As she entered the quiet, healing place, the smell of food permeated the herbal-scented air. A small table was set near the fireplace with covered dishes. But no one was around.
At least the floor had been cleared of the debris Aerén had caused to rain down on them.
Her attention slipped to where he rested, so still on the bed, with a white sheet pulled over his chest, concealing his wounded state. God, she wished someone would tell her if he was going to be all right.
She dropped his jacket on the bed opposite him, frowning at the chunks of black rocks, sparkling with white crystals, laid out like some faery ring around him. Curious, she touched one with a fingertip. A rush of pinpricks cascaded through her—
Whoa! She yanked her hand away, so sure she’d latched onto the stone’s energy or something, the sensation stirring the ever-present tingles in her fingertips. With a shaky breath, she pressed her trembling fist to her chest, eyeing the stones warily.
Nope, not touching you again.
Aerén seemed asleep rather than unconscious, and the knot in her belly loosened a little as her gaze traced his handsome features, stopping at his sensual mouth. Her breath stuttered, remembering their too-brief kiss. She’d liked it more than she cared to admit. But then he called her by another person’s name.
She expelled a troubled breath. What was it about this man that had her reacting this way, that made her want him?
Yes, he was impossibly good-looking, but her ex was attractive, too, and Lee hadn’t sparked this kind of compulsion to want to touch him, to be with him…
Ohhh,boy!It had to be exhaustion causing all these lunatic thoughts and insane feelings.
Years of fatigue, grief, and worry piling on would do that, from her sister being ill and her mother passing away, to helping her bereft father. Even now, she still worried about Hana, who was like a rudderless ship,andthere was the family business, which had hung on through her hard work.
Yep, all the stressors would still be there, waiting for her with open arms.
A deep, tired sigh escaped her.
The beads of perspiration on Aerén’s brow had her frowning. Leya placed the back of her hand on his forehead. Crap, he was burning up!
Her anxiety back in spades, she hurried around the bed to the bowl of water and linen on the nightstand.
She dipped the cloth into the clean, cool water and gently dabbed his face, then did another swipe—
The door opened.
“Hey,” Brenna said softly, glancing at the untouched food. “Leya, come, have something to eat. Or else we’ll end up with two patients.”
She was teasing, but the delicious fragrance of food permeating the room finally cracked through Leya’s troubled thoughts, and hunger gnawed her belly, reminding her she hadn’t eaten in God knew how long.
“I guess I should.” She left the cloth on the bedside table. “With him awake, I need all my wits.” The words were out before she could stop them, and heat flooded her cheeks.
Brenna burst out laughing as she stopped opposite the bed. “I understand exactly what you mean.” She glanced at Aerén’s sleeping form, then back to Leya. “They draw you on such an intrinsic level, it’s like fighting against a riptide. You can’t swim away from it, no?
Oh, boy! Leya really hoped not. This was one riptide she had to stay away from.
“Come.” Brenna hooked her arm through Leya’s and strolled back to the low table near the fireplace. “Here.” She picked up a small, rounded container from the table and handed it over. “Adara left this for you. Apply it to your bruise, and it will heal.”
“Thank you.” Leya sat down on one of the two armchairs and set the ointment aside as Brenna uncovered the dishes, revealing a silver tureen of spicy gravy and meat, with chunks of vegetables Leya didn’t recognize, accompanied by crusty rolls. Butter. And a scrumptious custard-like pudding for dessert.
“Go on, dig in.” Brenna took the chair opposite her.
Leya helped herself to the gravy and meat then buttered a roll, took a bite, and chewed the yummy goodness. “It tastes divine.” She quickly ate a spoonful of her food and groaned. “And delicious.”
“The cook makes some of the food I like. I showed him how,” Brenna said, smiling. She poured the steaming beverage and set a mug near Leya.
The tantalizing whiff hit her. “Coffee?” she asked, between mouthfuls of food.
“Yep. Imported from Earth.” She grinned. “Sebris likes it, as do I. So, the warriors bring things like coffee, chocolates, etc., from back home.”
Leya nodded, but there were questions that bothered her. She set her spoon down and rubbed her tingling palms on her borrowed jeans. “What’s going on, Brenna? I mean, you’re in this world, so you know everything, right?”
