“Rest,mo chuisle. Save your strength.”
There was a startled inhale from somewhere nearby.
“Is that Aileen? What the hell happened to her?” Nathan demanded, his worry flooding the small space.
Liam caressed my cheek. His touch gentle. “The sun.”
Even with how careful he was being, it was enough to send a lance of pain through my nerve receptors.
Sensing my discomfort, Liam withdrew his hand.
“How is that possible?” Nathan’s voice drowned out my small protest at losing Liam’s touch. “The sun only has this effect on the newly turned and vampires who’ve devolved. I’ve monitored her closely for months. There’s been no further signs of a devolution. She should be able to nap under the early morning sun and come away with no more than a moderate burn.”
I must have made some kind of noise because Liam started soothing me.
“Shh,mo chuisle. This is just a small setback. You haven’t devolved. I promise you that.” To Nathan, “Did you bring what I asked?”
“I’ve got it right here.”
A rustling sound came as something was unfolded.
“You know she’s going to lose her shit when she finds out you transported her via body bag.”
“I’ll be happy to entertain her complaints when she wakes up.”
“You’re the boss.”
Magic brushed against my skin. Caroline beginning her change back to wolf.
“Where are we taking her? Vitus’s forces and the Fae hit the mansion at dawn. It’s no longer safe. Thomas is furious. He’s issued a challenge. You know how he is when his things get damaged.”
“I’m aware. How did Ahrun react?”
Nathan snorted. “You know the old man. Schemes wrapped in schemes. I can’t tell whether he was expecting this or if he’s just enjoying the chaos.”
I lost track of the conversation after that.
Liam’s presence crouched next to me pulled me out of the fog. “This is going to hurt,mo chuisle. But when you wake up, I promise everything will be okay.”
I didn’t have time to figure out what he meant as hands grasped my shoulder. Another set took hold of my legs.
My scream at the lightning hot pain that bolted through me got trapped in my chest.
“One. Two.”
I was out before they hit three.
The complete lack of discomfort and pain was what brought me back to the land of the waking. There wasn’t so much as a twinge or ache to remind me of the ordeal I’d survived.
It felt like I was an entirely new person. As if my encounter with the sun had never happened, no more than a fever dream.
Except it hadn’t been a dream. I remembered everything. The memories far too vivid to have come from my imagination.
“You’re awake,” Sondra announced.
I slowly turned my head, my surprised gaze landing on the wolf sitting beside my bedside. Until she’d spoken, I hadn’t registered anyone else’s presence in the room.
I think I preferred it that way.
