“Harlow!” He choked back sobs. “Oh my goddess, what have I done?” He held up both hands, palms toward her.
She tried to answer him but couldn’t form words. Her throat would produce nothing but a raspy squeak. He raced from the room and screamed at someone in the hall. Pounding feet retreated into the distance. The sound seemed far away. And then everything went dark.
Harlow wasn’t sure how long she was unconscious, but she woke to the concerned face of a woman with dark skin and soulful eyes leaning over her. The woman had unusual features, similar to an elf’s but with rounded ears. A long black braid dangled over one of her shoulders.
Behind the woman, a bright light glared in Harlow’s eyes. Where was she? Where was Marius? She squinted against the blinding brightness. The dark-haired woman removed a cold towel from Harlow’s neck and adjusted a sheet that was covering her body. “Can you speak?”
“Who are you?” Harlow rasped.
“Praise the Mountain,” she heard Marius say.
Harlow searched the room for him, but he must have been standing out of her line of sight.
The dark woman squeezed her hand. “I am Maiara, palace healer. You are in the infirmary. There’s been an… accident. Do you remember?”
She nodded, her eyes roving again to try to find Marius. She could feel him there. A dark stain of pain and regret hovered somewhere near the right corner of the room.
“Marius—”
“He’s here. You are safe now.” The one called Maiara gently patted her shoulder. Did she mean to comfort her with his presence or from it?
“I want to see him. Please,” she said firmly.
Maiara frowned and glanced toward the corner. “Perhaps it would be best if you rest.”
Harlow tipped her head back and twisted, looking for him. Her neck muscles were still tight, and the position was terribly uncomfortable. “Marius, come here—now!” she commanded.
Footsteps neared her bed. The man who came into view was Marius but wasn’t. His eyes were red and bloodshot like he’d been weeping, and his complexion was as pale as she’d ever seen it. He was shirtless but wearing a loose-fitting pair of athletic breeches. His white hair was a mess, and his expression… He looked like a dragon on his way to a guillotine.
Harlow made eye contact with Maiara. “Can we have the room, please? I’d like to speak with my mate. Alone.”
Maiara’s eyes widened, then darted to Marius. With a curt nod, she rose and left the infirmary.
She held out her hand to him. “What happened?”
He snorted and shook his head in disgust. “I tried to kill you in my sleep. You should go, Harlow. I’m dangerous. I could hurt you.”
She took his hand and pulled him closer. “I’m fine, and I’m not going anywhere. Have you forgotten already what happened in that room last night?”
A tortured expression compressed his features. “I’ll never forget. It was the single best day of my existence.”
She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. “We’re mated. It’s not what I expected, but it happened, and I’m not going anywhere until we figure this out.” When he looked away, she tugged on his hand. “You aren’t responsible for what you did in your sleep. Has this happened before? You looked terrified.”
He swallowed. “Not in weeks, but yes.” His eyes shifted as if he couldn’t bear to look directly at her. “They stopped when I started training with you. I don’t know what triggered this one.”
She perused his face. “From the first day I talked to you at the coronation, I sensed you carried ghosts of the past. You’ve been dead, for Mountain’s sake. The tattoos themselves are a mystery. I knew they signified something dark. And you mentioned the nightmares that first night you walked me home. I knew you had secrets… I just didn’t think those secrets would lead to you trying to choke me in my sleep.” She chuckled softly, trying her best to quell the torture he was clearly in.
Instead of being comforted, he looked as if she’d kicked him in the gut. “I’m so sorry, Harlow. I never thought this would be an issue. I haven’t experienced a nightmare in weeks. And the queen is close to a solution. She thinks she can cure me.”
“Cure you of the nightmares?”
He nodded. “And… seeing the dead.”
She raised an eyebrow, a chill climbing her spine. “You see the dead too?”
His silver gaze dropped to the floor. “Sometimes.”
“What were you dreaming about… when you choked me?”
