The Cursed Prince, Teresa Roman [the reader ebook TXT] 📗

was happening. I willed myself to stay with it, but eventually darkness consumed me.

Chapter 23

I woke up in unfamiliar surroundings. I looked down at my hand and saw IV tubing strapped to it. That’s when I realized I was in the hospital. I tried to sit up, but the sharp pain in my chest stopped me.

“What do you think you’re doing?” came a voice from beside me. Nicolai’s.

I turned my head.

For a moment, I was too stunned to speak. “How are you here?”

He wrapped his hand around mine. “You broke my curse.”

I stared at him, wondering if I was really dreaming. “How?”

“I’m not entirely certain. Maria seems to think that it has something to do with the sacrifice you made for me.”

I furrowed my brows. “Sacrifice?”

“Don’t you remember what happened?”

I couldn’t recall it all clearly. My mind seemed to shut down as I tried to replay the horrifying scenes in my head.

“If you hadn’t pushed me out of the way, I’d probably be dead right now. You saved my life,” Nicolai said, his voice strained.

“I couldn’t let Peter take you from me.” That much I remembered. The idea of it hurt almost as much as the wound in my chest.

Nicolai gripped my hand tighter. “Willow—”

A knock at the door interrupted him. Grace stepped inside the room and rushed to the side of my bed. “Oh my God. You’re awake.” I tried to sit up, but the pain in my chest reminded me that was a bad idea. “You scared me shitless, girl. Did you know that?”

I looked from Nicolai to Grace, not really sure what to say. How much had he told her?

“How long have I been here?”

“Several hours,” Nicolai replied. “You lost a lot of blood and passed out. One of your lungs collapsed as well.”

That explained the tube sticking out of the side of my chest.

“Christ, Willow. You could have died,” Grace said.

Nicolai’s face blanched.

“What about Peter?” I asked. “What happened to him?”

Grace frowned. “Peter? What’s he got to do with any of this?”

I wasn’t sure how to answer. Thankfully, Nicolai spoke up. “It’s a long story, Grace, one better saved for after Willow makes a full recovery.”

“Of course. I’m sorry. What was I thinking? The last thing you need is the third degree from me while you’re stuck in a hospital bed.”

“It’s okay, Grace.” I smiled at her. “How did you know I was here?”

“I figured you’d want to see a friendly face after you woke up,” Nicolai said.

“Nicolai called me from your phone,” Grace said, clearly impressed with his thoughtfulness.

I squeezed his hand. “Thank you.”

“Speaking of friendly faces,” I said, turning my head from Grace to Nicolai. “Where is Maria? You said you spoke to her. Has she returned?”

“Not yet. But she is on her way back to Beaver Falls as we speak. You are her first stop as soon as her plane touches ground.”

“What about your brothers?” I asked.

“Frederic and Alexander are completely fine.” Nicolai bent his head. “Maxim isn’t doing as well, but he’s holding on.”

“Something happened to Maxim?” Grace asked.

I glanced at Nicolai, hoping he’d know how to answer.

“I’m guessing neither of you are going to tell me,” Grace said before either Nicolai or I could reply. “So forget I asked.”

“I’m sorry, Grace.”

“Don’t be. I’m just glad you’re all right.” Her gaze drifted down to Nicolai’s hand, which still held mine. “Maybe I should come back later.”

“You don’t have to go,” Nicolai said.

“It’s okay.” Grace put her hand on Nicolai’s shoulder. He tensed, but as soon as she made contact he relaxed. It would take him a while to remember that the curse was broken. “It seems like the two of you have a lot to talk about.”

“Thanks for coming to visit, Grace,” I said.

She smiled before turning to leave.

I lifted my gaze to meet Nicolai’s and somehow managed to work up the courage to ask Nicolai the question that pressed on my mind the most. “So now what happens?”

With Peter dead, there was no reason for me to stay in the castle any longer. And with the curse lifted, there was no reason for Nicolai and his brothers to remain in Beaver Falls.

“We wait for Maria, so she can heal you and Maxim, and then we go home.”

Before I could ask where exactly home was supposed to be, Frederic entered the room carrying an enormous bouquet of pink roses. Alexander followed. Frederic placed the flowers on the small table beside my hospital bed.

“How long before Maria arrives?” Nicolai asked them.

Alexander glanced down at his watch. “A few more hours.”

“Calm down, Nicolai,” Frederic said. “She’ll be here soon.”

“That wound”—Nicolai pointed to my chest—“is my fault.”

“It will be healed soon,” Frederic replied. “And then we’ll finally be able to leave this wretched place for good.”

“Frederic, where are your manners?” Alexander brushed past his older brother. “What we came here to say is thank you. We will forever be in your debt, Willow, not only for saving Nic’s life, but for breaking his curse.”

I managed a smile. “I’m just glad I could do it.”

“Nicolai, if you don’t mind, Alexander and I would like to have a few words with you in private.”

“I’m not leaving Willow,” Nicolai said.

“It’s okay.” I squeezed his hand. “I’ll be fine. Maria will be here soon, and in the meantime, I could really do with a little rest. Just promise you’ll come back later.”

He seemed hesitant, but after a moment he bent over me and kissed my forehead. “I will. Nothing could keep me away.”

Almost as soon as Nicolai and his brothers left, I fell back asleep. When I woke up again, it was Frederic who sat beside me, not Nicolai, or even Maria.

“Feeling better?” he asked when he realized I had wakened.

I sat up in bed. The pain in my chest was gone. The bandages were still in place over the spot Peter’s dagger had gone into. I peeled them back. Maria must’ve come while I was asleep. The wound was completely healed. I was grateful for that but