Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Emilia’s POV

The herbs did their job and I started feeling better by the time the night fell. I even managed to keep the porridge down.

The chattering of the night insects outside the tent seemed to be creating music of their own. There was something about the fresh breeze, moonlight, and the silence of the night. It had a sort of healing charm into which I found myself relaxing. My heart had finally calmed down and the ache had numbed a bit as well.

I lay there on her bed and watched the moon move across the sky through the flap of the tent. I was reminiscing about the past events when a sudden wave of panic gripped my heart. My eyes widened in horror and the name rolled out of her tongue, “Nivaan.”

Without giving it a thought, I got to my feet. My body swayed slightly and my legs wobbled but I gripped the edge of the bed and steadied myself.

Holding one thing after the other for support, I dragged herself out of her tent and made my way to Kiara’s tent. The tent was just a few meters away but the journey seemed to last for an eternity.

“Kiara,” I called out as she stumbled into the white tent. “Send your men to look for Nivaan right now. He is in danger,” I ranted breathlessly as I held the pole at the entrance for support.

Kiara who was busy discussing some important matter with her beta wasn’t pleased by this. She eyed me with scorn, walked up to me, and snapped, “Don’t waste your energy, Emilia…. I won’t let you stay here more than a week no matter what kind of drama you put up in front of me.”

I was taken aback by her words. Shaking my head vehemently, I tried to explain, “I am telling the truth, Kiara. Nivaan’s condition is not good. I can feel it through our mate bond... He…. He is in grave danger, Kiara…. We have to get to him quickly.”

Kiara snorted as she placed her hand on her hips, “You really thought I would buy this?”

I grabbed her hand and continued in an urgent voice, “Please, believe me, Kiara… I know that you don’t like me….” I paused for a moment before begging, “Please trust me for your brother’s sake…”

Kiara’s face flushed with anger. She narrowed her eyes and spat, “How dare you use Nivaan to sway my decision?” She shrugged off my hand and continued in a cold voice, “Even if you wanted to trick me, you should have come up with a better story. How is it possible for you to sense Nivaan after rejecting him?”

My mouth hung open but no words came out. If I wanted Kiara to trust her, I would have to tell her that I hadn’t accepted Nivaan’s rejection.

Kiara shook her head and commanded her maid, “Please escort Miss Emilia to her tent…” Then turning to the guards, she ordered, “Make sure she never enters my tent again.”

“Kiara…. Please listen to me this once… I swear I am telling the truth… Please send your men to men to look for him,” I kept saying even as she was led out of the tent. However, it was in vain. Kiara didn’t listen to me.

The sense of panic that I felt intensified with time. Now, it had reached a level where it was suffocating me. I gasped for breath. The cool air rushed into my lungs making her realize that nothing was physically wrong with me. Did that mean, Nivaan was suffocating?

No! I couldn’t let that happen. I had to find him. I closed her eyes and focused on the sensation. Using that as a benchmark, I staggered into the woods. The path seemed unending and my sore muscles made every step a battle but I kept going. I had to find Nivaan and make sure that he was alright…

After walking for a few minutes, the path dwindled into a narrow trail. A few branches slapped against me leaving small cuts on my arms. My feet were already bruised but the greatest problem was the numbness that came with the sickness. Quite often than not I found it difficult to figure out if I had moved forward or not.

I gripped anything that was along the path for support; rocks, trunks of trees, and where there was nothing, I even held onto brambles.

The forest seemed eerily quiet in the night. The faint moonlight cast long shadows on everything adding to the spooky feel. My pounding heart kept me company as I moved along, slowly but incessantly.

The feeling of suffocation had reduced to a certain extent now making me wonder if I had panicked unnecessarily. Just then the path opened up revealing an empty meadow.

I caught a glimpse of a man lying on the ground at a distance. My heart accelerated as I drew in a deep breath. My teeth dug into her lower lip. Please don’t let it be Nivaan! At first, I couldn’t smell anything. Then, a sudden gust of wind hit her with the scent of sandalwood and musk.

My heartbeat accelerated as I ran towards him, stumbling and scraping herself a few times. My feet came to a staggering halt near the figure. I stood there like a statue for a long moment before letting out a bone-chilling scream.

Nivaan was lying unconscious on the ground. A large silver arrow was sticking out of his stomach, staining the entire region around it in blood. My knees buckled and I dropped to the ground. I patted his face frantically and called out in a shaking voice, “Nivaan! Nivaan! Are you alright?”

Nivaan didn’t reply. Neither was there any movement. A sense of dread gripped me. What if he was already gone? No! That wasn’t possible. He had probably just passed out due to blood loss.

“The healer will take out the arrow and you will be perfectly fine,” I muttered as I placed my trembling fingers against his wrist. There was nothing. I blew out a puff of air and closed my eyes. I zoned out all the noises around me and tried to calm her heart.

Once, my own heart rate slowed down, I felt it, the soft rhythm of his heartbeat. It was feeble and mild but it was there…