“Aw, why?” she whimpered.
He smiled at her. “Because you look like you're about to fall asleep. Ready?”
“For what?” she asked dumbly. Lephas didn't answer, just lifted her out of the water.
“Shit it's cold!” she squealed and wrapped her arms around herself. The commander had kindly left the woollen blanket out on the side, ready and waiting.
Lori dived under it and wrapped the thick material tightly around her. Lephas heaved himself out of the water shortly after.
“Hey, come on. You've got to share that thing.” He laughed and grabbed the edge of the blanket.
Lori begrudgingly let him take the sheet away, shivering as an icy breeze bit against her warm, wet skin.
The commander swiftly wrapped the blanket around his shoulders and sat down in the sun, sheltered beside a large rock. He pulled Lori closer and she scampered to join him, hands covering her breasts. Clambering into his lap, she turned to sit between his legs with her back leaning against his chest. Her wings folded in out of the way.
Lephas wrapped the blanket around them both, encasing Lori with his body.
With the cold wind shielded from them by the rock face, Lori was surprised at how warm the sun actually was. Her shivering quickly began to ease and Lephas held her tight.
“Are you hungry yet?” he asked, stooping to rub theside of his face against hers affectionately.
“Not really, I still feel a little nauseous,” Lori replied. She took a loose end of the blanket and squeezed the excess water from her hair into it, in an attempt to dry off.
“That's probably because you're so tired.”
“What have you been eating whilst I've been sleeping?”
Lephas shrugged. “I haven't, really. I found a Winterberry plant yesterday morning, so I have a few dozen of those in my pack, but otherwise I've just been keeping myself hydrated.”
“You must be starving.” Lori yawned and relaxed against him.
“Actually no, I haven't had much of an appetite since coming back from the grave. I think I've been feeling as good as you've been feeling terrible.”
“That must be some sort of freaky after effect.”
“Did you know what you were doing when you healed me?” he asked curiously. “I've been dying to ask you about it.”
“Honestly? No,” she mumbled, tucking the blanket tighter beneath her chin. “It just happened. I was so upset and desperate... I remember thinking I couldn't stand to live without you and thenpoof!”
“That's unsettling,” Lephas muttered.
“Very.”
“I'm afraid I'm no expert on majick. I'm just as much in the dark as you on this one. Maybe when we get back to Banesteppe I'll ask Raxx about it. He knows something about most majick phenomena,” the commander said thoughtfully.
“What do you remember about it all?”
“Not a lot. I remember fighting with that huge bear and the pain… I remember shouting at you to leave me.”
Lori shuddered and the demon squeezed her.
“Sorry, let's not talk about this again.” He pressed a kiss against her wet hair.
There was a long pause.
“Maybe Faye isn't the only majborne in your family after all?” Lephas nudged her playfully. “Who knows what else you could learn to do. I can ask Raxx about that too, when we get back, if you'd like?”
“Fayeisn'tthe only majborne in the family,” Lori stated simply. She paused, feeling her stomach drop. “My father is also majborne.”
