AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m fine.”
Lizette clears her throat, and I peer over my shoulder in her direction. “I’ll be just down the hall if you need me.”
I know she’s disappearing to Oryx’s room, and as much as I want to give her more encouraging words, I nod my head. When she’s gone, I turn back to Nor and find his amber eyes trained on my intently.
“I thought I’d lost you,” he says hoarsely.
“Sorry, but you’re not getting rid of me that easily.” I shake my head. “You’re stuck with me for a while.”
He smirks, the gesture bringing life back to his features, making him look more like himself. “Good.”
A peaceful silence settles around us, and I pull the chair right up to the edge of the bed to take a seat. Still yearning for his closeness, I lay my cheek on shoulder and his chin perches on top of my head. For a minute, I just listen to him breathe, relieved that I get to hear the sound again.
“Irissa,” he says into my hair. “Do you remember when you accused Zen of being behind the attacks on Hyatt?”
Guilt knots my stomach at the question. I shouldn’t have accused anyone in his family of something so malicious, but I was desperately trying to connect the dots that day.
“Yes, and I’m sorry I tried to blame anyone in your family, Nor,” I say softly. “I was just angry and hurt. I didn’t mean—”
He cuts me off. “I think you were right.”
“What?” Raising my head, I meet his eyes curiously, wondering if I misheard him.
“After you left that day, I went to talk to him,” he admits, reaching up to trace my jawline with his fingers. “The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. He’s the only person I can believe would do something like that, and after questioning him, I’m convinced he’s behind it. I just don’t have any proof.”
“It’s pretty convenient that he’s the only one not poisoned.” I purse my lips.
He nods in agreement. “It is, but it’s not the kind of proof we need for a conviction. When I’m able to move, I want you to go with me to search his room. There has to be something incriminating in there.”
I imagine us sneaking up to Zen’s room, wherever it is, and going through his things. What kind of secrets would a mysterious beast like him keep hidden? The idea sparks my adrenaline, and the urge to head there now for answers has my legs bouncing in place. Maybe Liz has another elixir that will help Nor heal faster without more antidote.
“Where is his room even at?” I ask, running through the corridors I’m familiar with. I’ve never seen where Zen disappears to. It has to be somewhere away from the main hallways.
“On the third floor. I doubt you’ve seen it,” he explains. “It’s hard to find if you don’t know what you’re looking for.”
“Well, hurry up and get better so you can show me,” I tease.
He grabs me, making me squeak, and pulls me back onto his chest. “I don’t take orders,” he reminds me sarcastically. “But I’ll try for you.”
I close my eyes as his fingers run through my hair, sleep calling to my body while my mind continues to run wild. After several minutes, Nor stops moving, his hand laying heavy on my back, and his breaths become slow and deep. He’s asleep again.
In order for his body to fight the poison still in his system, he has to rest, so I gently slide out of his hold and slip out of the room. I could go back to my infirmary room, but I’m desperate to shower and change clothes. Besides, I almost feel back to normal now. There’s no reason for me to hang out in a sick room if I’m not sick.
My first instinct is to find Lizette and ask her to accompany me, but I ignore it. Even if I needed her help to find my room, I can’t drag her away from Oryx. He needs her more than I do right now, and if he doesn’t have much time left, I want her to spend every second with him.
With a final backwards glance, I head toward the door at the end of the hall.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
Irissa
Sometimes we make decisions that greatly impact our destiny.
Other times, destiny does the decision-making for us.
I had every intention of going to my bedchamber to bathe and turn in for the night. Nor’s plan of going to the third floor together was safer, more thought out. I didn’t want to risk my life, after Lizette had just managed to save it, to sneak through Zen’s things looking for evidence linking him to the attacks and the poison. That was, until I ran into him outside the infirmary.
As soon as he turns the corner and locks eyes with me, an uneasy chill creeps over my skin and fear shoots up my back like lightening. My throat tightens as the space between us shrinks, and I move closer to the wall to give him a wide berth.
