They will not let me see her, m’lord.”
Now the tears did begin to fall, dropping on to the top of
Nicholas’ head, and Tristan cursed under his breath.
“Come with me.”
She followed him through the kitchen and into the slave
quarters. Mrs. Lanning was just leaving one of the rooms and she stared
at Tristan in surprise. “M’lord, why are you here?”
“Which room is Avery’s?” He grunted at her.
“She is not feeling well, my lord.” She
stuttered. “She should not be disturbed.”
“Tell me which room is hers.” He snapped impatiently.
Her mouth pressed in a thin line, she pointed down the
hallway to the door at the end. Tristan shouldered past her and walked
quickly towards the room, Maya hurrying behind him.
He opened the door without knocking. “Avery, are you –
“
Maya gasped in shock beside him. Avery was lying on
her stomach on a thin blanket on the floor. Her top half was bare, and
even in the rapidly-growing darkness he could see the dark bruises and wounds
that covered her entire back.
“Gods!” He knelt beside her and brushed a hand over
her face. “Avery, wake up.”
It was freezing in the room, he could see the goose bumps
that covered her body, and he stared up at Maya. “What the hell is going
on here? Where is her bed? Why is she not healing?”
“I do not know, my lord.” Maya said anxiously.
Awkwardly, still holding Nicholas against her, she knelt next to Tristan and
squeezed Avery’s hand.
“Avery, can you hear me?”
Avery groaned and opened her eyes. She stared in
confusion at Tristan, and then her eyes flickered to Maya. A look of
relief crossed her face. “Maya, I’ve missed you so much.”
She tried to sit up and cried out as a wound on her back
split open and blood dripped down her back.
“Oh honey!” Maya cried out. “Why are you not
healing?”
Avery fell back against the blanket. “I – I haven’t
been sleeping well. I’m so glad you’re back, baby sister.” She
sighed and then slipped back into unconsciousness. Maya looked at Tristan
frantically.
“Take Nicholas. I need to hold Avery.” She tried
to hand the baby to him and he shook his head.
“No. I’m stronger and healthier than you. I’ll
take her to bed and hold her for a few hours. It worked before, it will
work again.”
“My lord, please. I need to be with her.” Maya
began to cry softly as Nicholas woke up. He stared at Maya’s crying face
and burst into loud wracking sobs.
Tristan stood and picked up Avery with a soft grunt.
He held her to his chest, being careful not to touch her back and shook his
head again. “Nicholas needs you. I will help Avery. I’ll let
you know how she is in a few hours.”
He turned and left the room before she could argue.
Chapter
10
Avery opened her eyes. It was dark in the bedroom; the
only light came from the glow of the embers in the fireplace across from the
bed. She moved her upper body experimentally, groaning softly when it
made her back throb and ache.
There was soft snoring above her but she didn’t need to look
up to know that she was back in Tristan’s bed and plastered against his naked
body. He was lying on his back and she was sprawled naked across him on
her chest and belly. His large thigh was wedged between hers, and his
hard hands were resting on the backs of her thighs.
She licked her lips. Although her back was still
burning, she thought that she might not feel as weary as she did before.
She stared at the palm of her hand. The wound from the splinter had
disappeared and she gave a small sigh of relief. Sleeping on Tristan was
helping; it just hadn’t healed her completely yet.
She put her hands on the bed beside him and lifted herself a
little. She gasped sharply, tears coming to her eyes as another short but
brutal burst of pain went down her back. She could feel wetness on her
back and knew that it was
Now the tears did begin to fall, dropping on to the top of
Nicholas’ head, and Tristan cursed under his breath.
“Come with me.”
She followed him through the kitchen and into the slave
quarters. Mrs. Lanning was just leaving one of the rooms and she stared
at Tristan in surprise. “M’lord, why are you here?”
“Which room is Avery’s?” He grunted at her.
“She is not feeling well, my lord.” She
stuttered. “She should not be disturbed.”
“Tell me which room is hers.” He snapped impatiently.
Her mouth pressed in a thin line, she pointed down the
hallway to the door at the end. Tristan shouldered past her and walked
quickly towards the room, Maya hurrying behind him.
He opened the door without knocking. “Avery, are you –
“
Maya gasped in shock beside him. Avery was lying on
her stomach on a thin blanket on the floor. Her top half was bare, and
even in the rapidly-growing darkness he could see the dark bruises and wounds
that covered her entire back.
“Gods!” He knelt beside her and brushed a hand over
her face. “Avery, wake up.”
It was freezing in the room, he could see the goose bumps
that covered her body, and he stared up at Maya. “What the hell is going
on here? Where is her bed? Why is she not healing?”
“I do not know, my lord.” Maya said anxiously.
Awkwardly, still holding Nicholas against her, she knelt next to Tristan and
squeezed Avery’s hand.
“Avery, can you hear me?”
Avery groaned and opened her eyes. She stared in
confusion at Tristan, and then her eyes flickered to Maya. A look of
relief crossed her face. “Maya, I’ve missed you so much.”
She tried to sit up and cried out as a wound on her back
split open and blood dripped down her back.
“Oh honey!” Maya cried out. “Why are you not
healing?”
Avery fell back against the blanket. “I – I haven’t
been sleeping well. I’m so glad you’re back, baby sister.” She
sighed and then slipped back into unconsciousness. Maya looked at Tristan
frantically.
“Take Nicholas. I need to hold Avery.” She tried
to hand the baby to him and he shook his head.
“No. I’m stronger and healthier than you. I’ll
take her to bed and hold her for a few hours. It worked before, it will
work again.”
“My lord, please. I need to be with her.” Maya
began to cry softly as Nicholas woke up. He stared at Maya’s crying face
and burst into loud wracking sobs.
Tristan stood and picked up Avery with a soft grunt.
He held her to his chest, being careful not to touch her back and shook his
head again. “Nicholas needs you. I will help Avery. I’ll let
you know how she is in a few hours.”
He turned and left the room before she could argue.
Chapter
10
Avery opened her eyes. It was dark in the bedroom; the
only light came from the glow of the embers in the fireplace across from the
bed. She moved her upper body experimentally, groaning softly when it
made her back throb and ache.
There was soft snoring above her but she didn’t need to look
up to know that she was back in Tristan’s bed and plastered against his naked
body. He was lying on his back and she was sprawled naked across him on
her chest and belly. His large thigh was wedged between hers, and his
hard hands were resting on the backs of her thighs.
She licked her lips. Although her back was still
burning, she thought that she might not feel as weary as she did before.
She stared at the palm of her hand. The wound from the splinter had
disappeared and she gave a small sigh of relief. Sleeping on Tristan was
helping; it just hadn’t healed her completely yet.
She put her hands on the bed beside him and lifted herself a
little. She gasped sharply, tears coming to her eyes as another short but
brutal burst of pain went down her back. She could feel wetness on her
back and knew that it was
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