Chapter 116

Cassie

"I am worried about him," Ian said the second he sat down in one of the chairs. Once they had been pretty comfortable but that had been when we had first come here, now after several days of sleeping on them or the hard wooden floor they felt more like torture devices.

I didn't need to ask him who he was talking about because I knew. "I'm worried about him as well." I said my eyes darting to the bed in the corner where Julian still slept. Drenched in sweat he was mumbling. He had been like that since he had woken up the night we saved him and that was four days ago. At first I could force him awake to take the antibiotics but those were gone now. It felt like there was nothing else for us to do but wait but I also knew waiting might kill him.

"I'm worried as well." I said again, turning my attention back to Ian with a sigh. This wasn't part of the plan. Getting him out was meant to be a good thing.

"What do you think is-" he trailed off as Julian let out a loud groan and then went back to sleep.

"I would say an infection. That knife was filthy. And he was covered in cuts and then there was the spitting up blood." I shook my head. "It could be any number of things."

"And you can help with those things?" There was clear worry in Ians voice.

I sighed. "Possibly if I had the right equipment and medicine but not here. He needs a hospital."

"I'll just phone an ambulance shall I?" Ian's voice was gruff.

"There's no need to be sarcastic. You asked and I told you. Is there an infirmary here?" Lifting my head I stared at him and Ian stared right back.

"Don't even think about it." He warned.

"It was a simple question."

For twenty full seconds he stared at me and didn't say anything. "I'll go. I'll be faster than you are and-"

"And you have no idea what we need." I pointed out. "I will go , you just need to tell me where to go."

"No." Ian said sharply. "Absolutely not. You have a price on your head. If they find you." He shook his head.

"Then I won't let them find me."

"Do you want to leave the boys? If they catch you then you will leave Niall and Noah without a mother."

I knew what he was trying to do. He was attempting to make me feel guilty and it was working but I knew it had to be me. He might be faster and stronger but that's exactly why he had to stay behind.

"You need to be here to protect them for me. If you go and get caught then I have no chance of escaping this palace. I can't carry the twins and Julian. If something happens to me then you are their only hope of surviving this." I sucked in a breath and let it out in a long exhale. "We both know this."

Ian was silent and then he sighed just as loudly as I did. "Fine , get me a pen and paper and I will draw you a map. What do you want to do about the boys?"

I looked at him confused.

"Feeding them Cassie?" He pointed out. "I don't have the equipment to do it for you." He motioned towards my chest and I couldn't help it. I giggled.

"I'll express , it's not ideal but it will do. If I'm not back within twenty four hours-"

"You will be back , fuck." He jumped to his feet. "I can't believe I'm letting you do this. It's crazy. Julian is going to kill me."

"He will die if we don't. You want to leave on the full moon and that's just a few days away. We need him to be able to at least walk. This is our only option." I pointed out.

"I still think it should be me. I know where I am going."

"And I know what we need. We could do with some food as well." I glanced at the almost empty basket that Cathy had brought us. "I'll stop by the kitchen on the way back."

I said it as a joke but it wasn't a half bad idea.

"You're going to be the death of me Cassie."

"And staying here will be the death of all of us." I pointed out tartly.

"Fine." Ian cracked his shoulders loudly as he stretched. "Do what you need to do to prepare yourself. Feed and express what you can for the boys. I don't know how I'll get it into them but I will figure something out. I'll sort you out a uniform and draw a map." He studied me with his eyebrows knit together over his intense eyes. "And find you some weapons."

My eyes widened in shock. "Uniform and weapons?" I asked confused.

"You will stick out like a sore thumb dressed in leggings and an old man's shirt. The easiest way for you not to draw attention to yourself is if I dress you like a guard. Or at least so you look kind of like one. Plus it's easier to move and you're going to have to move quickly and quietly." He took two steps away and then turned back to face me. One deep breath and then he crushed me to his chest in a hug that was so tight that it bruised my ribs and squeezed the air from my lungs. After a second I wrapped my arms around him. Hugging him back. It was the first time he had ever embraced me and I welcomed it. It made me feel safe but at the same time it worried me. It felt like he was saying farewell.

"You're such a brave woman Cassie. Braver than you know but this situation is seriously dangerous." Pressing his lips to my hair he stepped back  and walked away. "Prepare yourself and- say your goodbyes."