Interesting. Did that mean the pain wasn’t real? If it was in my head, could I somehow fortify myself against it so that I could keep going?
“Now that I know you’re safe, I’m going to go take a bath.”
Xander stood and took off his tunic in a slow and deliberate way that felt like an invitation. My skin heated in response, my breath stuttered in my chest, and I gripped my blanket with both hands.
But he turned around, went into the washroom, and locked the door.
Shutting me out again.
Xander was gone the next morning when I woke up. I felt completely invigorated and excited as I got ready for the day. My physical aches had disappeared. The sleep had been healing, as seemed to be the case after we used magic.
My adelphia were all in their room talking to one another when I entered. They fell silent as I closed the door, perhaps seeing on my face that I had something to tell them.
“I have an aspect,” I said. It thrilled me to be able to tell them that. I was so glad that I wasn’t powerless.
Ahyana shrieked with glee while Zalira grinned and asked, “What is it?”
“Fury. Which is good for fighting, apparently, and not much else. It was the aspect Lysimache used to destroy Locris with the eye. I tried it out on Xander last night and I could keep up with him!”
Io’s smile faltered slightly at that. “Xander knows about the magic? I thought we weren’t going to tell anyone.”
My mouth dropped slightly. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Because sharing secrets with my husband was not keeping him at arm’s length. It was inviting him into my life.
“It’s good that she did,” Ahyana said. “We should be able to tell people that we trust.”
I knew she was trying to help, but this just seemed to upset Io even more. I noted the dark circles under her eyes and wondered if it was stress or if she hadn’t been sleeping well. “Did you get up early this morning?”
Suri folded her arms over her chest in apparent annoyance as Zalira told me, “Io didn’t sleep at all. We told her to, but she didn’t listen.”
“I’m so close!” she said. “I think I figured out a fortification potion so that we can do magic for longer. And since Ahyana told me about the pain, I’m in the process of adding something to dull that.”
“Maybe the pain is important,” Zalira said in a worried tone. “We might need to know when we reach the end of our limits and not push ourselves too hard. What if we burn out and then never wake up?”
“I’ll figure it out,” Io said.
Zalira had a point, but I also trusted Io to know what she was doing. “Are we going to see Lysimache this morning?” I asked her.
Io still hadn’t told me her plan to get the high priestess to talk, but she was ready to share now. “No, I’m not done. I’m taking a page out of my father’s book and we’re going to give her the truth serum with the fountain water. The metallic taste of the water will disguise it. I’m trying to figure out a serum that will compel her to speak so that she has to answer your questions. I’m hoping to have it done by tomorrow.”
“Shouldn’t you take a break?” Ahyana asked while Suri vigorously nodded behind her.
“I’m fine,” Io said with a wave of her hand. “I’ve been taking the fortification potion and it’s working well. I don’t feel even a little bit tired. And Xander stopped by this morning on his way out and I told him we’re not ready to see Lysimache yet. So he thought you might like to visit Quynh.”
I would get to see Quynh! There was a knock at their door and my heart lifted as I opened it.
That feeling went away when I saw that it wasn’t Xander. It was Rokh.
Which made Ahyana giddy, and she rushed over to hug him. “What are you doing here?”
“Xander asked me to take you and Lia to where Quynh is staying. You and I are seen together so often that no one will question your adelphia sister joining us for a walk,” he said, his dark eyes drinking Ahyana in.
Even if I was disappointed that Xander wouldn’t be accompanying me, I was so happy that I was going to visit my sister! It had been such a long time since we’d last spoken. I needed to make sure that things were right between us. I had made an effort to be nicer to Thrax. I hoped he had told her.
And that she wouldn’t be angry because of how I’d treated him. Though I wouldn’t blame her if she was.
Since Ahyana and I were both ready to leave, we headed out. I had to ignore the lovebirds as they kept paying each other compliments and laughing over private jokes.
Perhaps my annoyance was something residual from invoking the fury aspect. Was I going to start being short-tempered and wanting to punch things again? I hoped not. I didn’t like how the anger had taken over my life, blocking out everything else.
