Another laugh left me. “I’ve missed you,” I said, face-planting against his chest.
“Of course, you did. I’m awesome.” He cleared his throat. There was a pause, and I felt his lips brush the top of my head. “Fabian told me what really happened when we were about an hour out from here. I almost caused a massive pileup on the interstate.”
My lips twitched.
His hands settled on my shoulders and he guided me back. “He said you killed him. Aric?”
“I did,” I whispered.
“Is there anything left of his body?”
“Um, no. He sort of just disintegrated, like most Ancients.”
“Not even ashes?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I’ll ask the King.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because I want to take a shit on his remains.”
“Oh my God.” I laughed again. “That is so disgusting.”
“I know. It’s the most disrespectful thing I can think of,” he explained and then led me toward a loveseat that often reminded me of a birdcage sliced open. “Tell me, Bri. Tell me everything you can.”
As we sat on the thick cushions, and the gauzy curtain draped over the chair rippled in the breeze, I told him everything I could remember. It wasn’t the first time, but there was a sense that the weight was lifting, just a little this time around. It was like letting out a breath.
“The King is most likely right,” Tink said after I told him about the hallucination I’d had earlier. “Your mind is stronger.”
“I hope so.”
“It could have nothing to do with the feedings.” He was toying with my hair. Somehow, it had come out of its ponytail. “It could be that post-traumatic syndrome thing that sometimes causes people to hoard things in their houses.”
I arched a brow. “You watch way too much television.”
“But I could be right. You experienced some trauma. Hearing voices, reliving the events is pretty common afterwards, according to Dr. Phil.”
I stared at him.
“After I saw Ren’s junk, I kept seeing it. Sometimes, it would talk to me—”
“You’re a mess.”
He grinned at me. “Fabian told me something else.”
“What?”
“He told me how the King nearly tore the city apart looking for you,” he said, and every muscle in my body tensed. “Wouldn’t give up on finding you. He also said that Ivy told him he’s barely left your side since he found you.”
I looked away. “You know that I helped him when he was wounded. He felt like he owed me—”
“Are you forgetting that I saw him kiss you like you were a snack?”
My cheeks heated. “No, I’m not forgetting that, but you know he’s the King and I’m…it doesn’t matter. Tell me about your hair. Please?”
Momentarily distracted, he ran his hand through his locks. It wasn’t spiky but fell over his forehead. “Do you like it?”
