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“He’s not physically injured,” Booby said.

“Is it safe to move him?” Sinead ran her hands over him.

“You can move him. He will not wake in his current condition. He’ll appreciate it if he doesn’t sleep on the floor for the next few hours.”

Sinead lifted Talyn under the armpits and dragged him to the edge of the bed. He didn’t stir the whole time she pulled him. Once he was sitting by the side of the bed, she checked his pulse and breathing. Both were slow but steady.

“Does he need a doctor?”

“No doctor can help him. He needs to rest.”

Sinead wrapped her arms around Talyn’s chest and heaved him onto the bed. After some shuffling around, she got his head on the pillow and his legs on the bed. She blew out an exhausted breath. “I’m going to have to guess that’s comfortable since I can’t see.”

Another low light filtered across the room. This time, it remained constant.

Talyn muttered, and his eyelids fluttered.

Sinead stared down at him. He looked so vulnerable, the muscles in his jaw clenching as he struggled with whatever inner turmoil he faced.

She sat on the edge of the bed and rested her hand on Talyn’s forehead. He relaxed under her touch, so she left her hand there.

She stroked her other hand down his cheek several times. “I wish you’d tell me what’s wrong. I’d like to help if I can.”

“Your presence is good for him,” Booby said. “If you can stay, it will help.”

“Of course,” Sinead said without hesitation. “I don’t know why being in my company helps, but I can stay and make sure he’s settled. Has this happened before?”

“Six hundred and forty-seven times.”

Sinead’s eyebrows shot up. “He’s collapsed and passed out that many times?”

“That is correct.”

“But why? I know you can’t tell me everything, but if I guess and get it right, will you confirm it?”

“I like your style, Sinead. I’m not forbidden from doing that. You may guess.”

Sinead kicked off her boots and swung her legs onto the bed. She returned her hand to Talyn’s forehead as she nestled next to him. “It has something to do with his empath ability. He’s already mentioned that he uses barriers to keep out intense feelings. Is that something he shouldn’t do?”

“All Lillips do it to some degree but not all the time. When they’re in a crowd or a busy situation, it can help with focus if they aren’t absorbing other’s emotions.”

“So, the actual act of putting a barrier in his mind won’t harm him.” Sinead thumbed her bottom lip. “If Talyn keeps that barrier in place for too long, it becomes a problem?”

“Your guess is correct.”

“Does Talyn have a strong ability? Is that why he struggles and keeps his barriers up all the time?”

“He comes from a strong family. His father was on the High Council on his home planet. Do you understand what that means?”

“Sure, it’s like working for the president. It’s a big deal.”

“That it is. To obtain that level of leadership, you must be a particularly strong empath.”

“Talyn gets his ability from his father?”

Booby paused. “And his mother.”

“Between them, they raised a super empath?”