A growl erupted across the room, freezing her.“Leya!”
CHAPTER10
At the yell,Leya dropped her mug on the table, her gaze snapping toward the bed where Aerén fought to throw off the sheets.
Shit. She bolted from the armchair and raced to him. “What is it?”
He grasped her hand, his eyes burning bright with fever. “There you are…” His voice sounded like miles of gravel. “Safe.”
“We both are,” she reassured him. The wound on his brow seemed to have healed, but the one on his side worried her. She tried to check. He wouldn’t let her, keeping a hold of her hand, his gaze sweeping the place. His brow furrowed. “Where?”
Gently, she pried free. “Dregarus.”
“No.” He tried to sit and grunted, a hand going to his side. “We have to get out of here.”
“We can’t leave yet. You’ve been badly hurt!” She grabbed the small bottle with the cloudy potion Adara had left for him as he struggled to get out of bed. The sheet slipped to his waist, revealing his fully healed chest and those lickable stomach muscles shifting and sliding beneath his skin. She quickly plopped down next to him on the covers, stopping his attempt to rise and forcing him to remain on his back.
He glared.
She ignored his crankiness and opened the bottle, holding it to his mouth. “Take this. It’s to help with the pain.”
“I can tolerate the damn pain!” He scowled.
Wow, seriously grumpy.
“The Darkreans are Empyrea’s enemies,” he gritted out.
Right. Though they did treat Aerén as if he were a ticking time bomb, she didn’t sense anything dire from them. She lowered the bottle. “You mean they’re like the rebels?”
“Not exactly.”
“Then we’re fine. Those rebel asses wanted to kill you, and no doubt me as well—”
His expression darkened.
“TheDarkreans,” she stressed the name, “brought us to safety, and you should know I would have likely frozen to death in the cave.”
She put the bottle back near his mouth, and those sensual lips, that had fastened to hers in a far too brief kiss, tightened. “You should know, too, I’ve dealt with difficult patients, so I’m not moving until you take this.”
A tic pulsed on his clenched jaw.
Jeez, just how hard was he gritting his teeth?
Talk about intractable men. Aerén would undoubtedly lead the pack.
“It’s not poison,” she muttered. “They could have easily left us out in the icy cave for the rebels to find.” It was a callous thing to say, but she had to get him to take the meds. “Please, Aerén, you have to take it. I want you better. I must go home.”
A deep exhale broke free as he propped himself on one elbow. Pain lines bracketed his mouth, perspiration dotting his brow. He frowned at the chunks of dark rocks sparkling with hints of white around him.
“They said it would help you,” she explained the rocks.
Something flickered over his pain-filled features as those intense eyes came back to hers. Without a word, he took the potion and tipped the contents into his mouth.
Good. He cut out the fuss.
Once he finished, she left the bottle on the nightstand again. He exhaled slowly as if breathing hurt, too.
The door opened, and she glanced over to find Taegér and Sebris heading their way. The latter glanced at Brenna, still seated near the fireplace, and she rose and joined them.
