“I brought him here. He’s helping me with a special project.”
“A human? Where did you even find a human?”
“Earth.”
Colin stiffened. “Do your parents know you left Paragon?”
She was saved from answering when Maiara arrived with her bag and started assessing Liam.
“Fine,” Liam mumbled, but his eyes rolled back in his head. He was most certainly not fine.
“You will be,” Maiara said, placing her healing amulet around his neck.
The caregiving did not distract Uncle Colin from their conversation. He was like a dragon with a bone. “Charlie…”
She glared at him. “Nothing happened. I was only there for a moment.”
“It’s a risk.”
“A risk I was willing to take.” She turned back to Liam, but Colin grabbed her arm.
“Charlie… you’re smarter than that.”
She tugged her arm away from him. “It’s a theory, nothing more. For all we know, it’s a completely unnecessary level of caution.”
Liam sat up, holding his head, and Maiara removed her amulet from his chest. She held up one finger. “Rest, one hour. No more fighting.”
Liam nodded and Maiara took off in the direction of the infirmary. His eyes darted between Colin and her. “I’m Liam. You look like… that is to say, you must be...”
Colin snorted, smiling despite the tightness in his jaw. “I am Colin, master of the Obsidian Guard and, yes, Sylas’s twin and Charlie’s uncle. Sorry for the confusion. I didn’t realize you were Charlie’s guest.”
“Uh, yeah, honest mistake.” His eyes shifted away as he waved two fingers dismissively.
Charlie hooked her arm under Liam’s. “Come on, I’ll help you back to my room.”
“Your room? He’s staying in your room?” A muscle in Uncle Colin’s jaw jumped with his demand for answers. .
“I’m fine, really,” Liam said to her.
“Maiara will have both our heads if we don’t follow her orders.”
“Why is he staying in your room?” A growl rumbled in Colin’s chest.
Charlie turned to face him head-on. “Uncle Colin, what exactly brings you to this wing of the palace?”
“Leena sent me. She wanted me to tell you that the tree you had delivered from Everfield is in the great hall. She would have come herself, but she’s transcribing some notes for the queen.”
Charlie turned to Liam excitedly. “It’s here! Okay, you still have to rest, but then we’ll see the tree.” She tugged his hand toward her chambers.
“Charlie, about what I said before…,” Colin called.
“I’ve got it under control, Uncle.” She hurried down the hall and was relieved when he didn’t follow. A few minutes later, she had Liam tucked into her second bedroom.
“What was your uncle talking about? He said you put yourself at risk.” Liam blinked up at her from his pillow, looking exhausted.
“He thought you were an attacker because you were chasing me,” Charlie said dismissively. There was far more to it than that, but she didn’t need another man on her case about it.
“No, not that part. The part where he implied it was dangerous for you to leave Paragon?”
