Confusion on his face turned to concern as he clocked my own expression, which was no doubt tight with tension, my jaw hurting from how hard I was clenching it.
“What’s going on?” he demanded, eyes wide and fists clenched at his sides.
“Something happened with her powers,” I explained simply but grabbed the door handle as he went to push it open, clearly wanting to talk to her. I shook my head and continued, “Shespecificallyasked to just go to bed, she’s completely out of it—I’m just bringing her water and then she’s going to sleep. Any questions can wait until tomorrow.”
Steele’s gaze turned sharp and cold at the clear barrier I was putting up between him and Kieran.
“I want to see her, Gabriel. Move.”
“She’s fine. I’ve got her,” I argued, refusing to move out of the way.
Suddenly, the door swung open into the room, and Kieran stood looking at both of us without an ounce of surprise on her face. Her hair was brushed out and she appeared completely cleaned off, her body covered in a soft robe. Her eyes were heavy with sleep as she offered Steele a knowing look.
“In the morning. I promise.”
Something about her expression or tone caused him to reconsider his forcefulness for once, and he offered her a singular nod of understanding. I handed her the bottle of water, and she gave both of us a sleepy smile before whispering, “Goodnight.” Her door closed with a click, leaving the two of us staring at the wooden surface.
Steele turned sharply and went to his room, the door echoing loudly as it closed, causing me to sigh deeply.
I found it almost impossible to move from the door, wanting to be there in case something happened with her power once again, or on the off chance she needed me.
She asked for space, and I wouldn’t be selfish in not giving it to her. I tugged my desk chair into the hallway and sat it against the wall next to her door. Settling into the somewhat uncomfortable seat, I crossed my arms and closed my eyes, tilting my head back. I wouldn’t sleep well in this chair, but it wouldn’t have been any better in my bed with how crowded my brain was with thoughts.
This way I could ensure everyone respected her boundaries, knowing just how hard it was for even myself to do what she had asked of us.
One thing was clear: our affection for her was all-consuming and blinding at times.
15
KIERAN
My body hung suspendedin the weightless vacuum of space as I floated up, around, and between stars. My tether floated in front of me, guiding me every which way as I let my gaze wander through the vast cosmos I now had access to.
It was clear that my powers had grown enough that I could access my meditative state while sleeping.
A sudden ’thud’ reverberated through the space around me, causing me to come to a hard stop. Looking around, I saw nothing amiss, but that didn’t remove the sensation of ‘something’ tugging my consciousness back to Earth.
As if someone was whispering in my ear?—
“Kieran, wake up for me—open those beautiful eyes.”
My sleep state was broken at the sound of Niz’s voice. It was soft, but perfectly clear, which meant he was extremely close. My eyes flickered open, and I nearly reared back in surprise from finding the manrightin my space. Nearly nose-to-nose.
“Good morning?” I questioned, seeing amusement flicker in his gaze at my confusion.
“Good morning,” he mused before flashing a cocky smile at me. “Thanks for listening to me and opening those pretty eyes of yours.”
A scowl slipped onto my face as I resisted the urge to flick his perfect forehead—perfect forehead?Okay, clearly I needed to go back to sleep. Seriously, though, it was a bit unnecessary to be this handsome at this time of the morning when I knew I was probably sporting some serious morning breath.
I didn’t even want to know how my exhaustion was displayed on my face. Considering I felt like I had been run over by a herd of beasts, several times over, I had to imagine it was pretty bad.
“I didn’t listen to you, per se,” I argued back with a smile. “I was ready to get up anyway.”
Total liar.
“Of course,” he flashed me a smile and sat back on the edge of the bed so he was no longer leaning over me. “Glad to see you awake either way—I started to get worried when you began to glow. I figured that it wasn’t a normal occurrence for you.”
“I was glowing?” I asked, baffled.
