. I know his voice. It sounds sad. Am I dead. I try to talk, but I can't.

"Mare" A quiet voice. Cal. Cal. I move to get up, but strong arms push me down. "I'm here. It's ok" I try to lift my arm, to reach for him, but I am weak. I think he sees the movement, because a warm hand closes around mine, squeezing tight.

My eyes begin to adjust to the light, to the room. Cal's room. The dark sheets are soft against me, silk. I am wearing shorts and a bra. I can tell because I lift the sheets to look down. When I look back up, I notice the room is large, and there are chairs everywhere. Like people were sitting and viewing me, sleeping. I look up to see my bed surrounded by people. My family. Kilorn, Cameron, Shade, Farley and Cal. All standing, watching me. Cal is next to me on one side, still holding my hand. His eyes dark. But relief shines through also. Shade is on the other, his hand on my forehead.

I begin to remember everything. The knife, flying towards me. Landing in my gut. The blood. So much blood, all over my face, my hands. Cal's hands. I shiver at the thought.

"You have been out for nearly 2 days" Cal's voice is soft. "You're a little weak, but you should be able to start moving around soon. Just relax Mare". I nod, but something doesn't quite seem right. If the healer did their job, healed me, why am I so weak. Why am I here, struggling to move and feeling like I have gone 12 rounds.

My voice cracks when I talk, probably from being out cold for 2 days. "What happened to me?" Cal looks up at Shade, and they share a look. Kilorn steps forward, and Cal makes way for him to stand by my side. My hand goes cold when Cal lets go.

Kilorn's voice is low, and angry when he talks. "Volo tried to kill you. Well he says he did not, but that is a pretty stupid excuse when we all saw the knife and the act" I nod, slowly remembering the look in his eyes, when he threw the knife. Anger. Turned to something else when he realised who he threw the knife at. Me. "There was no point in locking him up, because they would just escape" Cal turns his head, not meeting my eyes.

"You killed him?" I don't quite want to hear the answer, because if he did it would be worse than leaving him be. Even though Volo tried to kill me, I don't want a war with Evangeline and the silvers. Not when we have been able to work together to hunt down our enemies. Not yet. He can die later.

"No" Kilorn says, angry again. This time directed at Cal. "The precious King couldn't do it" I breathe a sigh of relief.

"I will kill him. But not yet. Not when we need him" Cal says, adamant. I can tell Volo will die. Maybe not today, but one day. Revenge will be had.

"One moment you were there, ready to murder him. When Mare was dead, you left the room. You were on your way to kill Volo, Evangeline and Ptolemus. What changed? What Cal?" Kilorn is furious, and it takes me a moment to realise what he said. I inhale a harsh breath. Dead. Mare was dead.

"Dead?" I say, looking at everyone. Panic setting in.

"Great guys. Just great" Cameron interrupts, lifting her hands in exasperation. I probably was not supposed to know.

"What are you talking about? What do you mean dead?" It makes sense, but I don't quite believe it. I need to know. Cal doesn't meet my eyes. He just looks down, analysing the same spot on the floor I notice he looks at when he doesn't want to discuss something. "Cal" I say, but he doesn't look at me. It sends chills down my spine. Was I really dead.

Kilorn speaks. "You died Mare. For at least 20 minutes you were gone".

...

Cameron POV

Mare died and the memory I will never forget. Never be able to unsee.

Her skin slowly turning a shade of pale white. The healer's hands were shaking, from the pressure, trying to save her. The King, Cal, yelling. Save her. Save her. The yelling turning to begging. Please don't leave me Mare. Please save her. Mare, please don't leave me. Not you. His voice breaking. Tears staining his cheeks, falling onto Mare's lifeless body. Shade on his knees, numb. Looking as though he would trade his life for hers. Kilorn, his head in my lap, slowly coming back to us. Not knowing what was happening because he fainted.

Cal held Mare the whole time, stroking her head. Whispering to her. He rocked her body back and forth, as if he could will her to wake up. Everyone was crying, even I shed a tear. He held her, until we had to pull his arms off of her, to take her body away. He refused, his hands lighting up, fire burning. He told us to leave him alone, to leave her alone. I have never seen Cal like that, never even knew he could be like that. It was haunting.

The soldiers had to take Mare away, while Shade and Farley pried his hands away from Mare's dead body. Shade hugged Cal when Mare was gone, and Cal cried. Again, I never thought id see him like that. Cal was strong. Mare dying changed him. Made him weak. I wonder if he cried for his father.

When they took her body away, something snapped in Cal, something changed. Volo, Evangeline and Ptolemus were captured and dragged away long before. Cal left, to kill Volo. To seek revenge.

I don't know what happened when he got to them. I just know they are alive. And so is Mare.