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“I mean, he and Florin left. Theon left a note. He said Florin knew somewhere they could go that could help Theon learn to control his magic.”
My mind raced as I ran out of the tent, Cedric on my heels. Seph was standing in front of the tent I shared with the others, pulling his shirt over his head. “I’ll shift. Maybe I can catch their scent.”
“Good.” Moving past him, I went into the tent. The bed Theon shared with Nica and me was unmade. Theon and Florin’s packs were gone, as was most of the fruit that had been in the bowl on the table. I turned to Braz’s bed. Where the hell had he been when this was happening? His pack was gone, too. Along with his armor and weapons.
The sounds of Sephiran’s shift reached me, and I strode back outside. I followed closely behind him as he wound all over camp, before leading us into the woods. I must have slept at Nica’s side longer than I intended. The sky to the east was the faintest shade of lighter blue than the rest, meaning dawn was approaching.
Beside a large tree, Seph came to a stop. I inhaled deeply, finding Theon, Florin, and Braz’s scent. Looking at the ground, I could make out some of Braz’s footprints. Braz was heavy on his own, but in his armor, even more so. From the indentation on the ground, it looked like he’d gone to one knee.
Seph shifted back. “Braz found the note before we did. His scent wasn’t with theirs until this tree.”
“He came after them.”
Seph nodded. “He must have found them.”
I could imagine it well enough—Braz reading the note and tearing off through camp after them. Then dropping to one knee right here to gather them both in his arms when he found them.
I nodded. It was enough for Seph to know I needed a moment. He turned back toward camp, and I dropped to my knees. Theon was gone. He’d left us. Gone where I couldn’t protect him. Couldn’t hold him against me while we slept.
I wanted to be angry at Braz for allowing them to slip away, but I could only be grateful he was with them. What had Florin been thinking? I rose to my feet. He would have been thinking exactly what I was—that we’d do whatever was necessary to help Theon. I hadn’t considered that might mean being parted from him.
The dull ache in my heart roared to life, piercing me as surely as any blade. What was I going to tell Nica?
11
Nica
My eyelids were heavy, and my body was pulsing with fire. Every inch of me felt like it was burning, but I knew I had to open my eyes. I needed to. With more effort than it should’ve taken, I blinked them open, then squinted against the light, a small groan falling from my lips, unbidden.
I tried again, peeling my eyes open. This time I was prepared for the light, and I blinked against it. Everything was foggy. All I could see was white as I moved my gaze around. With monumental effort, I turned my head, holding my breath against the pain that seared my skin.
And then I sighed at the comforting sight.
Wey.
He was sitting in a chair beside me, fast asleep, and for the first time since I had some semblance of consciousness, I realized my hand was held in his. I didn’t know what was going on or why I was in so much pain or even where I was, but I knew I’d be okay. Wey was here, so I knew everything would be alright.
Closing my eyes, I tried to think of how I’d gotten here and why there was so much pain over every inch of my body, but everything was blank. I had no recollection of being injured enough to require medical attention. But that didn’t matter right now because my gargoyle was beside me, and I knew he’d keep me safe.
I tried glancing around the room again, and another groan fell from my lips without permission. The sound had Weylyn jerking awake. His gaze flitted around quickly before landing on me.
His eyes widened as he jumped to his feet, saying, “Nica.” His free hand reached out, brushing my hair from my face. “You’re awake.”
He sounded tired, worn down, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. Those strong shoulders slowly sagged in relief when he sat on the edge of my bed, staring at me with those black eyes that seemed to be swirling with silver. They only did that when he was feeling a strong emotion, though what emotion that was, I couldn’t say. Relief, maybe? But there was something else there, too. Worry? Wariness?
My brow furrowed in confusion when my gargoyle continued staring at me like he hadn’t expected me to wake. “Wey?”
He sucked in a deep breath. “Goddess, it’s good to hear your voice.” My eyebrows rose, and he snorted at the look on my face. “I never thought I’d hear myself say that, either.”
His hand cupped my cheek, the touch gentle as if he was afraid to hurt me, for a moment before he grabbed a cup and held it to my lips. He had to release my hand to help me lean up enough to take small sips of the water. Closing my eyes, I almost groaned in relief as the cold liquid dripped down my parched throat.
When I finished, Wey returned the cup to a small table beside the bed and asked, “Are you in a lot of pain?”
“A little.” My voice was hoarse, almost cracking, like maybe I’d lost it from screaming too much. But screaming from what?
“I’ll find the healer and get more salve for your skin.” He went to get up, but I gripped his hand so he wouldn’t leave. I didn’t want him to leave me. I didn’t want to be alone right now. I hadn’t gotten a good look around, but I sensed no one else nearby. I had to assume the others would visit soon. I was honestly surprised Theon wasn’t in here with us, but maybe Braz and Florin had taken him to the mess.
“I’m okay right now. Help me sit up.”
