The Blessed Curse (The Elder Blood Chronicles, #4)(118)

“Nothing,” Seth assured her with a smile and she could see the lie on his face. He wasn’t scared, but he did seem uneasy. “Don’t forget, I saved Jala’s life with my actions as well, and Finn can forgive a lot when Jala is involved,” he added with a faint smile.

“I don’t want you to suffer for me,” Zoelyn murmured with a soft shake of her head. She regretted the action at once and a soft whimper escaped her lips as the pain intensified.

“I will be fine, Zoey,” Seth promised as he paused in front of his door.

Zoelyn had no idea how they had reached his rooms so swiftly, but she was grateful they had. Her head was throbbing and she was growing dizzier by the moment. Closing her eyes, she slowed her breathing and tried to center herself as Seth carried her into his rooms. Nausea rose in her stomach once more and she clamped her mouth shut until the feeling passed and by the time she finally reopened her eyes, Seth was laying her gently on the bed. His hand brushed against her hair softly and she tried to keep from flinching from his touch.

“It’s a bad one, but it will heal. You will have a scar from it, though,” Seth murmured as he examined the wound more closely. He straightened and let out a harsh breath. “Let me gather a few things and I will get you stitched up so you can rest.”

She watched him in silence as he left the room and her mind returned to the last moments of the battle as she stared up at the ceiling.

Seth’s accusations rang in her mind and she swallowed heavily at the memory of his words. It had been Neph that had cursed her, but from what she had overheard it hadn’t been something that was done in malice. Zyi Delvayon, the name echoed in her mind and something stirred deep inside her.

According to Seth, Undrae never remembered their previous lives, but something about the name blossomed in her mind. Déjà vu coiled around her as she focused on the thought, and an echo of earlier pain returned to her mind. The memory was foggy with most of the details lost in a haze, but she could remember the pain clearly, and a distant voice promising her that everything would be fine.

Her gaze rose once more as Seth entered the room and she watched him approach in silence. He had a small box tucked under his arm and the expression on his face was distracted as he dragged the chair from the center of the room to the bedside. His eyes met hers for a moment as he carefully set the box on the bed beside her and flipped it open. “This is going to hurt,” he warned her softly as he pulled a small needle and some thread from the box.

“I’ve had worse,” Zoelyn whispered faintly and Seth looked up at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“Have you now? That’s a story I haven’t heard from you. I thought you were safe in Glis while Dominic cared for you,” Seth said quietly as he threaded the needle.

“It was in Delvay and the cold was almost as bad as the wounds. The winters in Glis were harsh, but nothing can match the cold of the mountains in Delvay,” Zoelyn whispered and Seth froze. “I can’t hate him for what he did to me,” she added after a long pause.

“You shouldn’t remember anything,” Seth whispered as his golden eyes searched her face. “Undrae never remember who they were.”

Zoelyn ignored the words as more memories surfaced and tears rose in her eyes. “My brother did everything he could to save me, and nearly died in the process. I can’t hate him no matter what magic he used to call me back. At least he loved me enough to try, no matter how wrong it may have been.” Her words faded as she wiped the tears from her eyes and she smiled bitterly as she met Seth’s gaze once more. “I didn’t want you to find my past, but now that you did, I am so grateful. It’s just as painful as I feared it would be, but there is comfort in it too. My life has been hard, but I was loved, and that is something I shall never forget or cast away.”

“Zoey you shouldn’t remember any of this,” Seth repeated and shook his head in confusion.

She snorted in amusement and ignored the flash of pain it caused. “You said I was stronger than other Undrae and I understand why now. I’m Delvay, Seth, and while I never understood what my father meant in life, I do understand his words now. The Delvay are as strong as the mountains and I have finally found my strength. Thank you, Seth. Without you I would have been lost forever.”

Seth stared at her for a long moment before nodding slowly. “I’m not sure I will be able to adjust to calling you Zyi,” he admitted quietly.

“I don’t I want you to,” Zoelyn replied softly. “I may remember who I was, but that doesn’t mean I want to return to that life. I think for now I’m content with being Zoey and learning from the memories of Zyi’s mistakes.” She smiled at him again and carefully pulled her hair back from her head wound. “Would you mind? I remember what it is like to die now, and it’s not something I want to repeat.”

Seth shook his head sharply as he stirred himself from his thoughts and nodded to her quickly. “Of course,” he whispered as he leaned forward to examine the wound again. “It shouldn’t take long if you don’t squirm while I’m stitching,” he informed her quietly as he wiped away the worst of the blood with a damp cloth.

“I won’t move a muscle. I promise,” Zoelyn murmured as she closed her eyes once more. Her mind returned to the faint echoes of her former life and she pushed all of her focus toward the memories to block out the pain. In time, she might even remember why she had died in Delvay. For now, all she could remember about it was betrayal, but she wasn’t sure who had betrayed her.