Come Home - E. Pevensie [2]

8 - Broken Promises

I let out a sigh as I turned the last unsearched corner of the How, holding an ice pack to my head. I squinted my eyes to see Edmund sitting on the edge of a moss-covered rock, staring blankly into the distance. I unstably put myself down next to him and pressed my thumb into his wrist. Edmund smiled and looked at me.

"How's your head?" He asked softly. I shrugged.

"Okay. How are you?"

Edmund shrugged, staying silent. I pursed my lips, not quite knowing what to say.

I had rushed into the Stone Table room to see Peter, Trumpkin, and Edmund battling a werewolf, hag, and another dwarf named Nikabrik. Looming above them had been the White Witch herself, encased in ice.

I had rushed forward to help, but with one look from Jadis, my head was shrouded with unbearably excruciating pain. I had collapsed against a pillar near Lucy, only able to hear as Edmund destroyed the witch and walked out. I'd been searching for him ever since.

"I thought I would be rid of her by now." Edmund mumbled, looking back out to the landscape. I nodded.

"Yeah. Me too. But hey," I put one hand under his chin, forcing him to look at me. "She put you through a lot. She deceived you, hurt you, threatened to hurt the ones you loved. Hell, she nearly killed you. And just because it's been a while since it happened doesn't mean you have to be completely healed from it. Things like that take time."

Edmund nodded and put his head on my shoulder, burying his face in my neck. I felt his breath tremble and his shoulders shook. I wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders and kissed his head, humming softly. This wasn't the first time I've held him because of the White Witch.

When Edmund leaned back, his eyes were rimmed red and there were crescent-shaped nicks in his palm, red from his fingernails. I stroked his cheek with my hand gently and smiled before standing.

"C'mon. We're both still in our armor and I know that you've barely eaten all day." He laughed softly before pushing himself off the ground, enveloping me into another hug as he stood. I held him tightly.

"Thank you." He whispered. I nuzzled my head into his shoulder.

"Always." I whispered back. We pulled apart and walked to Edmund's room, where I poked his chest lightly.

"Get some rest," I told him. "Peter will grab us for strategy later." Edmund nodded and left a light kiss on my cheek before pushing past the curtain of his room.

I turned on my heel to retreat to my own room, stopping as I saw Caspian and Doctor Cornelius standing behind me, both wearing sly grins.

"You two are very friendly." Caspian teased.

"Very friendly indeed." The professor nodded with a chuckle. I glared at the two.

"Oh shove it, both of you," I muttered as I fought the blush on my cheeks, pushing past the two for my room. I turned back and pointed to Caspian. "Wake me for strategy." He nodded as I turned back around.

I crept inside my room, careful not to wake Susan or Lucy as I did. I removed my chest armor and flopped onto my bed, too tired to worry about my pants at the moment. I needed to sleep off this headache.

It was much lighter outside when Lucy shook me awake. From the light shining through the small window, it looked to be late afternoon.

"Hey, Lu," I mumbled as I sat up and rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"

Lucy bit her lip and shifted on her feet. "Um, about four hours past noon. Peter told me not to wake you any earlier." She twiddled with her fingers.

My eyebrows came together as I pushed myself up, standing and moving towards Lucy.

"Why wouldn't Peter want me awake, Lucy? Did they plan without me?"

Lucy's eyes darted to the door behind me before nodding. "Yes and well, EdmundkindofwenttoMiraz'scamptodeliveramessage." She said, fumbling on her words.

I narrowed my eyes. "Once more? A bit slower this time?"

"Edmund went to Miraz's camp to deliver a battle decree." She said softly.

"He WHAT?!" I shouted. Guilt filled me momentarily when I watched Lucy flinch, but I was too worried to care at the moment.

"He didn't go alone!" Lucy said, running around me to block me from the door. "He brought Glenstorm and one of the giants with him! He'll be back in less than an hour!"

I had backed the poor girl so far until she was in the doorway, holding her hands up to keep me there.

"Lucy," I said quietly, breathing heavily. "Move."

The small girl yelped and jumped to the side, giving me room to storm past her.

"Don't hurt him, Macey!" She called behind me.

"No promises!" I replied.

I surged through the tunnels and past the dining hall, catching a glimpse of Susan and hearing her say 'oh no' before I reached our command center. I ripped back the curtain and stood at the threshold, fuming. Peter and Caspian's head snapped in my direction.

"Told you." Caspian smirked. I shot him a glare as I walked further inside the room.

"And I told you to wake me for strategy! Why didn't you listen? I thought I was pretty clear when I said 'wake me for strategy'. How did you get confused there?!"

The prince stammered, pointing to himself and then Peter. I turned on the blond king, stepping forward slowly.

"How could you? Peter, what the hell? Since when did you strategize without me? Fifteen years and this is the first time you've done something like this. You know I would have insisted on going. That's enemy territory! How could you send Edmund there without even notifying me? What if Miraz decides to attack? To bring the Just King down? Do you even know how many people would love to be able to brag that they brought down a King or Queen of Old?"

My finger jabbed into Peter's chest as I walked forward, forcing him to back up until he couldn't anymore. He stumbled, finally catching my finger and squeezing it tightly.

"MACEY!" Peter shouted, causing me to flinch back and freeze. "Don't you think I know? I know you wouldn't have let Ed leave camp without you by his side. I know it would hurt when you found out we planned without you, but look at you!"

You've suffered through more spells within the past three days than you have in months. I can tell that you've barely slept the entire time we've been here, and you literally collapsed last night! Edmund is strong and plenty capable of delivering a message and coming back. It was partly his idea that we did it while you slept, to keep you safe. I was just... We were worried about you." Peter sighed.

I blinked, registering his words, before yanking my finger out of his hand.

"You promised." I spat. I could feel my eyes harden and my jaw clenched. "You promised me years ago that you wouldn't undermine me because of my head."

"Mae, I was just-" Peter stammered.

"No!" I cut him off. "I don't care if you were worried. That's not your job. And keeping me out of strategy is not your decision to make." I moved my face closer to his, my eyes burning into his. "It's mine."

I turned on my heel and stalked off, nearly bumping into Susan as she pulled back the curtain of the room. No one spoke as I made my way outside to keep watch for Edmund.