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“No kidding.” She stood up. “I’m heading to bed. You staying here?”
I nodded. “I can’t leave him. What if he wakes up?” And what if he’s not himself when he wakes up…
“I don’t blame you. When Meredith was sick, I spent a little time in here. I know it’s not the same. She’s not my twin, but it was scary. And I felt responsible for fixing it. Just…” She paused. “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You can’t solve everything.”
“Says the girl who’s always rushing in to save the day.”
She snorted. “As my father says, do as I say, not as I do.” She laughed at her own joke. “Try and get some rest.”
She closed the door behind her, and I shook out the blanket, getting as comfortable as I could get.
When I’d woken up, over twenty-four hours ago, I’d thought the day couldn’t get any worse. Luciana was draining me and I was already exhausted and frustrated.
I’d been so wrong. It could always get worse.
I gripped my brother’s hand, and prayed like I’d never prayed before, letting the words slip from my lips as I waited for the sun to rise, and hoping that the new day would dawn with some measure of answer to my prayers.
Chapter Six
“Claudia.”
Something jerked my shoulder and I sat up, blinking the sleep from my eyes. “Oh, God. I fell asleep.”
“Have you been in here all day?” Teresa said. Her hair was piled in a sloppy bun. She wore a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black T-shirt with a sunburst around the word “orb.” I wondered briefly what that meant before remembering where I was.
The last thing I remembered was laying my head down on Raphael’s bed. I’d been praying, and then nothing. I completely passed out. “What time is it?”
“Just after two.”
I quickly did the math. I’d slept like the dead for almost ten hours. With no dreams. The magic Luciana had cooked up last night must’ve worn her out. My body didn’t seem quite as heavy as it had. “Wow.”
“I came to tell you that Muraco is back. We were going to meet in the library, but I think you need food.” She got that distant look in her eyes, which meant she was probably talking to Dastien via their mate bond. Her aura flashed with hints of amber, and then I was certain they were talking. “Okay. We’re heading to the cafeteria instead.”
My stomach rumbled.
“Come on.” She pulled me out of the chair, and my limbs felt stiff and clumsy. Teresa laughed and pointed to my face. “You have a crease in your cheek from the blanket.”
I rubbed my fingertips over the right side of my face. “I do. I was sleeping hard.” I quickly unbound my long, straight hair. It flowed past my butt when it wasn’t braided, which was why I usually kept it braided. I ran my fingers through it, giving it a rough comb, before quickly braiding it again. I straightened my peasant shirt, and pulled my skirt down, as it had ridden up while I was sleeping.
That would have to do. I’d take the time to shower later.
Before I left, I took one look at my brother and my heart sank. His skin was pale, with a sheen of sweat. “What about… If he wakes up and he’s…”
“Dr. Gonzales is going to come in and watch him. If something changes, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Okay.” I could deal with that. Leaning down, I brushed a kiss across his forehead and was surprised at how cool he felt. “Has Dr. Gonz—”
“I passed her on my way in. She says he’s stable, for now.”
“He hasn’t woken up at all?” I’d expected to wake up when he did, but I’d been sleeping so hard, maybe I’d missed it.
Teresa shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry.”
Fear for my brother and what might happen to him gnawed at me. I brushed his black hair away from his forehead. “I’ll find a way to fix this, Raphael.” It was a promise that I would do anything to keep. I hoped it didn’t mean that I was going back to Luciana, but if that would fix him, then… I turned away from his bed. “Okay. Let’s go.”
We were quiet for a little bit of the walk, but Teresa broke the silence. “I know that it’s going to be tempting to go to Luciana. I just… I’m really afraid of what will happen to you if you do.”
I was afraid, too. But if it came down to it, I wasn’t sure I could stop myself from going to her. “He’s my brother. My twin.”
