Page 69 of Claimed By the Depths

“It’s Ace, Parran. You are not and have never been obligated to address me so formally.” My timbre lacked sternness, and I failed to prevent my lips from upturning. Gaze settling on Ignis once more, I offered him a grin. “Noted. And now that you have imparted your thoughts upon me, I would like to pass mine along.”

Not giving him the chance to intervene, I pushed myself to stand. As I snatched my dagger from where I’d placed it, Parran’s eyes widened, concern blanketing their expression. In response, I returned it to the sheath on my side before closing the gap between Ignis and me.

Resting my hand on Ignis’ shoulder, I continued, “Tell Syoran that myself and whoever elects to join will make an appearance on his ship in the next couple of hours.” With a gentle squeeze, my hold loosened, and I stepped away, but not before adding, “To discuss sailing routes. We will follow his lead.”

Drumming my knuckles against the closed door of the medical bay for the fourth time, not a single answer greeted me yet again. With a lengthened exhale, I settled my hand on the worn wood partition before ushering it open. Half expecting Rohen to either rip my head clean off my body as soon as I crossed the threshold or to have briefly slipped away for fresh air, I halted at what greeted me instead.

Auburn strands spilled over the bottom of the cot Caspian occupied, decorating it with a liveliness the otherwise colorless sheets could not provide. Folded over its unforgiving frame and seated in a chair she’d snagged from… somewhere, Rohen rested her head on Caspian’s thigh. With her arm settled on his stomach, I traced its length before catching sight of her fingers overlapping his with a gentleness I once would have never expected from such a broken woman.

My mouth curled as I approached with caution, grabbing one of the spare blankets from Parran’s perfectly curated stacks. Unfolding it, I draped the lush, regal fabric around her shoulders before running my fingers through her hair.

“Ro.”

Her deep inhale served as her first reply before she groaned. “Hmm?”

“There is no way in the gods’ names that you are comfortable like that.”

“Was I not just asleep?” she asked groggily, cracking only one eye to peer up at me.

Not desiring to test my luck, I dodged her question. “How has he been doing?”

As if my curiosity served as ice water and I’d been the one to dump it over her, Rohen sat upright. Chin swiveling, she examined Caspian’s still-resting frame, the tension in her body easing slightly only after she’d made a handful of passes.

Shoulders dropping with minimal relief, she rubbed her eyes with her palms. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t planned on catching some shut eye. It just kind of⁠—”

“Rohen,” I touched her arm softly, “you don’t need to apologize to me.”

Grabbing each corner of the blanket, she wrapped it around herself before leaning back—not into the chair, but into me. “I’m sorry… godsdammit. I did it again, didn’t I?”

“You sure did.”

“I guess I’m still not used to men like you,” she groaned, folding even more into herself.

“Men like me?”

“Yeah. The ones who are kind without condition, gentle without lessons.”

Her utterance broke something in me, the implications of her past surging to the forefront. I’d witnessed her flinch when a hand got too near and watched as she turned to glance over her shoulder out of fear that someone else was watching. It hadn’t been difficult to pick up the pieces. But even then, all I had was an idea of all she’d endured, a piece of an intricate puzzle she allowed me access to, and I wouldn’t press her to share more until she was ready.

“There are no expectations here. There never are,” I reassured, weaving through the settling silence as I gestured to the man who once held my heart in a way I feared even Leilani would never be able to. “How’s… how’s he been doing?”

“Feverish.” Leaning forward just enough, Rohen rested the back of her hand against his forehead. “Still feverish.”

“It’s not breaking?”

She shook her head. “Parran has gone through every elixir they’ve ever used and hasn’t been able to crack it.” An unamused laugh tumbled from her, its raspiness indicative of the concern she continued to try to pretend she didn’t harbor. “Pretty on brand for him, I think.”

Chuckling, mine, too, lacked anything but unrelenting fear. Fear for the man I had wrongfully accused for so long, and all that awaited him. All Sorva had done and wished to do…

“He’ll be okay,” Jaskor stated down our bond, but even a potent sorrow lingered in his tone.

“That’s rather convincing.”

“All of us are concerned, but Elaros has stated he will see to it that Caspian wakes up.” He paused, and when he spoke once more, he sounded further away. “Though it may take a couple of days.”

I rubbed my eyes with my thumb and forefinger, a lengthened sigh filling the otherwise still room. Lifting my head, spots danced across my vision, but he still greeted me—pale and limp in a way I had once wished he would be.

A touch brushed across my forearm, one similar to a coax. “You shouldn’t harbor so much self-hatred,” Rohen whispered.