Shocked, I turn and rest the back of my hand against his forehead. “He has a fever.”
I wish that I had more healer skills but I’m a better thief and spy.
Instantly, Daire’s expression becomes serious. He twists around, darting from one side of the chamber to the other and stroking his fingers over the surfaces.
Do fae have worse night vision than wolves? I’ll have to make sure to help Daire.
He ducks to a cedarwood desk that stands to the side of the room. It is messy with parchments, which are bright with hieroglyphics.
Some of them appear to be ancient hieroglyph magic.
There are so many parchments that they spill off onto the floor in a papery sea.
My expression brightens.
Is Lanlin a scholar? Interested in ancient magic like Daire and I are? Or is this simply work for his court that he is forced into doing like Aurelius is?
I’ll sneak a look later.
Perhaps, being a spy won’t be so hard.
Lanlin isn’t as tidy as Aurelius, and by the looks of the state of both the desk and this room, doesn’t have a maid, servant, or apetto clean for him.
What kind of king is he? What did Daire mean byoutcast?
Daire feels across the desk to seize a bronze bowl of water at the back with a grin of triumph. He pulls the bowl to this chest, along with a small linen cloth that rests next to it. Then he dives back to the bed.
I wriggle to lie on one side of Lanlin, feeling his heat even through the blanket.
It’s strange that this is the first time I am in bed with my future husband. I thought that I would be terrified but instead, I am calmly tending to his injuries.
Daire sits cross-legged on the other side, dipping the cloth into the water. He leans over and swipes it first across my wounded chin.
I hiss in shock.
Daire kisses my cheek. “I wish that I had been the one to defend you, love.”
“How could you have, Sweet Dove?” I tease. “You’re merely a soft, defenseless courtesan.”
He grimaces, wringing out the cloth in the cold water again.
“I may have given myself away with my ravens in the heat of the battle. Saving you was the most important thing. My ravens are enjoying exploring the new palace for now and will report back to me with anything that they find.” Daire keeps his voice casual, but I know him too well to be tricked. “You didn’t know about the ambush, aye?”
I frown. “I could ask you the same thing. Did Maximinus plan it?”
“If he did, then the bastard didn’t tell me.” Daire lays the cloth on Lanlin’s forehead. “Our bat Alpha is too bloody hot.”
Lanlin is shivering now.
I drag the blanket more firmly around him. Daire settles down on the other side of the bed.
Daire’s lavender eyes shine brightly in the dark. “Why don’t you catch some sleep, my Spark? I swore to serve you, and it doesn’t matter how far we travel, I always will. I’ll stay awake in case…”
I furrow my brow. “What?”
Finally, the exhaustion and shock of everything that has happened not only throughout tonight but over the last few weeks is catching up on me.
My eyes are heavy. My mind is fuzzy.
