Language Barriers Abound
ERIK
Everything around me is black and fuzzy. My head pounds with the force of a thousand waves as the scent of bleach fills my nose.
Where am I?
I search my memory for any idea of what happened to me, but things are suspiciously blank. Groaning, I pry my aching eyelids open.
Brightness assaults my vision, and I squeeze my eyes shut, my retinas screaming against the sudden attack of artificial light. Stretching out my fingers, I feel something cold and hard beneath me. It’s frigid to the touch, and a cool breeze washes over my bare skin. Naked and vulnerable is not what I want.
I reach out, my eyes still squeezed shut, towards my bottom half. My hands encounter fabric, and I exhale,relieved.
Being kidnapped is one thing. Being stripped naked against my will is another thing entirely.
“Hello?” I croak, my throat sore and raspy. It aches as I force the words out. “Is anyone there?”
A rustling comes from behind me, and I instinctively push myself onto my elbows. Or at least, I try to. A searing pain rushes through my shoulder, and I drop back down. Opening my eyes again, I squint in preparation for the bright light I now know is there.
I’m in a small, sterile room with white walls. There appears to be a window on one side, but it’s covered in a thick, black curtain. My curiosity is peaked, but before I can further analyze my surroundings, the female Fae from the alleyway pops into my vision. She blows out a breath, the line between her brows disappearing as she looks me over.
Now that it’s not pitch black, I can see her more clearly. I was right. She is definitely an Autumn Fae. Her bright orange hair reaches her tiny waist, standing out from her pale features, unlike Helena’s much darker hair. The points of the female’s ears are covered in green tips that match her eyes. Her clothing resembles something my mother would have worn in the cooler weather despite the heat of Lethe.
The Fae reaches out with her tiny hands, pressing and prodding against my bare shoulder, which causes a fiery burn to rush through me. I yelp.
She makes a soothing sound with her tongue, reaching behind her. On instinct, I pull away but relax when I see a large tub in her hands. She holds it out to me, a questioning look in her eyes. I nod, dropping back onto the table. Seconds later, a soothing relief pushes away the pain as she applies a cream to my shoulder.
For the first time, I really notice her hands. Her touch is warm, but it's nothing like Helena’s touch. Memories of the Mer Princess cupping my face, running over my jawline and through my hair, play through my mind. Their pain is deep, breaking my soul in a way I didn’t know was possible. The thought of the Crown Princess is like a spear through my heart, and I grimace. The Fae notices my movement and stops her ministrations. She looks at me with a questioning look in her eyes.
“It’s fine,” I say gruffly.
Her brows furrow, but she continues applying cream to my shoulder before wrapping a bandage around it without speaking. The silence is good. It’s right. Silence will serve me well until the Elite come for me. I know I only have so much time before Phelix’s men find me.
That's why I need to get out of here. Whereverhereis, I don’t want to endanger anyone else with my existence. Especially not someone as kind as this Fae, who was willing to take me in when I was clearly injured.
After a few minutes, she steps away, gesturing to my shoulder as she begins to speak. The musical lilt of her voice reaches my ears, but her words don’t make any sense to me. My brows furrow, and I wonder if I hit my head in addition to hurting my shoulder.
“Wait.” I hold up my hands as I stare at her in confusion. My brain is having trouble catching up with the words coming from her mouth. “Slow down. I can’t understand you.”
She pinches her brows together, her hands waving in the air, as she starts talking even faster. Her words wash over my ears, but I still don’t understand what she says.
“I don’t know what you’re telling me,” I say. My voice is sharp as I try to get her to stop. “I can’t understand you.”
The Fae steps closer, gesticulating wildly, as she seems to reiterate what she said.
“Please,” I repeat, “slow down.”
She just keeps talking over me. Her pitch increases as she points at me, then at the door, then at herself. Her words are complete and utter gibberish to my ears. Panic begins to set in as my heart speeds up. Ignoring the burning in my shoulder and chest, I shove myself into a sitting position. The tiny bed creaks its displeasure under my weight.
“Slow down,” I repeat, rubbing my hands on my temples. The urge to pull my hair is strong as I try to get this female to hear me. To understand me.
All of a sudden, a wave of awareness hits me. Like a dagger to my heart, understanding I had no desire to have floods through me. It’s almost laughable how much this situation mirrors another one with a stunningly beautiful... nope. I shake my head.
I willnotbe going down that road. I feel utter despair, but I refuse to think aboutheranymore.
Raising my hands, I shove myself off the bed and onto my feet. The floor is ice-cold as I approach the woman, extending my hands. “I don’t know what you want from me.”
The female steps back, and words start flooding out of her at an even more rapid rate. Her eyes widen to an impossible size as she reaches a higher decibel than before.