She shivered, and he added another blanket around her shoulders.
“I’ll warn you, it can be kind of overwhelming sometimes,” she said. “Having someone care that much with zero expectations of anything in return.”
“I don’t know if they’ll ever feel that way about me.”
She paused, wondering if it was her place to convince him of anything. But Carus had been alone and searching for so long, and her parents had been mourning all that time too. Letting him waste time wondering if he was allowed into her family suddenly seemed foolish, especially with the approaching conflict.
“They’re no stranger to second lives,” she told him. “But they fell in love with each other every time they came back, and you…” She lowered her gaze. “I’ve never heard my mother scream the way she did when she realized her baby wasn’t breathing, and I hope I never do again. And when it was time, the midwife had to practically shout in their faces and push me into their arms because they wouldn’t let you go. Believe me, Carus, they’ll love you just the same as me if you let them.”
He looked away, eyes glassy and jaw tight. After a moment, he gave a short nod, and then neither of them spoke for a while. She shut her eyes, willing her body to calm and telling herself Morgen would take away the pain soon.
Nya?
She opened her eyes.I’m fine. Carus is with me.
You’re injured. I should have healed the wounds first.
Even down the pathway, his voice was breathless, as if he was moving very fast. She was sure he would appear at the doorway any moment, so she didn’t reply. Sure enough, within less than a minute, she heard him say through ragged breaths, “I would have portaled, but I just used a decent amount of magic, and I didn’t want to?—”
“Relax, Morgen,” Carus said, standing. “She’s fine. Just heal her so she stops bleeding all over the blankets.”
The words did not help calm him. The air thickened and shifted, the torches flickering, and his fingertips sparked as he clenched his hands into tight fists.
“Hey.” Carus stepped directly in front of him, momentarily blocking her view. “Take a fucking breath, or you’ll accidentally kill her trying to heal a few cuts.”
Morgen stiffened, and she couldn’t see his expression, but the air stopped buzzing and the torches calmed.
“I’m good,” he said gruffly. “Go.”
Carus didn’t hesitate this time, leaving the room without another word. Slowly, she lifted her head from where she had been resting it on her curled knees and met Morgen’s eyes. She expected him to get angry again, but instead, the glow of the embers softened, and his terse expression fell. Tentatively, he moved closer, one hand slightly outstretched, as if not to startle her.
“Can I sit?”
She nodded, trying and failing to stop from shaking. The mattress bowed, and she whispered, “I’m fine.”
“You can try to feed that bullshit to Carus, but it won’t work with me. I know you’re not, Nya. I can feel—” She heard him take a deep breath. “Let me heal you at least. Please?”
Now that he was closer, she could see the specks of blood on his cheeks she was sure weren’t his. Maybe it should have frightened or made her feel worse, but the knowledge the men who had done this to her had died painful deaths was comforting. More than. She wasgladMorgen had killed them the way he had. If that was wrong, she couldn’t find it in herself to care at the moment.
“Go ahead,” she said, her breath hitching.
He nodded, moving closer. She didn’t fail to notice the way his hand shook as he placed it lightly against her sternum.
“This might hurt, just for a second, but it won’t be as bad as the last time I healed you.”
She didn’t reply, instead watching his eyes as the embers flared bright gold, nearly blotting out the ether and light brownof his irises. A burning sensation spread up her throat and across her hands, uncomfortable but not any more than the injuries themselves. The feeling only lasted for a few seconds before fading completely, taking the pain with it.
“There,” Morgen murmured, starting to pull away. She caught his hand before he could, holding it to the same spot it had been on her chest.
Before he could protest or say anything at all, she blurted out, “I heard what Carus said to you, about legitimizing the marriage.”
Morgen stiffened. “You were listening to that?”
“Yes, right before I was snatched and drugged byyoursoldiers, so you don’t get to be angry with me about it.”
He started to pull his hand away again, shaking his head. “Nya?—”
“And I think he had a point. If not doing that is going to cause issues or make it more likely that people will try to stab me in the back, I think it would be stupid not to.”
