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Truthfully, I was glad I didn’t have to skitter back toward the city limits, checking over my shoulder every two seconds. For a brief second, I allowed myself to close my eyes as my head rested on the leather seats.
“We’re at the wall, Ms. Barrett.”
My eyes popped open, and to my humiliation, I realized that I’d fallen asleep. The ride had taken less than ten minutes, and I was drooling already. Clearing my throat, I nodded quickly, reaching for the door, but the driver was much faster and opened it from the outside.
“Thanks,” I mumbled, wishing I had money to tip him with, but he wasn’t expecting anything.
Wordlessly, he climbed back into the vehicle and left me facing the high, gray wall as dawn struggled over the horizon.
I had to keep moving if I wanted to get back to the compound undetected. And eventually, I was going to need to sleep. Remaining strong for Dahlia and getting us out was my priority, and Sage’s words rang in my head.
Taking care of myself had to be a priority, too, if I intended to help anyone else.
I ended up across the wall and at the compound by rote now, the pathway unobstructed. It was becoming obvious that this route was not going to be a problem now that I’d taken it so many times without an issue.
Still, the morning light unnerved me as I crept toward the trailer. Jesse’s wives were just waking up for the day. I waited for someone to call out to me and demand to know where I’d been. I already had an excuse on my lips, but I never got to use it.
To my shock, the healers were still in the trailer when I entered, and Dahlia was sitting up in bed, looking around for the first time since we’d arrived. Her dark eyes fell on me, blonde brows shooting upward, but our unspoken twin bond stopped her from making a fuss out of my arrival.
“You’re awake!” I gasped, rushing toward her, joy flooding my heart.
She grinned at me, though there was a weakness to her still. I glanced at the fae healers who barely looked at me, their hands clasped as they bowed their heads, continuing their spells or prayers or whatever it was they did. I pushed past them to perch at Dahlia’s bedside, reaching for my sister’s hand.
“How are you feeling?” I whispered.
I didn’t know why I kept my voice low. It wasn’t like they couldn’t hear me if I was quiet. She looked at me curiously, and I could see she wanted to know where I’d been, but this wasn’t the time for that discussion.
“Better,” she admitted, sending another explosion of happiness through me. The paleness of her face diminished some since I’d last seen her.
Or was that just hopeful thinking?
I parted my lips to ask her specifics about her recovery when the door burst open, sending my short-lived happiness into a tailspin. I didn’t have to look up to know that it was Jesse entering the unit, uninvited. The healers finally broke apart to address him, their fear palpable.
“Oh, look!” he exclaimed gleefully, sidling toward us. “My twins! Both conscious.”
I recoiled as he extended his hands, one for each of our faces. Dahlia turned away, but he caught her cheek, too, and we shuddered in unison. With his eyes on the healers, he spoke generally.
“And how are my girls doing?”
“Better, sire,” one of the fae admitted as I shot him a scathing look.
I hadn’t had time to tell him to lie—not that I thought he would for me. Who was I compared to the overbearing tyrant who probably paid him well for his services anyway? I still didn’t have a nickel to my name.
Silently, I cursed myself for not having asked Sage for payment before leaving the house. Maybe Dahlia was already well enough to escape.
“Better?” Jesse repeated, cupping our faces harder in his hands.
I winced and withdrew, swatting his palm away. Dahlia flopped back onto the pillows, crushing my hopes that she was strong enough to move.
“Yes, sire,” the male fae agreed. “I would say that in a week to ten days, she will be in perfect marrying condition.”
I balked at the timeline, paling more at Jesse’s overjoyed expression.
“That’s wonderful news!” he sputtered, advancing on us, his body overtaking the space between my sister and me.
I curled up as Dahlia turned away.
“She’s not out of the woods yet, Jesse,” I warned him, not liking the happiness on his face. “She still needs time to recover.”
