I’d rather die than see her with another.
When I go to her room, she is fast asleep in her bed, curled up in a little ball. When she's awake she rivals the most powerful storm I've ever known, but asleep, she's so serene. So calm. I brush her hair aside, planting a soft kiss on her warm forehead.
I rub my thumb over the little frown between her brows, smiling as it goes away. She grumbles, shuffling nearer to my hand.
"Rexxan," she sighs, in her sleep. "You're here."
I kiss her hair again. "I'm here." I'm here, and she's back safe. She's okay.
She's okay, and I lo—.
How am I ever going to tell her if I'm struggling to admit it in my head?
She's okay, and I lo—.
Fuck!
Chapter27
Crusty Old Man (Renna)
Iwake up disoriented, my mind addled by the medicines I'd taken for my withdrawals.
The fragments of my dream float in front of me, just out of reach. I try to grasp them, but they dissipate into the cool morning air. I'm dizzy. I've woken up with a sense of unease in my stomach. Why is that?
Oh yes.
I'm a fucking sorceress, and people are finding out.
Stellan is in prison.
And we're all about to get stabbed by an angry army.
Nice.
I sit up sleepily, my eyes adjusting to the dim darkness. Rexxan sits beside my bed, still working on the battle plans that we discussed last night. I wonder if he slept at all. Probably not. His molten lava eyes meet mine. "Rennalya."
"Don't call me that."
"It's a beautiful name."
If he addsfor a beautiful girlonto the end of that statement I'll lose hope in men forever. “Why are you here, Rexxan?"
"To watch you sleep."
"You realise that's creepy?"
"I realise it's sensible, given the amount of pain relief you've taken for your withdrawals."
I don’t even ask how he knows that. Someone breathes on the other side of Yterras and Rexxan knows. "And you couldn't have sent any one of your three hundred and fifty staff?"
"No."
I'm angry with him. I'm angry he put Stellan in prison. I'm angry he mentioned Stell's wife. I'm fucking furious that he let me stand there and open up to him and said nothing back. I'm angry that he doesn't love me enough to tell me. "Well, I'm awake and I haven't choked on my own sick, so now you can get out of here and choke on yours."
"Renna," he sighs wearily. "I want to talk to you."
"Well, I'm not in the mood now. And don't you have better things to be doing? For example, leading this entire nation through a war?"
