As the tears began to slow, he pressed a kiss against my head, and wrapped in his arms, I fell into an unsettled sleep. Whenever I woke, sometimes crying, sometimes gasping from dreams that mixed past and present, he was there—holding me, stroking my hair, offering soft reassurances, letting me babble about whatever dragged me from sleep.
“I met them,” I whispered during one midnight awakening. “My parents. They were so in love. And I left them to die.”
His hand never stopped its gentle motions over my hair. “Tell me about them.”
So I did. About my mother’s hug. My father’s strength. The darkness that had swallowed their world. Violet’s sacrifice.
“Sleep, Princess,” he murmured like it was any other night, like my entire world hadn’t rocked on its axis. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”
With my head on his chest, I did as he told me.
As the hours passed, my awakenings became less frantic. Each time I woke, even if it was just for a moment, he was there, holding me in his arms, gazing down at me with that soft expression that made my heartflutter.
Until morning.
In the morning, I woke alone.
I sucked in a huge breath, feeling his absence like missing a limb. Before I had time to panic, however, the door opened and he appeared, carrying a tray of food. Taking in his rumpled state, his tousled hair, my breath caught.
“Good morning.” His voice was rough with sleep.
“Hi,” I squeaked, suddenly shy, the depth of connection from last night rippling between us.
Setting the food aside, he cupped my cheek, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “How are you feeling?”
“Crusty and sore.” Every one of my muscles was protesting what I had put them through.
His hand lingered behind my ear as I leaned into his touch. “What do you need?”
“A bath.” I looked down at what I was wearing, still sweaty, dirty, and blood-encrusted, and plucked it away from my skin. I had slept in this last night? He had cuddled me in this? My cheeks warmed in embarrassment. “And new clothes,” I said wryly.
“Give me a moment.”
Griff arranged for a bath and clothes to be brought in and stood by, waiting to assist me.
“Oh no, Champion. When you see me naked for the first time, it’snotgoing to be like this. Shoo.” I made a flapping motion at him as he froze. Then something that could only be described as a satisfied male smirk crossed his lips.
What had I said?
“Glad to know it’s a ‘when,’” his voice rumbled as he leaned in to give me a brief kiss, resting his arms on either side of where I sat on the bed. I grasped his cheeks, rough with scruff, and deepened the kiss. He let out a low groan that vibrated through me and I almost lost my resolve.
But no. Ineededa bath.
I broke the kiss and put both hands on his chest to push himaway, not letting myself get distracted by his pectoral muscles and how they tensed under my touch. One side of his mouth tilted up as his eyes swept over me, leaving a burning touch in their wake.
“Go,” I tried to order, but it came out breathless.
After brushing his lips over mine once more and giving me another one of those burning looks, he stepped out the door.
Every fiber of my being tingled as I gazed wistfully at where he’d disappeared, before I managed to haul myself over to the tub.
First things first—get clean.
Dredging up a spare bit of power through my fire channel, I heated the water, then eased my aching body in. Thoughts swirled through my mind, attempting to fall into some sort of order. I had traveled through time. Met my parents and facilitated their deaths. Witnessed Violet’s sacrifice. And now apparently had Violet’s memories.
And underneath everything was the golden warmth pulsing in my chest. I could sense Griff, somewhere in the castle.
I must have dozed in the water because when I finally climbed out, the sun was high overhead. I finger-combed my hair, deciding for once to leave it down. It fell in a dark, wet sheet down my back, soaking my shirt, but that couldn’t be helped.
