“Last time I checked, you’re not in my thunder.” It comes out with no power, not when I’m holding her head to my bare chest.
“No, sir, I’m not.”
“Well, she hasn’t woken up yet, but I need to rest before I go out again tonight. Will you check in on her for me?” I stand with her in my arms.
“Of course, sir.”
I carry her up the stairs and down the hallway. The maid has already freshened up her room, the bed made tightly. I lay her on top of the duvet and throw a light, fluffy blue blanket from the chair in the corner of the room over her. She curls onto her side, hands tucked under her head. A light sigh escapes, and there’s a twitch of a smile on her face.
I long to know what she’s dreaming about, but I don’t want to risk probing into her mind again, not after it dropped her so quickly. And I need to get sleep myself.
My fingers skate down the side of the bed, and I contemplate just lying down and pulling her into me, spooning her, but I don’t want to terrify the girl when she wakes. I flick the light off at the door and hit a button, dropping the shades, plunging the room into darkness. I close the door behind me.
I’m tired, more tired than I’ve been in a long time. I’ve flown north and back before lots of times, and it’s never this bad.
“What were you doing in there?” Kieren’s voice booms from down the hall.
10
KIEREN
Roark’s coming out of her room.
“Is she in there?” My voice vibrates with irritation.
“Yes.” He crosses his inked arms over his chest. He’s added designs around his thunder mark, to the infuriation of my mother. Doesn’t even matter that the ink he puts on his skin in this realm doesn’t follow him to ours. After Aisling’s last visit, she told our mother. And I was called home for an earful. She might be the queen, but she’s leery of Roark’s temper.
“Have you touched her?” I ask.
“Yes. Have you? She—” He glares at me. “It’s been a fucking long night. I’ve just gotten in from the north. I didn’t touch her any more than to help her to her room.”
My eyes scan him. “I haven’t touched her. I waited.”
“How very proper of you, Prince Alder.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, thank you.” There’s a glint in Roark’s eyes. There’snever a glint. It vanishes the second he notices me taking it in.
“What did you do?” I ask, my focus shifting to Raine’s closed door.
“I’ve done nothing. Exactly what I said to start with. Firested, however...”
“Yes... as always. Evander said he would meet me in the office. Can you join me?” I ask.
He winces. “Sure.”
“Did you sleep last night?”
“No.”
“Find us later.”
“I can come now.”
“It’s good, Roark. I want to know what you found out, but if they are going to attack Crest Wing, we need you to be able to fly a straight line. Find me later.”
“Yes, Prince.” He cocks his head and military pivots toward his suite. Technically, being a thunder mate, he’s a prince too. But I don’t think anyone will ever address him that way. Sir or general, yes, but prince? No.
