Chapter 288 Kaelen is struggling

Chapter 288: Chapter 288 Kaelen is struggling

Talia’s POV

I held my mother’s hand through the bars, and I felt the warmth of her fingers against mine. I had finally found her after fifteen years, and she was alive, and she was real. And I would not let her die in this cell.

But behind me, I heard Kaelen’s breathing. It was shallow, labored, and it sounded wrong.

I turned, and my heart stopped.

Kaelen was leaning against the wall, with his body barely holding him upright. His skin was covered in red welts, angry and raw, spreading across his neck and down his arms. His face was pale, and his eyes were glassy with pain.

"Kaelen," I said, my voice sharp with fear. "Kaelen, look at me."

He blinked, and I saw the effort it took for him to focus. "I am fine, Talia."

"You are not fine," I said. "Your skin..."

I looked at his hands, at the burns that covered his fingers and palms. The cloth I had wrapped around him was gone, and eaten away by the silver. His skin was red and raw, blistered and bleeding.

"The silver," I whispered. "It is everywhere."

He shook his head. "I can still stand, Talia."

I stood and walked to him. "Kaelen, you can barely breathe."

He reached for my hand, and I saw the pain on his face. "I am not leaving you."

"Kaelen..."

"Talia," he said. "I am not leaving you."

I looked at him, and I saw the love in his eyes. He was suffering, and he was still trying to protect me. He would rather die than leave me alone in this dungeon.

"You should not be here," I said. "The silver is killing you."

He shook his head. "I will not leave you."

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could speak, Kaelen pushed himself off the wall. His legs wobbled beneath him, and I reached out to steady him.

"Kaelen, what are you doing?" I asked.

He looked at me, and I saw the determination in his eyes. "There has to be something. I need to find a weapon, or a tool, or anything that can break these bars."

"Kaelen, you can barely stand," I said.

He shook his head. "I can still search, Talia."

"Kaelen..." I called.

"Talia," he said. "I cannot break the bars with my hands. But I can find something that can."

I looked at him, and I saw the stubbornness in his eyes. He was not going to give up, and he was not going to sit back and watch me struggle.

"Fine," I said. "But be careful, Kaelen. Do not touch anything silver."

He almost smiled. "I will try."

He turned and walked away, with his steps slow and unsteady. I watched him go, and I felt the fear and gratitude mixing in my chest. He was suffering, and he was still trying to help me. He was still trying to save my mother.

I turned back to the bars, and I pressed my hand against the cold silver. My mother was still there, watching me with tired eyes.

"He is your mate?" she asked.

I looked at her, and I felt the tears prick at my eyes. "Yes, Mother. He is."

She smiled, even through the pain. "He loves you."

I nodded. "He does."

She looked in the direction Kaelen had gone. "He is a good man, Talia."

I nodded. "I know, Mother."

"He reminds me of your father," she said.

I shook my head. "He is nothing like my father."

"No," she said. "He is not. He is so much better than that man."

I felt the tears spill down my cheeks. "He is suffering because of me. He has silver allergies, and the silver is killing him, but is so stubborn, and he will not leave."

My mother pressed her palm against the bars. "That is what love is, Talia. It is not always easy. Sometimes it is painful, and sometimes it is sacrifice. But it is always worth it."

I pressed my hand against hers. "I do not know what I would do if I lost him."

She squeezed my hand. "Then do not lose him. Find a way to break these bars, and get us all out of here."

I looked at her, and I felt the determination settle in my chest. "I will, Mother. I promise."

Kaelen’s voice came from somewhere in the darkness, weak but urgent. "Talia, come here."

I turned, and I saw him standing at the edge of the torchlight. He was holding something in his hands.

"What is it?" I asked, walking toward him.

He held it up. It was a rusted metal rod, lying discarded in the shadows. It was old and worn, but it was solid. It could be used to pry the bars apart.

"I found this," he said. "It is not silver."

I looked at the rod, and I felt the hope rising in my chest. "Kaelen, you did it."

He almost smiled. "I told you I would find something."

I reached for the rod, and I felt the cold metal in my hands. It was heavy, and it was strong.

"Thank you, Kaelen," I said.

He nodded. "Now break those bars, Talia."