I haven’t slept in seven days. So why,fucking why, am I awake and staring at the wall when I should be sleeping? And more bafflingly, why am I thinking about the Shadow Commander? Is she better? Is shedead?
And just like that, with my legs being propelled by some external force, I find myself walking through the halls of my palace towards the guests’ quarters, letting myself into her guest room. Magic-lit lamps cloak the room in a warm glow, and everyone in here is awake anyway. Onyx is stood at the foot of Renna's bed, worriedly biting his already-bitten nails.
Talyn is talking to Renna quietly, and an immortal I haven’t seen before is gently holding her hair out of her face. He is huge, even bigger than Onyx, with brown-black hair in a messy bun, piercings decorating his ears and nose. His lashes are stained black with charcoal makeup, his feet in heavy combat boots. His brown arms and the side of his head are covered in tattoos, and I find myself pissed off at the way his hands touch her.
My focus, however, is on the small figure in the bed, her head over a bucket. "Please just leave me alone," she whispers, to Talyn and Onyx. "I just need to sleep.” She coughs over the bucket, blood trickling down her chin.
"I'm here to help you, my lady," explains Talyn, calmly.
"Well I don't want or need it!" She retaliates, tipping her head to the side to rest it on the rim of the bucket. Her eyes land on mine, and the last of the colour drains from her face.
So I haven’t lost my touch.
"No. Not him too," she whispers, turning her face away from me. The immortal with the tattoos gently tilts her face up to his, wiping blood off her lips.
"Pretend they aren't here, beautiful,” he says, with her head in his hands. Who the fuck is this Evergreen? Are they...they better not be lovers.
"Talyn, we're very grateful—“ starts Onyx, but the other immortal cuts him off immediately.
"Are we? No, not really. You just barged in here even though we asked you not to," rants the dark-haired one, between bites of a pear. "It doesn't take a genius to see she's exhausted and needs sleep."
I’ve had enough of him already. "Do not speak to my healer that way. He’ll remain in this room until I see fit for him to leave.”
"Why shouldn’t I speak to him that way? You treat us with no respect and rest assured, my lord, we will return the favour," he hisses, pale green eyes glaring into mine as he squares up to me. I bite back a laugh.
"Stellan, stop it," whispers Renna, before coughing up more blood. "Just stop it for five minutes."
"I'm not going to let him fuck you over, Renna."
"Stellan," warns Onyx, his eyes blazing orange. "We have the offer of the greatest healer on this earth, and we are happy to accept it, aren't we?" He grits his words out, his eyes carrying some other emotion.
They're hiding something.
"No. We're happy to accept some sleep!” His friend argues back. Renna takes his hand, pressing his knuckles to her lips, her eyes meeting his.
"Stell, take a walk. Get outside for a while. I'll be alright."
"I'm not leaving."
"You're getting worked up. Please go out and let off steam."
Stellan turns to face Talyn and me, pointing a tattooed finger in our faces. "Fuck you, and fuck you too. If you eventhinkabout keeping her locked in here, I'll cut off your tiny—“
Onyx clamps a hand on his shoulder, shoving him out the door with a furious expression. Instantly, I can hear them arguing outside in the hallway, but that’s not my concern. Renna turns away from me and Talyn. She looks small in the bed, and despite my aversion to this creature, I feel for her. She is clearly in a lot of pain, her small hands gripping her sleeves with white knuckles.
Gently, I rub her tanned shoulders. The heat from her skin warms my fingers as she struggles to breathe through whatever pain she is in.
Something, somewhere, is amiss. One of them, or all of them, is lying.
I can’t be having that.
Chapter6
Trespassing Once Again (Renna)
Ihate the way my skin lights up beneath his touch, the way his fingers leave fiery heat in their wake. And the way that when he's in a room, there's no room for anything else.
He's a giant, in stature but also in presence, and it's all-encompassing. I want him out of here, but his hands gently hold my hair, soft words coaxing me through the worst of the hallucinations.
