Chapter 42: Listen To Your Heart
NATHAN
"Your ribs aren’t completely healed yet," grumbled Hune as he handed me the silver pill. He was unhappy about the medication, but then again, Hune was never happy. "I don’t think you should trust the Scanderoon. You don’t really know what these so-called nanobots are really doing."
"They’ve reknitted my bones and healed all my wounds, Hune."
"You would’ve healed faster if you hadn’t gone off into the wilderness to save Mrs. Willowmarch."
"Are you trying to piss me off? Don’t call her that. She’s the future Mrs. Stonehart." I stood up and buttoned my shirt.
Thanks to the murky connections of the Scanderoon, I was able to get a miracle cure for all the damage incured by falling down into the ravine. Or should I say pushed. Violently. Willowmarch had been vicious in his attack on me, but at least he got Sophia to safety.
When I learned she had lost her memory, for the second time in her life, I panicked. I worried she’d been hurt badly, so badly she might not recover. It wouldn’t have mattered. That woman was my heart, and always would be. I would take care of her forever no matter what.
The idea we wouldn’t be able to spend this lifetime together made me so scared I couldn’t think straight. I’d only lost her in our previous lives.
I had to protect her in this one.
I sat down in the chair and pulled on my boots.
If I hadn’t come to Velvetleaf to check on her myself, she might well have died in the forest. Someone had purposely damaged the brace between the carriage and the horse. Had it not been storming and the conveyance delayed, she and her servants would’ve plummeted from the cliffs.
But I only arrived in time to see my beloved fall and tumble into the dark forest. Fear turned my blood cold as I went after her, much to Hune’s despair.
By the time I found her she was knocked unconscious.
We’d already secured the cabin as a place to rest while I watched over Sophia, so I took her there.
Thank the gods that Dr. Rhine was already with me. I insisted he give the rest of the nanobot medicine to Sophia, but Hune, that little bastard, kept one last pill for me.
I nearly strangled him when I found out.
"Do you think the nanobots will heal her memories, sir?"
"I don’t know." I pulled on my jacket. "When she got the Cardigill Ick, her fever lasted for days. She was lucky to survive it. And when she finally woke up, she didn’t remember very much." I paused as my heart turned over in my chest. "She forgot me. And now, when we finally reconnected, her amnesia took her from me."
"The world is unfair place, sir."
"I don’t care. I’ll rig the game to win. Cheat, steal, lie. All of it. For her, I’ll do anything." I picked up the mask. "Send my hawk to Dunnie. I want updates on the situation with Jace and Penelope."
"I can’t imagine it’s anything good. Given the information Mr. Dun’s learned so far, Miss Shire is using every dirty trick she can to keep Mr. Willowmarch in the Capital."
"Good. It saves me the trouble. I don’t want him anywhere near Sophia." I slapped Hune on the shoulder and he stumbled forward a couple of steps. "Let’s go."
"Where to, sir?"
"First, we’ll go into town and see if we can find the rat bastard who messed with the carriage. Second, we’ll tear that person apart. Third, we’ll go check on Sophia."
"Do you mean you’ll peek at her from a secret location, or do you mean you’ll knock on the door and talk to her properly?"
"What good would it do for me to pop up on her doorstep?"
"Maybe she got her memories back, sir."
"I hope so," I said as we headed out of the cabin. "I miss her so much."
***|***|***
SOPHIA
I slept through the entire day and night. When I woke up the following morning, I felt refreshed and energetic. My body didn’t ache liked it had before and even my headaches had disappeared.
At breakfast, Mother announced she would be leaving. "You’re better now. As for your amnesia, Dr. Rhine doesn’t think there’s much we can do. Perhaps getting back into the routine of your daily life will trigger something." She rose from the table, and paused. "Oh, that reminds me. I’ve made inquiries about Daisy, but I haven’t made much progress. It’s like the girl has vanished off the face of the earth."
"I will write to Jace about it now that I’m clear-minded." I got up so I could walk my mother to the front door. "He hasn’t sent word about when he’s returning home. I haven’t gotten any more letters, either."
"I’ll have your father contact him and ask Jace to check in with you. You’d think he’d be more concerned about you given your injuries and your amnesia." Mother’s gaze studied me. "Thought I must say, you look remarkably well for someone who was in an airship crash a week ago. Your bruises are gone, and even your head had healed. Perhaps it won’t be long until your memories return."
"You’re probably right." We air kissed each other’s cheeks.
"I’ll write," she said. "You should keep in touch as well. And come visit us in the Capital."
"I will."
We waved to each other, then Mother got into the hired carriage that would take her back to the Capital. I watched until the vehicle has disappeared, and went inside the house.
I flopped onto the couch and sighed with relief. It seemed I didn’t have close relationships with my family. I didn’t feel a mother-daughter bond at all. I would think that if we were close, some kind of instinctual recognition would’ve kicked in.
But no.
Mother wasn’t a warm person, but I could tell she had some care for me. Some. I wondered what my father and brothers were like. More of the same? Stodgy. Stoic. Stern.
I got up from the couch and turned to go upstairs.
Then someone knocked on the door.
