The Island

Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Tillie

It burned to hold the chains behind me, my power unsatisfied with the minute of release I'd given it.

Zoie walked into my cell as soon as I'd gotten free, nearly killing Zain and Kirklyn. I was aware of how bad it looked when they came to free me, dried blood coating me, covered in bruises and cuts and chained.

The kiss she gave me as she hurt them was gentle, but I had a job to do.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not letting the words register as I clamped the cuffs I'd been forced to wear onto her hands.

I saw Kirklyn freely move behind her as the shadows faded around his throat, and she looked down at her wrists, at the hand I still had gripped around them.

"What did you do?" She whispered, staring at me, not noticing Kirklyn creeping up behind her, a thick steel rod in his hand.

He swung it, hitting her head and knocking her unconscious.

"I'm sorry," I said again, clutching my shirt above my heart, trying to keep it from shattering as I fell to my knees bedside her, feeling the burning again. Kirklyn walked to Zain as he started waking up, I watched as they held each other's hands, as Zain brought his mouth to Kirklyns. I was stuck on the ground, staring at Zoie, until I heard the clanking of metal armour and Poma's voice booming through the hall

"They're in this one!" A soldier shouted, running to help Kirklyn and Zain off the floor as Poma walked in, swearing at the blood coating me.

"Poma," I whispered, shrinking the flame so it was just at my feet, covering the charred skin, she slung my arm over her shoulder and ordered the soldier to carry Zoie outside, gesturing me to follow.

So I did.

Outside, seeing the sun for the first time since they hung her, I blinked and saw dozens of our soldiers kneeling in the dirt, bowing to me, prisoners being escorted out of the valley, Mark at the back, gagged and bound, his eyes covered by a strip of cloth.

"Wait," I said, my throat scratching as I headed back toward the Fortress "There are girls in there, he hurt them"

Poma gripped my shoulder, pulling me away from that horrible place

"We'll get them back," she said, signalling several soldiers to go back in and get them "but right now, you are too injured to walk, let alone carry any injured people to safety."

I hated it, but she was right. I felt myself rock slightly, my legs underused, it was a miracle I could hold my wings up off the dirt. We took a wagon from the stables and I was loaded into it, Zain and Kirklyn sitting in the front, Zain occasionally giving me cold air as I lay inside. I could hear them whispering to each other, clearly arguing.

"Would you both get over yourselves," I said, shifting uncomfortably. Kirklyn handed the reins to Zain, slipping into the back and sitting beside me, pulling out disinfectant and bandages again.

"Flip," he said, making a gesture with hands to get me onto my stomach, I was scared of how bad my back was as he cut away the scraps of fabric."Do you want to talk about it?" He asked, pouring water onto a cloth to wash away the blood.

"How long?"

"Three months, two days, thirteen hours."

"Kirklyn," I whispered, hissing as he placed the cloth on my back " What took you so long?"

Kirklyn looked at me, dabbing my back with the wet fabric,

"The Sir's insisted on waiting at least a week, then a month, then two. They wanted to be unpredictable." He breathed, wetting the cloth again, "Georgia fought the hardest, but she's disappeared, Isabelle too."

"They swore loyalty to me."

"The only way I could get you was if it was unanimously approved. It took one of the Sir's sister's to get everyone to sign."

He rang out the cloth, red water dripping.

"These are going to need stitches," he said, searching for a needle and thread, "this will hurt."

"Not as bad as the whipping did," I said, shoving the bit he gave me into my mouth, reminding myself that the gag that was on earlier was now nothing more than molten steel.

Steel that someone had died for.

The stitches barely registered. Little pin-pricks pocked down my back, then started again. I spat out the bit, Kirklyn eyeing me as I did,

"How bad is it?" I murmured, looking up at him

"Three big ones, those are the ones I'm stitching, and a bunch of smaller ones. He must have just done it up and down, nothing on your wings."

"He opened up the scars from Ian, he made me relive it."

I felt Kirklyns gaze on my face, where the cuts had scabbed since the last time Mark had tortured me, then to the one on my arm, still closed, but it wasn't as strong of a seal as the other two.

"What should we do with him?"

I thought for a moment, exhaustion tugging my eyes closed as Kirklyn finished off the last stitch,

"We find the deepest cell in the palace, and we make one deeper."

Another cool wind blew through the wagon, and Kirklyn smiled softly at Zain, biting his bottom lip and looking down at his hands.

"Wait," I said, all exhaustion ripped from me as I stared at them, Zain glancing over his shoulder, "when did that happen?"

Kirklyn blushed, Zain smirked "Yesterday." Kirklyns face went even redder when Zain winked at him, and he started fumbling with the bandage.

I was so happy for them, but it made my heart ache for Zoie, I was remembering how we met, what made us fall in love with each other.

"I'm happy for you two. Keep each other close. You never know when you could lose the other."

"Tillie?" I felt Kirklyns hand on my shoulder, his voice full of concern as I sat up and turned so I was looking at the wagon behind us, a mess of feathers peaking over the front seat.

"That isn't my Zoie. That's someone else," I whispered, leaning my head against a crate, horns scratching the wood "That over there, that's the product of my own idiotic behaviour. I was too scared to tell her, to let her into the damn courtroom."

Too scared to tell her the names.

I felt the tears streaming down my face, and wished I could hold Zoie, I knew the night terrors would come.

"Tillie, you should rest, it will take a while to reach the Palace," Kirklyn said, handing me a new shirt.