The group split in a loud rumble of diverging conversations. Annora broke from her parents’ side, rushing to Evelina.
Evelina laughed as tears welled in her eyes, pulling her friend in close. Annora was as much a sister to her as all the others were. Lyria hugged Evelina again from her other side. Daimon watched every muscle she moved, noted the way her arms shook and her skin had paled. He narrowed his gaze, a warrior assessing someone who was experiencing shock. He’d seen it inbattle time and time again. Her laugh with Ren was too on edge, too high-pitched.
“Commander Daimon.” Carwyn snapped him back to attention. “Escort Evelina to the infirmary. Ensure she gets there—safely.”
Daimon nodded, turning. Ren, having heard the order, directed Evelina toward him. She walked slowly over to his side and they left the room, her eyelids fluttering. She looked exhausted. This close, he could finally see what she had endured. Her eyes were swollen and her hair was tangled into knots. Her riding pants were singed on the bottom hem, as if they had been held against a flame, and her shirt was covered in soot.
She swayed sideways and stumbled a step. Her knees buckled again; only this time, she kept falling. He lunged forward, catching her by the waist. She was leaning heavily enough that the majority of her weight was against him. She couldn’t walk like this.
He scooped her up and cradled her against his chest. She felt so small in his arms, her skin cold. She laid her head against his chest and her eyelids fluttered closed. Every twitch of her body had his eyes flickering down, his hand sliding over and tightening around her waist. Her entire body trembled now.
He pushed open the door to the infirmary and strode in. Though the healer there seemed taken aback by Evelina in his arms, she got quickly to work, directing him to set her down on a cot before running to the other side of the room to grab supplies.
As carefully as he could, he sat her down on the edge of the cot. He didn’t let go until he knew she could sit there without falling over.
She looked up at him and he instantly shifted, prepared to catch her. Still, neither one of them spoke. Evelina paused, taking him in. Then she flung her arms around his waist. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her loosely.
He hadn’t held her inyears.Even the times they rodetogether on Zephyr weren’t like this. They were close out of necessity, but this… She waschoosingthis.
He could feel her melt into him, his arms winding around her waist and pulling her so close that she could rest her cheek against his chest. His heart was beating wildly, moving so rapidly he was certain she could feel it tapping against her face.
His senses were overwhelmed. His arms encased her in a safe place. He could smell the traces of lilies that clung to her like a second skin. He knew he should pull away, but he couldn’t seem to make himself move. No words passed between them, but he could feel the ice melting away entirely as she clung to him.
She was safe. And he would keep it that way for as long as he could.
This was where they had always belonged. Now that he knew this, he would never let go.
Forty-Two
Evelina
It was earlyin the morning when Evelina awoke. She blinked through her blurry vision and looked around. There was a brief moment when she thought she had fallen asleep after a night of restocking shelves in the infirmary—as she so often did before leaving for the border.
But then she remembered thatshewas the patient. Had been fussed over by Alaina and Lorene all night after Daimon walked her here.
Flashes of the day before—of killing rebels with her magic and watching villagers nearly die by their hands—crossed through her mind. She still couldn’t believe her Essence had protected so many.
“Eve?” a soft voice called, followed by the scraping of a chair against the floorboards. “How are you feeling?”
Her body ached from head to toe. It felt like a blanket made of heavy stones had been laid over her, making it difficult to move. She swallowed, her throat scratchy and raw. A familiar face leaned over her, framed by stray pieces of ashen hair.
“Gloriana?” she whispered. She tried to push herself up. “I thought you were still on the border.” Her arms buckled and she slipped back down, groaning as her muscles screamed in protest.
“You mustn’t get up yet,” Gloriana said quickly, bracing a hand beneath her shoulders. “Word came of what happened in Baile and Aster brought me back. I would see to it myself that you recovered when the news came.”
Evelina smiled weakly. “Thank you.”
Her eyes were too heavy, as if just trying to get up had exhausted her. She drifted off into sleep again. By the time she awoke, the sun had risen. She was feeling stronger—exhausted, but a little more clearheaded. She took a deep breath and slowly sat up. Her arms held her this time, but her head swam the moment she was upright. She swayed heavily back toward the cot, just catching herself.
“Evelina!” Maliena gasped and shuffled over to her. “I’ll go get Gloriana. She just left to rest for a little?—”
“No,” Evelina said breathlessly. “Let her sleep.”
Maliena steadied her and helped support her back as she positioned herself to sit on the edge of the cot. “But?—”
“I promise I’ll tell you if I think you need to go get her. Let her rest.”
Maliena hesitated, but nodded her head. “Annora just stepped out. She should be back soon.”
