I jostled the baby in my arms, turning him so he could watch the rising sun. “Look, bright eyes. There it is.”
I spoiled myself by giving him one last kiss, nestling my lips in his feathery locks as he beamed against the break of day. “The new dawn.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
CHARLIE
I roused in my quarters several hours after I’d returned from the hospital. The morning sun streamed through the windows and onto my face, but the bed beside me was cold and empty. Sprigs had snuggled into my shoulder sometime during the night and was snoring in my ear.
The sounds of dishes clinking together came from the kitchen, and I sat upright. “Ava? Is that you?”
Soft footsteps approached. “It’s Kallie. Can I come in?”
I groaned as I sat up, still sore. “Sure.”
Kallie entered, and Oberi happily trotted into the room behind her. The mattress shifted as she set a tray on the bed next to me. The sweet scent of freshly baked muffins wafted upward.
I realized how hungry I was. I grabbed one and bit into it. Kallie had made these for me? I could hardly believe it.
Oberi jumped onto the bed beside me and scarfed down two of my muffins. Yummy!
I scowled, but turned my attention to Kallie. “What are you doing here? Where’s Ava-Marie?”
“She’s still down at the refugee camp. She has been all night,” Kallie said, sitting on the edge of the mattress.
My chewing slowed. “She’s… still out there?”
“She’s been down there helping everyone get settled. If she could give these people the clothes off her back, she would.”
A lump rose in my throat, and I set my food aside. “This isn’t right. Ava’s going to exhaust herself giving everything she has to these people.”
“You can’t stop her. She’s the princess, and this is what princesses do,” Kallie stated.
I frowned. “You’re a princess, and yet here you are.”
“Because I’m checking on you so she can check on everyone else,” Kallie said. “This isn’t my kingdom, but I’m one of Ava’s ladies in her royal court, so my job is to help her in whatever way she needs. That means I need to worry about you so she doesn’t have to. She’s taking care of the fae in my stead, and I’m taking care of her husband. We’re best friends. We support each other, and I already know what she needs without having to guess.”
I shook my head. “Maybe that’s true, but the problem is she’s Ava-Marie. She can’t stand to see people suffer. That’s never going to change, but maybe there’s something I can do to help her.”
“You saved her life last night. You already did your part. You need to recover.”
I tossed the sheets off myself and climbed out of bed. “The healers did a great job, and I’ve recovered enough. I need to make sure that when Ava returns, she’s able to rest.”
I went over to my wardrobe. I found a button-up shirt and pulled it on. “She’s spent her whole night helping these people, and she doesn’t even have the proper clothes to wear. She’s going to be exhausted.”
I knelt down and pulled out the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, then felt in the very back for a velvet bag I’d left there. It was a secret stash I’d stored since I’d arrived in Ilamanthe, just in case I ever got into another situation where I lost it all. That way, I wouldn’t be left with nothing. Some bad habits never died.
“What are you doing?” Kallie asked.
I held up the bag, which clinked with the sound of coins. “I’m going to get her stuff back.”
“So Ava finally told you about what she gave up?” Kallie asked curiously.
I stood. “She did. We’re… working things out.”
“That’s great to hear. I’m really proud of you both.”
I furrowed my brow. “I didn’t think you’d be this happy to see Ava and me trying to work things out.”
