Page 55 of Heartflame

“A few years,” Atlas replied without looking back. “And as few people as possible. The whole point of a sanctuary is that it stays hidden.”

“Except you’re telling us about it.”

“Well, you’re here,” he said, finally glancing over his shoulder. “Hard to hide a place you’re actively in, you know?”

I wanted to bristle at that, but I couldn’t really argue with the logic. He’d helped save us, so clearly he thought we were important for one reason or another. Then again, if he had the same mission as Wild, it was his duty to protect me. And my grandfather probably knew about this place as well. He knew about everything.

We reached a set of heavy wooden doors, and Atlas pushed them open to reveal a spacious room with a fireplace, several comfortable-looking couches, and an actual window that looked down onto what I assumed was the atrium. The only cloudiness on the glass was the moisture clinging to the surface from the plants below.

“You can rest here,” Atlas said. “There’s a bathroom through that door if you need it. I’ll send one of our magical servants to bring you food and fresh clothes in a few minutes.”

“And then what?” Quill asked, his voice tired but still sharp with tension. “We just wait around while you figure out how to contact the Elder Council?”

“Unless you have a better idea, yes,” Atlas replied. His tone wasn’t unkind, just matter-of-fact. “We’re doing everything we can. Elias is already working on establishing a secure communication line.” He looked us over. “You two should get cleaned up and get some rest. You’re safe here until we know more.”

He left us alone after that, and for a long moment, neither of us moved. The adrenaline that had been keeping me going was finally wearing off, and with it came the crushing weight of everything that had happened. The wards were down. Widdershins was overrun. And somewhere out there, Wild’s supposedly dead mother was leading an army of undead that had been conjured by magic up until now was thought to be lost forever.

Things were… complicated.

“Come on,” Quill said quietly, tugging at my hand. “Let’s at least sit down before we both collapse.”

I let him pull me toward one of the couches, and we sank into it together. Quill immediately curled against my side, his head resting on my chest. I wrapped my arm around him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head and trying not to think about how close I’d come to losing him tonight.

“I’m sorry,” I heard him murmur against my shirt. “For being angry at you earlier. You didn’t know about any of this.”

“I should have known,” I said bitterly. “I should have figured out that Lysander was a glamour the moment I met him. I should have been paying better attention to what was happening around me instead of being so wrapped up in⁠—”

“In me?” There was a quiver to his voice.

“No,” I said. “I’m glad I found you. I would never wish that away.” I paused for a moment, shaking my head. “I just… I thought I was more observant than that.”

We were both quiet for a long moment.

“You told me you loved me,” Quill said at last, breaking the silence. It wasn’t a question. “Was that a heat of the moment thing or did you actually mean it?”

“I meant it,” I said, my voice steady despite the exhaustion weighing on me. “Every word.”

He was quiet for so long that I thought maybe he’d fallen asleep. But then he shifted slightly, lifting his head to look up at me. In the firelight, his green eyes looked almost emerald, and I could see the vulnerability there. It was the same vulnerability I’d glimpsed that night in my dorm when he’d asked me to be his first.

“I think I love you too,” he said quietly. “Which terrifies me because I don’t even understand why I feel that way. I barely know you. And I don’t know anything about mate bonds or what that means with your species… and now everyone is getting attacked and killed and⁠—”

“We’ll figure it out,” I said, running my fingers through his red hair before he could spiral any further. “Together.”

“If there’s even anything to figure out after all of this is done,” he sighed, shaking his head. “The whole fucking world is falling apart right now…”

I wanted to argue with him, wanted to tell him that the world wasn’t falling apart, that we’d get through this. But the truth was, I didn’t know that. I didn’t know anything anymore. My grandfather had apparently been keeping secrets from me. Wild was actually an Elder Council fae in disguise. There was a woman with impossible power running around with an army of resurrected corpses. And the impenetrable wards that were supposed to protect everyone at Widdershins had crumbled like paper.

“I know,” I said instead, pulling him closer. “But right now, all I care about is that you’re here and you’re safe.”

“For now,” he murmured against my chest.

I didn’t have an answer for that, so I just held him, listening to the crackle of the fireplace and the muffled sounds of activity somewhere deeper in the sanctuary. My body was screaming for rest, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing. I kept replaying the moment when that woman’s magic had wrapped around Quill’s ankle, kept seeing him dragged away and out of my reach. I couldn’t let that happen again.

“We should go get cleaned up,” I said at last, pushing myself up from the couch. I took Quill’s hand and pulled him up with me. “I hope the shower here is big enough for two, because I’m not letting you out of my sight tonight.”

Quill didn’t protest, which told me how exhausted he really was. We made our way to the bathroom, and I was relieved to find that it was indeed spacious enough for two people. The shower itself was massive, with multiple showerheads and what looked like a rainfall fixture overhead. It was perfect, almost like it was made exactly for this moment.

I turned on the water, letting it heat up while Quill stripped off his ruined clothes. I did the same, and we stepped under the spray together. For a long moment, we just stood there, letting the hot water wash away the grime and blood and fear of the night. Quill’s hands found mine, and I held them, grounding myself in the simple fact of his presence.