A Thousand Years (Soulmates Book 1) by Brigitte Ann Thomas Page B

you can still save her," a voice barked at him from somewhere in the dark room. Eadric was about to protest when he moved his arms and found that he was no longer chained to the bed. His legs were free too.
                  Eadric sat up quickly and swung his legs over the side of the bed, dropping them onto the cold floor. Running his hands over his skin, he checked for any signs of the fire damage on his body and found none. His body and clothes were repaired. Then, he searched the room with his eyes, hunting for the source of the voice. There was no one else there.
                  "Go!" Eadric didn't have to be told again.
                  His strength back, Eadric didn't waste time walking outside. He teleported to the grassy area beneath the bedroom window, just a few feet from the pyre that was still burning. Anabell was still tied up, but she was out, her head lolled to the side. Her feet were burned, and blisters ran up the sides of her legs. The flames had licked up one side of her body, singeing the nightgown and her hair – the flesh was a bright red color.
                  Eadric immediately recognized that it could have been a lot worse, if the fire hadn’t died down. He had to get her down before there was no saving her.
                  Eadric climbed the stake, ignoring the heat burning beneath him. He tore through the knots holding her – hands first, then feet. He caught her in one fluid motion, swinging her into his free arm and pressing her against him as he climbed back down. Once he was close enough to the ground, he jumped – he barely felt his feet touch the ground.
                  Anabell was limp in his arms as he carried her into the house and through to the kitchen. He guided her onto the counter, laying her down gently on her back.  Her pulse was sluggish, but it was there. And a fever was burning her up. She was slowly but surely slipping away. If he didn’t get her taken care of, infection would be the thing that took her away from him.
                  Since he had been a demon for so long, Eadric had no medical equipment in the entire place, not even a bandage. Wet rags would have to do.
                  Eadric made quick work of shredding two of his shirts, pumping a bucket full of water to boil, and wetting the strips once the water was as hot as she could handle.
                  It was going to hurt, but she was too far out of it to feel the pain. He wrapped them systematically around the worst of the burns first, then worked his way up to the smaller ones.
                  Anabell was still burning up. He had to break her fever.
                  Running upstairs, Eadric grabbed as many blankets as he could find and took them back downstairs to bundle her up in them.
                   “ Anabell, I won’t lose you again. I can’t lose you again. Not now,” Eadric murmured as he wiped the sweaty and slightly singed hair off her forehead.  “If ye go this time, I’m going too. I can’t live another day without you. I won’t live a single day without you.”
                  Eadric rubbed his thumb along her brow, the way he used to put his children to sleep when they were little. She was so small on the large, wooden counter, so damaged and fragile. The loud, sweet girl he watched grow over the past three years was gone, replaced by a strong woman who took more than her fair share of punishment for his misdeeds.
                  Eadric didn't know how long he stood over her, watching for any sign of her fever breaking or regaining consciousness, but when the sun came up, it took all his strength to remain awake and on his feet. Eventually, though, the sun won out. His body couldn't fight the day any longer, and he drifted off to sleep with his back pressed to the counter, sitting on the floor.