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But things had changed with the addition of Nyx, and it had nothing to do with Caelan’s special new hairstyle.
“It’s like he completely drained himself to cast that spell,” Rayne announced in a low, ragged voice. Drayce’s head snapped up to see Rayne still had his head bent over Caelan, eyes closed in concentration. “Everything is working, but it’s strained. I don’t know how else to describe it. If his lifeforce had a tank of fuel, there’s barely anything left of him. I’m trying…I’m trying to refill him and heal all these strained organs.”
“Can you use mine?” Drayce demanded. “I’m a dragon. You’ve know I’ve got plenty to spare. Can you take some of mine and give it to him?”
There were sounds of surprise behind him, but he didn’t care if Davi, Vitor, or Nina thought the news of his heritage was shocking. The only thing that mattered to him was Caelan’s life.
“I don’t think it works like that,” Rayne whispered. The man paused and licked his lips. “But I’ll think on it. If I can think of a way to do it, I’ll take you up on this offer. Right now, all I can do is pull what I can from the Goddess of Life and pour it back into him.”
Eno stepped up behind Rayne and placed a gentle hand on the top of his head. “Please, be careful. Don’t pour all of yourself into him as well. You know he needs you alive and fighting for his people.”
Rayne managed a small nod.
The bodyguard turned his attention to Drayce. “Come on. Let’s go downstairs and talk about Safa. Let Caelan rest and Rayne work.”
Drayce was about to argue that there was no way he was leaving Caelan’s side, but Rayne beat him to it.
“Let him stay,” Rayne countered. “I think Caelan is aware of his presence. At least, he seems to be resting deeply. I don’t want to disturb that with Drayce moving.”
“Got it,” Eno replied and glanced at Drayce. He smiled and tipped his head toward Rayne. “Keep an eye on him for me.”
Rayne made a noise like he was disagreeing, but Drayce nodded. Yes, he would look after Caelan and Rayne.
The rest of the group filed out of the room, leaving him and Rayne alone with Caelan. But they were gone for only a minute before the woman returned with a warm, damp cloth that she handed over to Drayce.
“I thought you might want to clean away the blood,” she murmured and disappeared out the door.
Sliding closer to the headboard, Drayce released Caelan’s hand and placed it on his chest but made sure that his leg was touching Caelan’s arm. His lover was not allowed to think for a second that Drayce had left him. Very carefully, he proceeded to wipe the blood from Caelan’s pale lips, from under his nose, and then from the corners of his eyes and down his temples.
When he was done, he flipped the cloth and refolded it to a clean section, and wiped it gently across his forehead, smoothing back his hair. “You need to start talking to me, Cael. You think we don’t know some dark shit is going on, but we do. You are not allowed to save the world without us. You are not allowed to leave us. Do you hear me? You’re not allowed to leave us.”
“He hears you. Keep talking,” Rayne instructed. Drayce stared at his companion and thought he spotted the smallest smile on Rayne’s thin lips. Could he hear something or feel Caelan’s emotions like this?
“If you don’t pull your head out of your ass, I’m telling your grandfather,” Drayce threatened. “Do you know how it would look if the King of Erya was scolded by his secret grandfather? And we both know Nori would fly right over here and give you a piece of his mind. That would be a disaster, because you know the second Nori left the Isle of Stone, Haru would be right on his tail. Once Haru hits the continent, we are never going to get him to leave. It’ll be utter chaos, and it will be all your fault.”
A low chuckle from Rayne stunned Drayce for a second.
“What? Can you hear his thoughts? What is he thinking?” Drayce demanded.
Rayne shook his head. His eyes were still closed, but his head was slightly cocked to the side as if he were straining to hear something. “I can’t read his thoughts, but I get flashes of his emotions. You’ve made him…grumpy.”
“Oh, I have not even begun to piss you off, Your Majesty,” Drayce countered, fighting his grin while unshed tears burned the backs of his eyes. A grumpy Caelan was better than this too-still, lifeless Caelan. “We haven’t gotten around to discussing the fact that you decided to replace me with Adrian Westergren. What the fuck were you thinking? The man is a freaking lunatic, and that was before I found out that he used to be a thief. Are you kidding me? You chose an ex-thief to replace me.”
Rayne gasped and Drayce looked up to see Caelan’s eyelashes flutter. His lips parted and moved so very slightly. He’d said something.
Drayce dropped the cloth he’d been rubbing across Caelan’s forehead and grabbed his hand in both of his as he leaned his ear down right by Cael’s lips.
“I didn’t catch that, Cael. What did you say?”
It came out a hoarse whisper. More air than sound, but Drayce heard it as clear as day.
“Idiot.”
A choked sob broke from Drayce’s throat and he pressed his kiss to Caelan’s chin. “Yes, I am.”
Drayce turned his face toward Rayne. The advisor’s eyes were now open, an expectant expression on his face. “He called me an idiot,” he announced in reply to the unspoken question.
Rayne bit his lower lip and nodded a couple of times. “That you are,” he choked out and closed his eyes, concentrating on healing their king.
