“It appears so.” Rominy smiles as her eyes light up. How she expects him to focus on a game when she’s sitting there with only a blanket barely wrapped around her is beyond him.
Not that he’s complaining.
He’s about to say something else when the island and treehouse around them fade, and he searches Elowyn’s eyes. Is she waking this time? She bites her lip and smiles, and relief fills him.
When he blinks open his eyes in the hotel, Elowyn stirs on the bed beside him. This is how it should be.
“Tharios?” she says softly.
Tharios steps toward them from across the room. “Welcome back. How are you feeling?”
“A little dizzy. My arm feels...heavy.”
“That’s normal. The sensation should be returning, and you’ll be able to use it again soon. It might be uncomfortable while my magic wears off.”
“So she’s better?” Rominy asks.
“She will be. You need to take it slow, though, El. I mean it. If you don’t listen to me this time, I will make you sleep to give your body more time to recover.”
Horror fills Elowyn’s eyes. “I’m listening.”
“Good.”
“Rominy told me about Mother.”
Tharios turns his gaze to Rominy. “He did, did he?”
There’s a lot of Queen Nestraya in Tharios’s eyes as he looks at Rominy. It’s a bit unnerving.
But then Tharios sighs. “I suppose you would have noticed their absence.”
“How is she?” Elowyn starts to sit up, and Tharios crosses his arms as he stares down at her.
Stars above. He really does have a look of their mother about him.
Elowyn lies back again, and Tharios relaxes as he checks her arm.
“Are you asking me to spy on them?” The hint of a smile fills his eyes now, and Elowyn smiles in return.
“Perhaps.”
“Fine, but if I get caught, I am blaming you.” Tharios straightens and closes his eyes for a moment. He must be using his life magic to sense his parents.
Which is both fascinating and horrifying.
“She’s not using her magic,” Tharios says. “Thank the fates. And it’s stronger today. Still injured but perhaps healing. And growing stronger by the second.” Tharios opens his eyes and shakes his head as he looks at Elowyn. “The things I do for you.”
“Thank you,” she says softly.
“You’re welcome. Now, I want you to focus on getting yourself stronger, all right? Perhaps you can try keeping down something more than water.”
Before Elowyn can nod, the door opens, and Cerian steps inside, carrying a coffee mug. Does he drink coffee? Rominy shivers at the thought.
“Welcome back,” Tharios says with a grin. “I hope that’s for me.”
Cerian glares at him. “It’s not for you. It’s for Elowyn. If she’s allowed—”
Tharios looks thoughtful for a moment before shrugging. “A few sips. That’s it, El. Until we see how it settles.”
