“Stay with me, Willow. Try to hold on just a little longer.”
I try to speak, to tell him I’m fine—but all I manage is a pained wheezing sound that makes my throat feel like it’s been set on fire.
“Shh. Don’t speak just yet. We have to heal you.”
Heal me?
Warmth floods my veins, slowly moving through my body with a familiar, tingling sensation, and after a few minutes, I regain enough strength to open my eyes.
I blink slowly, clearing the fog of darkness and revealing Nyx’s face. His expression is creased in worry, his lips pressed into a thin line and eyes narrowed, focused intently on my aching throat.
“There she is.” His mouth tips in the smallest grin before dropping again. “Don’t say anything just yet. I’m not as good at healing as Rhune is, and your throat is still in pretty bad shape.”
I nod, showing him I understand before allowing my eyes to close. I focus on the pleasant warmth still rushing through my veins, the slow ease of pain as Nyx’s magic works to mend the damage Cin caused.
Soft footsteps sound near the exit, and Dravik’s voice fills the room, his words laced with anguish as he asks, “How is she?”
“Could be better.” Nyx’s voice is scarily measured, almost as if he’s holding back his rage. “I may need your help. Her throat was damaged a lot worse than I thought, and I’m running out of steam.”
“I’ll do my best.” Dravik steps to my side, crouching down and placing a hand on my chest right next to Nyx’s. Even though I almost died, I can’t help but think about how their fingers are dangerously close to brushing my nipples, and a different kind of warmth fills my veins.
Stupid hormones. They’re trying to save me, not feel me up.
“Willow? How do you feel?”
I open my eyes, finding Dravik’s eyes locked squarely on mine. Not trusting my throat, I give him a wobbly smile and a thumbs-up. However, this only makes his frown deepen.
“Nyx? What is she doing?”
“Hmm?” He raises his gaze, and a grin pulls at his mouth when he sees my gesture. “I think she’s feeling better.”
“I am,” I whisper, surprised to find my throat doesn’t hurt at all. “Whoah. My throat feels better than before.”
Nyx chuckles, pulling his hand off my chest. The slight movement causes his upper body to sway, and he nearly topples over as he loses his balance.
“You okay, Nyx?” Dravik asks.
“Sure. Just a little tired… It took a lot out of me.” He straightens with a forced grin. “Nothing a little rest won’t fix. I’m just happy you’re feeling better Willow.”
“So am I…” With Nyx’s help, I slowly pull myself off the floor. When I’m upright, I realize for the first time that we’re not in Cin’s workshop any more. I gaze around the walls filled with shelves of trinkets, feel the soft furs beneath me, and know that this is Nyx’s room.
“When did we get here?” I ask. “I don’t remember…”
“You were unconscious,” Nyx explains, his expression twisted in agony at the memory. “If we hadn’t got to you when we did…” He and Dravik share a glance, and a shiver runs down my spine.Cin would have killed me.
I stare at the comb Cin made me, and tears come to my eyes. I can’t understand how such a gentle, considerate creature can also be such a monstrous, cruel beast. It defies all logic, spits in the face of everything I’ve come to know and like about Cin.
At this moment, I really wish my mate was here to hold me.
“Where’s Rhune?” I find myself blurting out. “Why isn’t he here?”
Nyx winces, reaching out to cup my face. I’m too exhausted to be angry, so I let him hold me. “It’s my fault. I sent him to the human realm. When he finds out he wasn’t here to help you, he’s going to lose it…” He shakes his head, wings drooping. “I’m so sorry, Willow…”
“It’s not your fault.” My mind flashes with an image of Cin’s snarling face. “It washim.” A chill runs through my body as I whisper, “I can’t believe Cin really tried to kill me.”
“Thatthingwas not Cin,” Dravik grumbles. “It’s… something other.”
“He sure looked like Cin to me.”
