Taevas tensed. “Why? Is something wrong?”
Everyone in the room except for Alashiya and the healer seemed to hold their breath. Shaking his head, the healer calmly informed him, “It’s fully healed, Isand. I just can’t seem to get the cells to refresh on the skin’s surface, which means there’s a small scar. I think it’s related to the symbiotic mycelium in her tissue, but I can’t be sure without more research.” Turning to Alashiya, he asked, “Is that normal for you?”
“Yes,” she answered, trying very hard to sound normal. “Don’t worry about it.”
She couldn’t explain that the scar wasn’t a scar but a visible branch of the hyphae, which would soon link up with the others on her body, creating a dense network of silver lines up and down her right arm. It was how all nymphs would know she was married, and something she never thought she’d be privileged enough to have.
It was lucky that no one seemed to know anything about nymphs. Both the healer and Taevas took her response at face value, though the healer looked a tiny bit disgruntled that his work wasn’t completed to his satisfaction.
After turning down the offer of an IV, Alashiya let out a quiet sigh of relief and leaned into Taevas. The room got very quiet as the healer excused himself. She wasn’t an expert in dragon body language, but Alashiya got the feeling that no one really knew what to do with themselves.
The only person who seemed comfortable was Hele, who she spied standing in the corner of the room with Vael. His expression was something close to pain.
When Alashiya made eye contact with Hele, the elemental offered her a wide smile and a wave.
“Hello, strange woman,” she chirped. “I knew I was right about you.”
Taevas huffed. “Inwhat way?”
Hele drifted closer. She’d been nude last time they saw each other, but now she wore a loose, flowy dress in dark green. For as different as she was, she seemed to be right at home amongst all the dragons. “I told my mate that the nymph was telling the truth. I said you’d be angry when you woke up, but everyone thought you were going to die, so they didn’t listen to me.”
“You didn’t think I was going to die?”
“No,” she answered immediately. “You’re too stubborn.”
Alashiya avoided Taevas’s playful glare as she laughed into her hand, but all the humor in her faded quickly when Vael came forward. She wasn’t afraid of him, exactly, but she wasn’t comfortable with the man who’d accused her of hurting Taevas, either.
He’d been terrifying to her then. He was a little terrifying now, even when he looked at her with an apology grooved into every line of his face.
She continued to be afraid of him right up until he sank to his knees before her. The room went completely silent. His massive wings stretched out and flattened, the inner membrane facing the floor as he braced his claws on his knees and bowed his head.
She balked, overwhelmed by the sight of such a powerful figure knelt before her, apparently unbothered by the many solemn eyes that watched him.
“I apologize, Alashiya,” Vael rasped. He didn’t look her in the eye. Instead, he kept his gaze level with her shoulders, as if he didn’t dare lift his eyes to meet hers. “I should’ve listened to you and to my mate. I didn’t, and because of that, I mistreated the woman who saved my Isand’s life. Please forgive me.”
Alashiya leaned over to gently touch the powerful dragon’s shoulder, nudging him to rise to his feet. He was her husband’s best friend and his stalwart protector who’d spent several sleepless weeks scouring the UTA for him. She couldn’t be angry at him no matter how she’d been treated.
“You were scared because you love him. I love him, too. I can’timagine what it’s been like for all of you this whole time. So of course I forgive you, Vael.”
Taevas nudged her cheek, urging her to look up at him. Speaking in a whispersoft voice, he asked, “You love me?”
A sharp pain struck her.He doesn’t remember my vow.
Of course he didn’t. Because their wedding was secret and necessary and when he was on the brink of death, totally oblivious to how she intended to tie them together.
Cupping his cheek with her scarred hand, she ignored all the curious people in the room to murmur, “Yes,argaman mlk.I love you. I’d do anything for you.”
Taevas closed his eyes and let out a slow, measured breath. Grabbing her hand, he pressed a reverent kiss to her scar. “I know,” he whispered into her skin. “I love you, my queen.”
She sniffled, fingers curling against his jaw.I hope you feel the same way after I tell you. Gods, I hope I didn’t ruin this.
Pulling her hand back just enough to frown at her scar, he asked, “Will you tell me what happened?”
She’d told the abridged story so many times now that it came out automatically. “After I got you in the car, you passed out. I drove as far as I could, but when it looked like you weren’t breathing, I pulled over. That’s when Hele found me. She called Vael, and then… then we all went through an m-gate and ended up here.”
She did her best to tamp down the swell of panic that rose in her at the memory of how close she’d come to losing him. “Are you all right? You look better, but they wouldn’t tell me anything. I was so worried that I’d messed up and you’d?—”
Taevas pinched her chin between his forefinger and thumb. In his sternest, mostIsandvoice, he firmly informed her, “You didnothingwrong, my Shiya. You were brave. Braver than anyone I’ve ever met. If you hadn’t ignored my orders, I’d be dead right now. I owe you my life.Again.”
