“Don’t you dare apologize.” He presses his lips to her hair and holds her close. “Hey, love, can we talk for a minute?”
Something in his tone sounds off, and she lifts her head. “What’s wrong?”
He sighs. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell you, but I don’t want you to be surprised and confused when you wake. It’s your mother.”
“My mother?” Elowyn pushes herself up, and Rominy leans up on his elbows.
“She’s fine. I should have said that first.”
Well, that’s a relief at least.
“But her life magic isn’t,” Rominy continues. “I didn’t understand all of their conversation, but I think Tharios warned her that if she doesn’t care for it now, it may never reach its full strength again.”
The blood drains from Elowyn’s face. “Lose her life magic? She’s been helping Tharios care for me, hasn’t she? But she looked so strong.”
“She is strong. And she didn’t want you to worry.”
“This is my fault. She should have been resting. Not—”
“No, Elowyn.” He reaches for her hands. “This is not your fault. And she’s resting now.”
“But—”
“If she’s worried about you, nothing will keep her from your side. So I need you to be strong, all right? So your parents can focus on replenishing your mother’s magic.”
Elowyn stares at him for a moment. “Pera is helping her?”
“Yes. So they won’t be there when you wake up this time. But it will be all right.”
Elowyn sucks in her cheeks.
“You look like you’re trying not to laugh, which is confusing me at the moment,” Rominy says.
“Did Tharios send them away?”
“He did. I only understood half of their conversation. But he said something about resting for a few days.” Rominy can’t hold back his own smile as he adds, “And yes, I am very much aware that they aren’t doing much actual resting.”
Laughter fills her despite her best effort to stop it.
“Let me just say it’s a good thing my mother doesn’t speak Elvish,” he says, and Elowyn leans into him again as her shoulders shake.
Once her laughter slows, he holds her close, and she snuggles against him. “So they won’t be there in the morning?”
“Not if Tharios and Grandmera have anything to say about it. Half the time, you ask for your father first when you wake, so I didn’t want you to be surprised when he’s not there.”
“Thank you,” she whispers.
“It will all work out, Elowyn. Your mother is strong. Hold on to that, all right?”
“I will do my best.”
“Good. In the meantime, do you want to play a game like we did on the train to Wolbourne?”
Her smile grows. “That would be delightful. I will try not to slaughter you.”
He laughs at that as he steals another kiss.
Arisannaleansagainstthewall, fingering Cerian’s vines as she watches him brush his teeth after they wake. It’s such a mundane thing, but he’s never let her watch him before. She thought perhaps elves didn’t need to do anything so...normal.
