“See her to her room, then find me. I want to know everything she said when you found her.” Caiden turns away from us and hurries to the door.
Brevan is silent as he carries me down halls and up stairs. I slip in and out of consciousness to the point where I’m wondering if this is even real.
He gets me into my—Anya’s room, then leaves me with a woman I don’t know. She says soothing things and has a kind voice, but I can’t quite understand her.
All I know is she manages to wash the sick from me and get me into a nightgown.
I have a vague memory of Brevan returning to carry me to my bed. Then everything goes dark.
There’s a crackling fire that casts shadows in a darkened room. Furs and blankets are piled on top of me, and I’m so warm and comfortable I almost close my eyes again. But my stomach rumbles, and my mouth is so dry. It feels like I swallowed sand.
When I sit up, my head spins, and I close my eyes for a moment until it stills, then open them again.
“You’re awake.”
I try to speak, but my voice is so hoarse it comes out as a croak.
“Don’t talk yet. I’ll get you some water.”
I smile as I watch Brevan throw the blankets he was sleeping under aside and walk to the table to pour me a cup of water from the pitcher.
He carries it to me. “Small sips. I know you’re thirsty, but trust me, if you drink too much it’ll all just come back up.”
I revel in the sensation of the cool liquid as it coats my tongue and flows down my parched throat. It’s the best water I’ve ever tasted.
He takes the cup away from me after a few sips, and I frown.
“I’ll give you more soon.”
I push myself up more on the pillows so I’m sitting completely upright. “Does Caiden know you’re in here?”
“Caiden left three days ago,” he says.
“Three days? How long have I been here?”
“Six.” He tries to smile, but the creases in his brow show his concern. “But you woke a couple times, and we made you drink some broth. Do you remember?”
I shake my head.
“It’s like that sometimes. Everyone is a little different, but we all need to recover after the temple.” He hands me the cup again.
After a few more small sips, I finally feel like my mouth is no longer made of sand. I pass him the cup back. “Have you been here the whole time?”
“No. I was in the hall while Caiden was here.” He rubs the back of his neck. “He checked on you a few times each day, but after he left, I started sleeping in here. I’ll leave tonight, though.”
I touch his arm. “Don’t go.”
“Princess—”
Someone knocks on the door, and I fall back against the pillows with a sigh.
Brevan opens the door, then closes it so I can’t hear the conversation. When he returns, he’s wearing his enforcer expression. The one that tells me the softness and human moments are gone.
“What is it?” I almost don’t want to know.
“The emperor was injured,” he says.
Forty-One
