She pulled her lips tight and hung her head. From agreement or exhaustion, he didn’t know. He made another attempt at enveloping her small hand in his. She yanked it back.
Why did her rejection make his chest seem so achingly empty?
He led the way, hoping she would follow. They passed down the winding corridors until they reached the tunnel of bedchambers. She started toward her own door. He fell back behind her, pressing his hand between her shoulder blades to nudge her forward.
Her brows knit together. “My room is?—”
“I know where your room is. I’m taking you to mine.”
Her muscles went taut with apprehension. “Why?”
“I have a bath, and you don’t. It’s early morning, the bathing chamber will be full, even the more private space.” To his surprise, she didn’t fight him.
His room was significantly bigger than the others. After all, if he was going to build this place by hand for nearly a century, he was going to be granted the extra luxuries. His bed was three times the size of hers to accommodate his size.
He could see in her eyes that she was fading. He almost missed her attitude, her ire toward him.
He brought her to his bathing room and delicately palmed her hips. Before she could slink away from his touch, he lifted her to the stone countertop.
She gasped. Everything about her body was so closed off and tense around him. He hated that; he had to correct it.
“May I?” He gestured to her bloodstained attire.
She hesitated, then reluctantly lifted her trembling arms. He removed each piece of iron, then the leathers beneath until all that remained was cotton undergarments.
Her vacant stare made him speak first.
“I shouldn’t have put you out there tonight. I made a mistake, I’m sorry.”
She didn’t respond. Where was the girl who took action back there? When everyone else had accepted defeat, she had found a way. Theo had seen so many of his Divine fall, especially in recent years. He didn’t know how many soldiers he had lost. How many he had replaced.
“I was asleep,” Helaina muttered.
“What?”
“They were fighting, Agatha was dying, and I was asleep. Everyone who gets near me... everyone who tries to help me...” Her hands dove into her hair, forcefully gripping the sides of her scalp.
“The bracelet... I need it back,” she choked out.
Remembering, Theo reached into his pocket and gave her back the blue stones. She hurried to put them on.
“They knew I was here tonight.”
“And you think it’s because you didn’t have this?” He thumbed the outsides of the gems.
“I know it is. You said Elkron is shielded down here. The second I used my full powers aboveground without them... something came for me. How else do you explain that?”
Theo hated that fucking bracelet. It was her family’s way to control something they didn’t understand.
“I’m so stupid. I didn’t go back for it. I didn’t think it would matter for one night. I didn’t think...”
“Shh,” Theo hushed as he moved in closer. This time she didn’t pull away. He took his opportunity and cupped the back of her head, pulling her into his chest.
She flinched at first. The movement made his stomach turn.
This was his fault. He had been a bastard trying to keep his feelings at bay. Trying to fight a losing battle, distancing himself from her. He had been wrong about so much.
She eventually settled into his body, some of her muscles releasing tension as he cradled her.
