“We’ll see,” she muttered. “We’ll see.”
I woketo a flutter of overwhelming pain, my body jerking upright as my head burst into sharp stabs of pulsing pain points.
Rushing out into the living room, gun at the ready, I stopped as I caught sight of a soft lamp glowing by the couch. And there, on the worn material, was Raelyna, curled up in a ball, muttering to herself as she clutched at the tangle of wavy, brown curls that fell loosely around her.
I could see the markings on her forearm from this angle, watching as they flickered in and out, the faintest golden hue shimmering against the stark onyx of the ink that marred her bronzed skin.
I moved to her side as quickly as I could, crouching down in front of her as I gently slid my fingers up her forearm, until they entwined themselves around her rigid fingers. Slowly, I tugged her fingers free from her curls.
“Starlight,” I murmured as I tilted her chin up to look at me. “I’ve got you. What do you need?”
Unshed tears lined her irises, the echoes of pain evident across her beautiful features. Her nose scrunched, the scattering of freckles across her cheekbones tightly bunching in the action, and a small furrow appeared between her eyes.
“I just—” She struggled to breathe over the wave of pain—a layer of pain I could feel through the starbound mark even now, the agony demanding I do everything in my power to bring her comfort. “Ineedit to go away. I’m so tired of this happening—of the pain and nausea.”
Desperation flooded through her words, the plea laced in her tone, and my heart twisted.
“Okay,” I murmured as I rose to my feet, shifting her body on the couch before sliding in behind her and tugging her small frame into my larger one. I held her against my chest as my fingers trailed through her hair, and I began massaging her scalp.
Growing up, my youngest sister had battled with migraines more often than not, and I had quickly discovered certain pressure points could aid in relieving the building pressure.
I felt the moment she relaxed into me, allowing my fingers to massage through her hair. My brow furrowed, concern building in me as I watched her pinch the bridge of her nose briefly and then lurch forward, out of my grasp.
Every instinct rose to high alert as Raelyna groaned and then leaned forward. And that’s when I smelled the bitter bite of iron surrounding us. My eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, grumbling under her breath.
“No, no, not again.”
It took all of two seconds for me to spring into action, rushing to the kitchen and grabbing a towel before making my way back to her. Extending the soft material, hazel eyes brieflyflitted up to me in gratitude before she clutched the material, pinching her nose.
Her affinity, whatever it was that had been hidden, was getting stronger, trying to claw its way to the surface. Sheneededto stop fighting it.
Neededto let the gold markings appear. Otherwise the nose bleeds and nausea would only get worse, until they reach a tipping point and her affinity would burst forth violently.
“Breathe, starlight,” I said as I moved behind her, pulling her hair out of her face, careful to ensure the waves didn’t touch the blood currently staining the front of her lounge set.
I could hear her ragged breathing, picking up on the slight shake in each breath as she struggled to calm herself amid a nosebleed. With my free hand, I began to trace slow circles across her back, feeling her heartbeat slow with every motion that I made across her skin.
I don’t know how long we sat like that, as she waited for the nausea to subside. Not that it mattered, I would have sat there for an eternity if it meant ensuring her comfort through this.
Raelyna shifted, moving back, and I took a full breath, relieved that the blood flow had slowed.
“Damn it, not again,” I heard her grumble softly under her breath as her head turned, my own hand still tracing delicate designs across her back. Looking in the same direction, I spotted the cause of her frustration, as a few speckled droplets of blood now stained the material of the sofa we sat on, in addition to the stains now covering her lounge set.
The stars-damned female attempted to move, her movements wobbling, and I growled in protest.
“No.” The word was a guttural, fierce sound as my hands shifted to her curved hips, firmly pushing her back down to the sofa.
“I need to get the stains out,” she stated wearily.
I shook my head as I shifted out from behind her, my gazepiercing hers as I stated, “No. You need to rest. Your markings are attempting to rise to the surface. Ifeltyour pain, Raelyna. You’re staying right here.”
“But . . .” she protested. “The couch. I can’t afford a new one. I need to get the stains out, not to mention . . .” She gestured down toward her clothing that was splattered with crimson droplets.
“I’ll take care of it,” I assured her as I stood to my full height, Loxl jumping off the couch at my movement and coming to stand by my feet.
“I’ll just go?—”
“No,” I stated, firmly, but with a gentleness I’d never used before. “You’ll stay here until the nausea fully subsides. I will take care of it. Trust me to help you, starlight.”
