Darian pushes himself up, wincing. His hand goes to his temple. “Ow.”
Eres presses two fingers lightly to Darian’s pulse with a calm expression. “You’re not dying,” he says drily. “Try not to feel too upset.”
“I’m fine.” Darian glares at him.
But Eres’s expression remains unimpressed. “There's a lot of that going around. You’re alive. That’s not the same thing.”
The blanket slips lower, revealing bruises along Darian's ribs and small cuts on his shoulder. Nothing too serious. But enough to remind me how close it came anyway.
Eres’s gaze flicks to me again. “Rest,” he repeats, firmer.
“She won’t.” I open my mouth to protest, but Darian keeps going, voice sharpening. “Because she apparently thinks she has to earn her place here by bleeding for it.”
My chest tightens. Eres’s mouth tightens as well, but his hand stays gentle as he checks Darian’s head. “Don’t,” he warns softly. “We’ve been through this.”
“I haven’t.” Darian’s gaze doesn’t leave mine. There’s anger there, anger edged with something else, something almost shaky. “You shouldn’t have come.”
I swallow. “You shouldn’t have left.”
His jaw clenches. “I had reasons.”
“So did I,” I snap, surprising myself with how quickly my own frustration rises. It’s easier than admitting what I felt in that moment. Easier than admitting I couldn’t bear the thought of him being taken.
Darian exhales. “You could havedied.”
“So could you.” I hold his gaze. “But you don’t seem to care about that.”
He looks away, his throat working. And Eres gets to his feet, closing his belt around his waist with an efficient snap.
“I’m going to go check the healing quarters.” His tone is deliberately brisk. “There might be more injuries before the lastof the patrols come in. And I willnotcome back to find either of you wandering the castle like idiots.”
Darian’s mouth twitches. “We won’t.”
Eres looks at me pointedly, and I roll my eyes weakly. “I heard you.”
Eres pauses with his hand on the door, and his gaze softens. “Lyra,” he says quietly. “Your body is not infinite. If you burn out before the Lightbringers reach our gates, you won’t be able to help anyone.”
The reminder hits hard, and I nod. Eres doesn’t look like he believes me, but he leaves anyway. The door clicks closed behind him.
Silence settles in the room, broken only by distant castle noise and Darian’s slow breathing. He rubs his face with both hands, then drags them down, exhaling.
He looks tired. Not just physically.
“You’re angry,” I say softly.
His eyes flick to mine. “Yes.”
“Because I risked myself.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re grateful.”
His mouth tightens. “Alsoyes.”
“I didn’t do it to prove anything,” I whisper.
Darian’s gaze searches my face. “Then why did you do it?”
