The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 148: Found Her

"Jessamyn!" he called again, louder this time, his voice echoing through the trees.

He scanned the surroundings, his mind racing with fear. The forest, which had seemed peaceful moments ago, now felt menacing and oppressive.

He dropped the food and started searching the area, calling her name repeatedly.

Jerrick’s heart pounded as he scanned the area. The eerie silence of the forest wrapped around him, intensifying his anxiety. He hurried through the underbrush, calling Jessamyn’s name, his voice growing more desperate with each unanswered call.

Then he came upon a pond he knew well—a dark, murky body of water notorious for being filled with leeches. His heart ached at the thought of Jessamyn getting into that water.

He spotted her shoe near the water’s edge, a clear sign that she had been there. Panic surged through him.

"Jessamyn!" he shouted, his voice cracking.

Without a second thought, Jerrick jumped into the pond, the cold water closing around him like a vice. He thrashed and swam, searching desperately for any sign of her. The water was murky, making it difficult to see, but he pushed forward, ignoring the slimy sensation of leeches brushing against his skin.

"Jessamyn!" he cried again, diving deeper.

His mind raced with fear, his movements growing more frantic. He couldn’t lose her. He wouldn’t. His lungs burned as he stayed underwater, feeling around, hoping to grasp her hand, her arm—anything.

Then, through the murkiness, he saw a faint outline. He swam towards it, reaching out desperately. His fingers brushed against fabric. He grabbed hold and pulled with all his strength, dragging Jessamyn to the surface.

Gasping for air, he pulled her to the shore, his heart pounding with relief and fear. His heart almost stopped seeing her.

Her delicate skin was marred by hundreds of leeches clinging tenaciously to her body. Blood oozed from the tiny wounds, and her usually vibrant face was pale and lifeless. She had fainted, her strength sapped by the loss of blood.

"Jessamyn, no... please," he whispered, his voice breaking as he held her limp form in his arms.

Panic surged through him. He knew he didn’t have much time. He had to get the leeches off her, but there were so many, and they clung stubbornly, feeding on her life force.

He didn’t know why women dressed so complicatedly. He couldn’t even get the clothes off her. Once he freed her off the wet clothes, his heart sank seeing the state she was in.

He started pulling the leeches off one by one, his hands trembling, but it was slow, too slow. Each second felt like an eternity.

"Stay with me, My Songbird," he pleaded, tears streaming down his face. "I can’t lose you."

His mind raced, searching for a solution. He remembered his training, the old remedies for leech bites, but they all seemed useless now, in the face of so many.

He tried to keep his hands steady, but the sheer number overwhelmed him. For every leech he removed, it felt like there were a dozen more, and time was slipping away.

Desperation clawed at his heart. He had to act fast. He tore at the leeches with renewed urgency, ignoring the slimy feel of them, the way they squirmed and clung to his fingers. Her blood stained his hands, and he felt the crushing weight of helplessness pressing down on him.

"Don’t you dare leave me, Mynah," he cried, his voice raw with anguish. "Not now, not like this."

Her breathing was shallow, barely perceptible. He could see her life slipping away before his eyes, and the thought was unbearable. His vision blurred with tears as he frantically worked to save her, his own strength waning as the reality of the situation set in.

With a surge of determination, he remembered the small vial of salt in his pack. He had brought it for seasoning their meals, but salt could be a powerful deterrent for leeches.

He scrambled to his horse, nearly tripping in his haste, and grabbed the vial. Returning to Jessamyn’s side, he sprinkled the salt over her body, praying it would work quickly.

It didn’t.

The leeches clung stubbornly, their dark, bloated bodies seeming to mock his efforts. Jerrick felt his heart plummet, the last glimmer of hope extinguishing. What would he do out here, alone, when the one surefire remedy wasn’t working?

Desperation clawed at him, the weight of helplessness bearing down. He watched her life slipping away, the seer’s grim prophecy echoing in his mind.

Was she going to die in his arms, just as the seer had foretold? Was this the end for her, for them?

"No!" he shouted, his voice breaking with anguish. "I won’t let this happen!"

He pulled her closer, the leeches’ slimy bodies pressing against his skin. He tried to keep calm, to think clearly. His mind raced through everything he knew about survival, about healing, but nothing seemed adequate for this moment, this horror.

He had to save her. He couldn’t lose her. Not like this.

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Jessamyn went to relieve herself when she saw that pond. The water looked murky, and she noticed the absence of animals nearby—a clear sign that something was wrong with the water. Instinctively, she decided to stay away, but as she stepped back, her foot landed on something squishy. She looked down to find animal excrement smeared on her shoe. The smell was awful.

She grimaced in disgust. Having no other way to clean it off, she reluctantly approached the pond. Carefully, she leaned over and placed her soiled shoe in the water, watching as the grime slowly dissolved. She remembered placing her soiled shoe in the water, but after that, everything became a blur.

Before she knew it, she was sinking into the murky depths, her limbs feeling heavy and unresponsive. Panic surged through her as she felt herself being swarmed by slimy worms—leeches. They clung to her skin, draining her strength and pulling her deeper into unconsciousness.

Her vision blurred, and she felt a crushing weight of helplessness. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

The last thing she remembered was the overwhelming sensation of the leeches’ cold, wriggling bodies enveloping her. Her world turned dark.

In that darkness, Jessamyn returned to the dream that frequented her nights. She was standing at the edge of a vast chasm, the abyss stretching endlessly before her.

On the other side, Joar stood, his hand outstretched towards her, his eyes filled with longing. She felt the pull of his presence, a connection that had never truly faded.

"Jessamyn!"

The voice from behind startled her. She turned to see Jerrick, standing in a peaceful garden on her side of the chasm. His face was etched with desperation and love, a stark contrast to the serene surroundings.

"My Songbird... Don’t you dare leave me..." His voice echoed with a raw intensity that pierced through her heart.

She was torn between two worlds.

She turned back to Joar, who remained steadfast on the other side. The longing in his eyes mirrored her own inner turmoil. He represented her past, a life filled with memories and a love that had shaped her.

My Joar!