"You're not going anywhere," Corbin said firmly. "And besides, you can't forget about the job Hagen has for us."
Dorian glared at his Second. "This is my sister," he argued. "I need to know that she is okay."
"What you need to do is trust her," Corbin affirmed. "She’s smart—“
"Annoyingly reckless—“
"More than you?" Reverie cut in.
“—She's got Lex—“ Corbin continued.
"She's likely run her off by now," Dorian grunted.
Corbin paused, but he didn't say another word about Nyssa. "You know this job Hagen has for us is important," he said instead. "Your sister can manage the south for now. If the Infi take over the mountains, we'll have no backup plan."
"Wait, Infi?" Reverie asked, and fear rose in her gaze unlike he had ever seen. Her hands pushed to either side of her neck. "Why are we talking about Infi?"
Dorian closed his eyes and surrendered to the pillow again. "Corbin, tell her."
As Corbin explained what Hagen had come to them with, Dorian tuned them out. He pressed his hands over his eyes and tried to reach inside himself for any sign of his sister.
They’d always shared a connection deeper than kings before them. Ever since they'd been marked in their mother's pool together, they knew when the other was in pain and could share words without speaking. Of course, it could have been because they knew each other so well that they could finish one another's thoughts, but Dorian wasn't sure.
He'd been in so much pain lately, he wondered if perhaps it had all run together—her agony and his. If she had been killed, he would have known. Her eagle would be with him. He knew she was alive, but he needed to know she was okay.
When he felt nothing, he wrapped his hands around both Corbin and Reverie's legs and pulled himself to a sitting position, slumping over his knees, still burying his head in his hands.
"I need both of you to quiet a moment," he asked them.
Just as he started counting his breaths to numb his surroundings, someone knocked on the door.
Dorian cursed the sky.
Corbin yelled for the person to come in, and Hagen popped his head in the door.
"Oh good, he's awake," he said upon coming inside. "Wondered if I needed to wrap your ass in the snow outside to get the rest of that fire out of you," he continued. "You're lucky the woman didn't want your cock to shrink."
Hagen winked at Reverie with the last words, and Reverie threw her boot at him.
Hagen laughed and dodged it as he turned to Dorian. "How you feeling, mate?"
"Like I nearly died," Dorian grumbled.
"So better then?"
Dorian’s eyes cut at him over his hands. "What's on your mind, Elder?"
"Think you're up for standing?"
"Doubtful," Dorian admitted. "Why?"
"I've spoken with the people and the rest of our Elders. They've decided to forego the final trial."
Dorian frowned and his hands moved entirely away from his face. "What?"
Hagen gave him a half-smile. "Get some clothes on. Your guard can help you up the steps. I want you to have this presentation before Mons leaves." He stepped forward and squeezed Dorian's knee. "Draven would be proud of the way you handled our Architect," he said. "I daresay he'd have done the same thing had it shown up to meddle in our affairs without our asking it to."
Emotion grew in Dorian's chest. He knew Hagen was right, and he knew it was exactly how his sister would have reacted as well.
