Neither could Brie, and the transition was taking a toll on him. She never should have fallen asleep; she’d meant to stay awake to watch and guard him, but those intentions had completely gone off the rails when exhaustion took over.
At least the rest had done her some good. The skin on her belly had completely healed, but her muscles were still sore.
She brushed her fingers across Asher’s cheek. His lids flickered again, but they were the only part of him that moved. All his muscles were rigid, and she understood the term stiff as a board as she surveyed him.
His good hand fisted in the sheet as beads of sweat dotted his forehead. She dipped the cloth in the water again and wiped the sweat away.
“Hopefully, he wakes soon,” she whispered.
“I’ll get some fresh water and towels.” Zina lifted the bowl from the table and went into the bathroom. She returned a minute later with the bowl and a small hand towel. “There are no washcloths left. I can ask the office for more.”
“This will work fine. Thank you,” Brie said as she took the hand towel from Zina.
Asher had been out for longer than it normally took for a vampire to transition, but he’d also been severely injured. That had to slow the process down.
Thankfully, his breathing had become less labored, and his heartbeat had regulated into a steady thump. It was taking more time than normal, but he was showing signs of improvement. She had to cling to that; otherwise, the terror that she somehow destroyed him would tear her apart.
“There are some extra clothes in the closet,” Zina said and pointed across the room to the wooden, paneled door. “I ran out to buy them while Cabo watched over you both.”
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you guys,” Brie whispered as tears blurred her vision.
“A lot of good in this world,” Cabo said.
“But have I?” she whispered. “All I’ve done is hunt down stones that could do absolutely nothing.”
“They’ll do something,” Zina said.
“How can you be so sure?”
“I just am, and that’s enough for me.”
“For me too,” Cabo said.
Brie wished it was enough for her too, but after what happened in the cave, her self-doubt was rampaging. She should have seen this coming; she hadn’t. She should knowsomethingabout these stones; she knew nothing.
It was really difficult to stay upbeat when she felt so battered. She took a deep breath and focused on Asher as she cleaned his face with the cloth. First things first, she had to get him through this. That was the most important thing right now.
“Do you need help with anything else?” Zina asked.
“No,” Brie said. “You two should go get some rest.” They both looked exhausted. “Thank you so much for everything. We wouldn’t be alive without you.”
“We could say the same to you,” Cabo said.
Brie had never done it before, but she rose from the bed, crossed the room, and embraced them. They were her best friends, and though they saw her as their savior, they were actually hers.
And not just after that cave, but when she first met them and every day since then. She’d convinced herself she was better off alone and stayed that way for centuries, but she’d been wrong.
They were the ones who showed her how wrong she was for so many years. They’d opened her up to trust and love again, and she couldn’t imagine her life without them. She’d never been emotional or open with them before, but she couldn’t stop herself now.
“I hope you both know how much you mean to me,” she whispered.
Cabo awkwardly patted her back. “Don’t go getting all emotional on us now.”
Brie chuckled, and Zina hugged her. “You mean a lot to us too,” Zina whispered.
Brie released them and stepped away. She tried to hide that she wiped tears from her eyes but knew she failed when Zina embraced her again.
“It’s going to be okay. He’s going to be fine,” Zina said.
