Tilting back, I caressed his stubbled cheek. Swallowing, I said, “Then do it.”
A soft groan rumbled deep in his chest as he closed his eyes for a brief moment; his lust-filled gaze burning into my soul when he looked down at me again.
“Little Star, I’ve kissed you in my dreams a thousand times. When I kiss you for the first time, I want to hear the shifting cadence of your heartbeat. To smell the sweet scent of your arousal. To taste you fully. To feel how your body reacts to mine.”
He shook his head, then leaned down a little closer so that his lips were a hair’s breadth away from my ear. “No,” he said, pressing asoft kiss to where the warm breath of that single word had caressed the sensitive skin.
My eyes slid shut, and I sucked in an involuntary gasp as sparks ignited through my entire body.
“When I kiss you for the first time, Nyla, I want to set the world aflame and let the fire consume me.”
“Endymion,” I breathed, my body, my heart, my soul begging for more.
I could’ve sworn the cool touch of his magic stroked my parted lips, but when I opened my eyes, he was gone.
I gasped awake, sitting bolt upright.
“Endymion? Endymion?” I called out in a blind panic as I wrestled with the blankets, taking little note of where I was. Only one thing mattered—getting back to him.
“Whoa there, Spark. It’s okay. He’s okay. You’re back in the Summer Court in your bed.”
I blinked furiously, trying to focus on his words. My eyes snapped to him, and before I thought better of it, I flung myself forward, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Artton,” I gasped, nearly crumbling with relief.
Grunting as he caught me, Artton wrapped his arms around me and squeezed tight. Tears fell as I let his solid presence reassure me that he was here. Okay. Alive.
Pulling back slightly, cerulean eyes that reminded me so much of Endymion’s met mine. They were like mirrors of my own relief as we took each other in. “The others?” I asked.
“Safe.”
“Thank the gods,” I said, then sat back on my heels. “And Endymion?”
“Alive, but he still hasn’t woken up.”
I nodded, already knowing that truth in my soul.
“You, on the other hand,” Artton said, and I could tell he was hedging his next words. I stiffened, waiting for whatever he clearly didn’t want to say. Abandoning his first tactic, thesummer fae stood.
“Here, why don’t I show you?” he said, holding out a hand.
My brows knit together as I eyed his proffered hand.
“Please,” he said, and the sadness in that single word had me accepting his help out of the bed. Thank the stars I did, because the moment I tried to stand up, my vision swam, and I was forced to lean into his side to stop me from teetering over.
“Whoa,” I said, feeling unsteady, but worst of all, weak.
Without a word, Artton scooped me up, and the stern lines of his face stole any words of protestation I’d been about to send his way.
Walking us toward the bathroom, he gingerly set me down on the chair I always used when Kai tended my hair. Once he stepped away, he looked at my reflection through the mirror, forcing my focus to follow.
My hands flew to my mouth in shock as I took in my reflection. My gaunt reflection.
“Seven hells,” I breathed as I traced downward, cataloguing what I saw.
Dark under-eye bruising.
Sallow complexion.
