Right now, the Caerulus moon was slightly closer to the axis, casting a soft blue haze over the mountain range, outshining the other five moons. I knew the suns would come back up soon, knew I should have slept or done something other than just sit here and wallow in self pity.
My head was pounding and I still couldn’t think straight.
I was sitting on the window’s edge, waiting for Bran to get me ready for breakfast the next day when a knock sounded on my door. Just one single knock. Only Bran never knocked. Half the time he barged in before I was even awake.
I pulled the door open and froze.
It was Hael.
I scanned him. His hair was soaking wet, but it didn’t look like sweat this time. He didn’t seem to be in physical pain like he had been the last time I saw him. Water stains were peppering his shirt and pants like he had just gotten out of the bath and didn’t even bother drying off before getting dressed, but otherwise he looked fine.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure.” My voice was soft, hesitant. I had no idea how to act or what to say. He was the last person I expected to see after ignoring me for the past twenty-four hours.
“Are you okay?” he asked after I shut the door and turned to face him.
“Me?”
“Yes.” His voice was clipped. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine…” I said slowly. “Are you? Where have you been?”
A muscle in his jaw clenched. He was staring at the ground, refusing to look at me or the bed. “I’m sorry, Nollie.”
That wasn’t an answer. “Sorry for what?”
He still wouldn’t look at me. “I had to touch you at the end. If you didn’t…” he paused like he was searching for the right word. “…finish, it would have only gotten worse.”
I nodded. I had spent every waking second replaying exactly whathappened that night. An entire day of repeating everything he said and everything he didn’t.
“What did you put in my drink afterward?” I asked.
“A sedative to help you sleep off the remaining effects of the drug.”
“Did you give yourself the same thing?”
He shook his head. “It wouldn’t have mattered.”
“Why?” I challenged, but silence rippled. I crossed my arms over my chest. “Did youfinish?”
“What?” He finally looked at me now.
“Did you finish when you left the hallway? Did you go somewhere?—”
“That’s not important.”
“Yes, it is.” I bristled, having no idea why I was getting so worked up. This shouldn’t have mattered, and I had no idea why I was focusing on it. “Where did you go?”
“I stayed outside your room the entire night.”
“Why?” I questioned, my eyes narrowing. It was pissing me off that he was still avoiding my question.
“You were vulnerable. Our drinks were spiked with Ahthimil.”
I didn’t say anything, just waited for him to continue.
“Do you know what it does?”
