The Noble huffed under his breath as he extended the goblet to her. Nyssa eyed him but reached for the goblet anyway. The moment it was in her grasp, he stretched his free hand to her once more.
"Do we have a deal?"
She let her breath settle, gaze darting from his outstretched hand to his face—
And then she shook his hand.
The corner of the Noble's mouth quirked upwards as he moved their hands up and down in the air. When it was released, she grasped the cup with both hands and waited for him to drink first.
"You know, I never got your name," he said, and she could see the red wine at the corner of his lips.
She smelled the liquid and hesitantly let it touch her lips, but she did not let is fall down her throat. "Ari," she responded, fake swallowing.
"Just Ari?" he repeated. "Do people of your land not have surnames?"
"Ari Storn," she blurted, and the name that rolled so quickly off her tongue made her heart break.
The Noble raised his cup to hers and pressed it against it. "You'll make a grand addition to our court, Miss Storn,” he cooed.
The wink he gave her made her cringe.
But the deal brought a restlessness to her extremities.
Make them crawl, Nysi.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
FOR THREE DAYS, Dorian couldn't move out of the bed.
And for three days, Dorian puked so much ash that he wondered if his insides had been replaced with it.
His form had stayed inside while he was under with the tonic Mons had made for him every day. He hardly remembered the days. And he certainly didn't remember the nights. What he did remember were the touches of someone changing his bandages. He remembered words being spoken about him, mumbles of conversation, but nothing more.
As for how many days he had actually been out, he wasn't sure. After he got rid of the unfamiliar fire inside him, his body had surrendered to the pain, and he lost track of everything around him. The next thing he remembered was waking to Reverie and Corbin sitting on either side of him in the bed. Their voices were quiet. Reverie held his hand while Corbin apparently checked his injury on his side.
The bandage pulling off made him inhale sharply, and he opened his eyes. "Fuck—you're worse than her," he grumbled, head lifting off the pillow.
Corbin's smirk met him, and he gave Reverie an upwards nod. "Knock him back out, would you?"
But Reverie only laughed softly and squeezed Dorian's hand. Another sear of pain rippled through him, and he pressed his head back down. "How long have I been out?" he managed.
"Not long enough," Corbin grunted.
"Five days," Reverie answered.
Dorian groaned into the bed.Five days. Five days longer than he should have been.
"Tell me you've heard something since I've been out," he asked them.
The silence that rang in the room made his head lift. "Nothing?" he asked, looking between them.
Reverie and Corbin exchanged another glance, and Dorian started to move.
"We need to go—“
Corbin's thumb jammed in Dorian's bruise.
Dorian limped back against the mattress, cursing and whimpering at the searing pain. He nearly puked as it quaked down into his bones.
