She needed to get to the bathroom, and she needed to do it without waking Dimitri.
Mattie had woken up several times during the night to find him sitting on a chair and watching her. At some point, he'd given up his vigil and had gone to sleep, but she was pretty sure it had been in the early hours of the morning. He needed the sleep.
She wasn't the only one who had gone through a traumatic experience yesterday. He'd fought like a lion to save her, and it must have taken a lot out of him, not just physically but also mentally.
Dimitri wasn't a fighter. He didn't have the instincts of a trained soldier. Fighting those immortals must have taken a mental toll on him.
Carefully, she used her left hand to push back the blanket and swung her legs over the side of the bed. So far, so good. The movement sent a dull ache through her scarred calves, the usual protest after lying still for too long, but that was old pain. Familiar, manageable, and almost comforting in its predictability.
She planted her feet on the floor and stood.
The room tilted sideways.
Her vision blurred, her knees buckled, and then she was falling, stumbling forward with no way to catch herself because her good hand was grabbing at air and her bandaged hand was useless, and the floor was rushing up to meet her?—
Arms wrapped around her waist. Impossibly fast, strong, and steady.
"I've got you."
How had he done that?
How had he caught her as if he'd been standing beside her all along instead of lying fast asleep two seconds ago?
"How did you do that?" She blinked up at him, her heart hammering. "You were asleep."
"Instinct." He held on to her. "Where are you trying to go?"
"Bathroom."
"Let me help."
"I can walk. I just?—"
"I don't think so." He shifted so his arm was around her back, her left hand braced against his chest. "You just proved otherwise. Lean on me."
She wanted to argue, but the floor still seemed crooked under her feet, and her legs felt like they were wet noodles, so she let out a breath and leaned against his solid body.
He walked her to the bathroom slowly, letting her set the pace, and when they reached the door, he released her carefully, making sure that she was steady before letting go.
"Is it okay if I come inside with you?" he asked. "I don't want you to fall."
She nodded. "Falling would be bad."
He helped her to the toilet but then turned his back to her and got busy brushing his teeth to give her privacy.
When she was done, she joined him at the single sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
It wasn't a pretty sight. She had dark circles under her eyes, and there was a bruise on her cheek that she hadn't even noticed yesterday. It must have been from when she fell.
In comparison, Dimitri looked as good as new. Better than new. The changes were subtle, but it was undeniable that he was becoming more and more handsome with each passing day.
"I need to brush my teeth," she said. "My mouth tastes as if something died in it."
He laughed. "That's a pleasant image."
"You asked."
"I didn't ask."
