“Slacking in my studies?” I demanded, feeling a twinge in my chest. “You only gave me the book a few days ago! There’s a lot to read!”
His nods, his pride—it felt good to see. To have that taken away so quickly hurt.
“We will continue our lessons this evening. I expect you to have practiced Intraverso by then.”
“What about training? The general won’t let me nap.”
His back faded between the gaps of books and dark wood, but his voice carried. “You don’t need to sleep to dream-walk. Only focus.”
“That would’ve been nice to know from the beginning,” I grumbled.
I luscelered back to Aspen and Rune, slamming into a lanky body standing in the doorway. I glanced up.
“Oliver?”
I had a sudden urge to hug the crap out of him. He was here, cleared, standing tall like a brand-new healthy person. Although he still rocked his patient gown, so he must’ve just come from the healers’ wing.
“Luce, what exactly am I seeing right now?”
I peered around him and forced myself to hold back a burst of laughter.
Rune had actually sat on Aspen. Or more accurately, was lying on him and currently licking him as if he needed a bath. Except now that I thought about it, maybe it was more of a torture device after I insulted her breath. Aspen tried to dodge her, failing miserably.
“Good girl, beastie. You can get off him now.”
She immediately bounded toward me with her tongue lolling out and sat beside my leg.
I scratched her ear, and her body practically hummed with contentment.
“I’m going to shower.” Aspen sighed, walking to the bathroom.
The humor bubbling in my chest faded. Any peace he may have found in sleep hadn’t followed him into the waking world.
“So I really do have to share my room?” Oliver’s face scrunched in displeasure.
I rolled my eyes. “As if you ever slept in here.”
He nodded back and forth. “Touché. But do you think he took up all the closet space?”
I side-eyed him. He knew full well Aspen had no clothes to take up space. “You’ll be happy to know Alexei’s clothes are in your shared closet space.”
Oliver grinned. “I think I need to go change.”
“Yes,” I agreed. “And maybe shower while you’re at it. And keep an eye on Aspen.”
“I’d ask you for money for babysitting duty, but you have none, and I’ve decided Alexei’s clothes will do—for now.”
I socked him in the side, and he mock-glared at me as I left. With everything going on, it felt good to have Oliver back by my side.
After changing, I found Oliver, Aspen, and Rune outside my door. Oliver was dressed in his red-and-black Hell Squadron uniform, while Aspen wore sturdy winter clothes and boots.
“I know Sam cleared you, but did he say anything about training?” I asked.
Oliver shrugged. “Just not to bash my head on anything anytime soon.”
“Because that’s not a possibility in the arena,” I said dryly.
“Gotta get these babies back in shape.” Oliver patted his small biceps. After two months, his angelic blood had helped him tone up, but the meager muscle he’d put on was nothing compared to Aspen’s. Even after Aspen had spent so much time chained to Lilith’s sex bed and wasting away. Oliver just had a lanky physique, and I imagined he didn’t have the ambition to be big and muscular—only strong enough to survive.
