Laughing, she leaned in for another smooch, just as a loud thump resounded behind her.
We both turned to find Ardor had jumped on Tharion, pinning the fierce Dragon to the ground. I guessed she was also excited to see him again.
“Always a happy time to reunite with an old girlfriend,” Imogen added, a naughty gleam illuminating her features.
“Girlfriend?” I frowned, turning to Tharion to see that he had rolled over Ardor, and they were now nuzzling each other in a way that said this was more than a friendly reunion. My eyes widened. “Leave it to grumpy Tharion to find love again with a young, hot little thang,” I joked.
Honestly, he kind of needed an energetic, force-to-be-reckoned-with kind of partner to get him out of that cranky mood he always had. My attention shifted to Kingston when he stopped beside us… Tharion wasn’t the only one.
The chief scowled at me like he knew exactly what I was thinking, and I grinned, unashamedly.
“Well done, Prince,” Imogen offered with a satisfied nod. “Now, do that again… on purpose.”
My smile turned into a frown, and it was Kingston’s turn to smirk.
* * *
I woke up feeling heavy and drowsy a few hours later, yet Evie was no longer lying beside me.
Honestly, I thought I couldn’t possibly sleep after having so much adrenaline rushing through my veins, even if I’d been up all day and all night. Yet, the second my back hit the bed; I was gone. It was regrettable, considering I truly wanted to cash in on that sexy teasing Evie made me endure while on Tharion’s back, on our way to see my mother.
My mother…
·Retrieve my father’s sword from Skylar’s forge.
·Pull the ring out of the drawer where I left it.
·Talk to Asher so we can go see the Truth Teller.
·Find the Dragon Crown.
My to-do list just kept getting longer, and I was going to need A LOT of coffee if I was expected to accomplish any of that today.
Also, that train of thought was weird as fuck.
Pounding echoed in my head when I sat up. Yep, I was definitely hungover, but withoutanyof the fun stuff. A grunt left me when I reached for the water on the night table.
“Drink the juice I prepared for you instead. It will take away the sting in your mind and muscles from lack of rest.”
Willow’s voice called from the front of the room, and I turned to see her lovingly combing Evie’s wet hair while she sat at the vanity in a plum-colored, silk top and skirt. She’d obviously been here for a while if she’d helped Evie bathe and get into the embroidered dress already.
“Okay.” A bright red liquid in a covered glass jar sat on the night table, and I began to unscrew the lid.
“No!” both Willow and Evie shouted, making me jump from the scare.
WTF? My gaze snapped towards them, perplexed.
They didn’t explain their outburst, instead gesturing for me to cover my nose.
“What’s in it?”
Evie’s nose wrinkled. “Believe me, you don’t want to know.”
“Just drink it,” Willow ordered. “Trust me, you’ll feel good as new after.”
“And you need your strength if you plan to search for the Truth tellerwith Kingston today,” Evie added. “I already drank mine.”
With a defeated sigh, I pinched my nose, downing the weird concoction. To my surprise, it didn’t taste half bad… only like rotten corpses, sweat, and blood. Fighting the gag instinct, I forced myself to swallow. My eyes watered, my throat burned, my stomach protested, but the pounding in my head gave one last desperate thump before it miraculously dissipated.
