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I unwrapped a milky way. “This is perfect. Thank you.” I glanced at all of them. “Thanks for coming and having lunch with me.”
We ate the chocolate, talked about school and their tasks for the day, then Rue escorted the kids out. Jay had long been gone and we hadn’t even seen him leaving.
Although I would spend the night here, I wanted to ask Shane to go home. The kids needed him and we had abandoned them so much in the last month. It all had been necessary, but I disliked it.
For now, I enjoyed the fact he was snuggled in bed with me. “You must be tired. Go to sleep.”
I laid my head on his shoulder. “I’m not that tired.”
He kissed my forehead and smooth his hand down my back, tucking me even closer to him. “Just try.”
I didn’t fight it, and that proved that this whole ordeal had indeed zapped my energy and I needed rest. I closed my eyes, inhaled his familiar musky scent, and drifted off to sleep.
* * *
When I woke up, Shane wasn’t in bed. Panic stole my breath, and I had to orient myself … I was in the infirmary.
Shane stood before the long window on the other side of the room.
I stared at him for a minute, always impressed by how handsome and strong he was. Today, he wore fitted jeans and a dark green Henley shirt that hugged his hard shoulders and arms perfectly.
The afternoon sun bathed him in a golden light, and for a moment, he seemed like a wolf god.
With a sly smile, he turned to me. “Watching me again, hm?”
Heat spread to my cheeks. “You caught me.”
He walked toward me. “Keep staring. I don’t mind. But I might stare too.”
I ran a hand through my messy hair. It was worse than a rat’s nest. “How about you wait until I don't feel so messy?”
He sat beside me, facing me, his eyes on mine. “How are you feeling?”
I was still a little tired, as if the fire had incinerated my energy. I was also bored, though my stay here had barely begun. I was worried about hurting others. Maybe we should have a tent outside in an open field, with some kind of moat around me, so even if I burned and burned the tent, the fire wouldn’t spread and I couldn’t hurt anyone. And I also felt the magic within me. I couldn’t explain it, but sometimes it felt like an oily snake swimming through my veins, wrapping around my bones, making itself comfortable and claiming my body as its home.
The knot in Shane’s forehead deepened. “Has it flared up since this morning?”
“Only when Tyren made me emotional earlier, but you noticed before I did.” Thank goodness. If it weren’t for Shane, I’m not sure what would have happened.
He held my hand in his. “Soon, Thea and Almae will come back with your elixir.”
“They are still working on it,” Killian said as he entered the infirmary. “Lavinia is there with them. They have been there nonstop since this morning.”
That made me feel bad. I hated making work and trouble to others. “Tell them to take a break, or the rest of the day off. I think we can manage a day or two without it.” I had no idea if that was true, but I wanted to believe it.
Shane frowned again. “I bet they want to do it.”
Killian nodded. “They love this kind of stuff. They are doing it because they enjoy it.”
That made me feel a little better. “Thanks.” Killian shrugged, but his expression darkened. “What is it?”
He shook his head. “I talked to Drake. He apologized for not coming to see you, but with the tension with the demons, he’s busier than ever.”
“What did he tell you?” Shane asked, his tone somber.
“There’s no progress,” Killian said. “The demon hunters amassed most of their forces and searched the entire country and Canada, and they can’t find Paimon … or Rotgar, or Ivy.”
A wave of apprehension at the sound of my sister's name seized my chest. I pushed that feeling aside. “If he’s gathering an army, shouldn’t it be easy to find?”
