“Asmo, he was passed out. It was the middle of the night when I left. This isn’t his fault,” I say cautiously.
Koa doesn’t say anything, and Asmo looks like he’s holding back from saying… many things.
“It doesn’t matter,” he snaps at me. “He never should have fallen asleep with you. The fact that he could sleep deeply enough without waking up when you moved is enough to tell me that he’s not the one for you.”
Koa’s expression is unreadable.
“Asmo,” I say quietly. “I am fully capable of deciding that for myself.”
His gaze narrows. “Does it not bother you that he didn’t wake up when you left? That he had no clue you were gone? You’re supposed to be the most precious thing to him, the only important thing to him. Yet he didn’t stir when you left the safety of his side?” Fury burns in his eyes.
“Hey, man—” Koa starts, but the protest dies when Asmo whips his head toward him and turns that cold fury on him.
I reach for Asmo and wrap my hand around his forearm. He turns back to me, his gaze softening as our eyes meet.
“I am a smart and capable female. If I want your opinion on how I should feel about something or someone, I will ask you. Until then, that is enough.” My voice is quiet, but firm.
He holds a hand up, then runs it through his hair. “Fine. Whatever.” He turns to leave. Before he goes, he turns back to me and says, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Mae.”
I just stare at him as he leaves. In a matter of an hour, I’ve seen him go from warrior, to sweet, to angry, back to…sullen?
“Mae, I’m so s—” Koa says as he sinks into the seat beside me.
I hush him, putting my free hand to his lips. “I don’t want to hear it. It wasn’t your fault, no matter what Asmo said.”
He nods, then notices my forearm in a bucket of water. “What happened?!”
I recall the entire night once more. He’s silent while I talk, his jaw dropping when I explain what the cambion looked like. When I finish, he says, “I’ve never seen a cambion. I’ve only heard of them. That’s terrifying. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine, I promise. I’m more worried about Marik right now.”
“Asmo isn’t worried, so I wouldn’t be either.”
Brynn walks over to me, a white towel and gauze in her hands. “Ready?”
I nod and take my arm out of the water. “This part is going to hurt,” she says apologetically.
I swallow and nod, holding out my arm.
“Look at me,” Koa says and holds out a hand.
I take his hand, lacing my fingers between his. Brynn softly dabs at the burn with the towel, drying it. Each touch sends pain radiating through me. I squeeze Koa’s hand hard, gritting my teeth as I do. After she dries it, she places a cooling salve across the burn. Every brush of her thumb on the burn makes me grit my teeth harder. I dig my fingernails into my thighs, hoping to distract myself from the overwhelming pain. It doesn’t work. Finally, she wraps the burn with gauze and secures it in place.
“All done,” she says. “Clean it once a day. If you’d prefer that I clean it, I’d be happy to. My room is in the wing across from yours. Just give me a shout down the hall, and I’ll come.”
I thank her profusely before she leaves, my hand still in Koa’s.
“Do you want me to walk you back to your wing?” he asks me.
“I’d like to stay here with Marik until he wakes up,” I say.
“Of course.” He nods, then rises and places a kiss on my forehead. “You know where to find me if you need me.”
“Hey, I had a blast last night,” I say. “It was an amazing night before all of this. Thank you.”
He smiles and says, “Anything, Mae. Anything.”
When Koa leaves, I curl up on the couch across from Marik, who’s still knocked out. I watch the rise and fall of his chest and count his breaths. As soon as I’m about to drift off, he stirs. He groans as he tries to sit up. I rush to sit beside him.
