Chapter 45

ISAY

I PROBABLY SHOULDN’T HAVE, BUT AFTER MY MOTHER AND THE physician left, I peeled off all the bandages and drew myself a bath. I craved to be clean. The water bit at my scarred skin when I slid into its comforting embrace.

Warmth surrounded me, similar to Karmuth’s body against me, but yet so different. The rippling of the surface when I moved my hand to catch bubbles did not compare to his steady heartbeat. His strength was unmatched.

I was desperate for some of that strength. Women could be strong too, no matter what my mother said. I strived to be as strong as Karmuth, though I knew I never would.

I knew now why I hadn’t felt as much pain as I’d expected. My mother said she’d heard Karmuth scream, which meant he’d endured it for me. After that, he’d come to get me out.

Only a short soak later I was out of the bath, in my bathrobe, and willing to wobble all my way across the reservation to find Karmuth. I didn’t account for Sinister camping out behind my door. Even though he’d appeared to falter by my nearness, he did not step away from the doorway when I tried to exit.

“Not tonight, Princess,” he said surly, as if seeing me attempt to break out this soon after my kidnapping annoyed him. “Anything you need will be delivered to you. What would it be?”

“I want Karmuth,” I announced to his raised eyebrow. “To talk. I want to talk to Karmuth.” That did not amend my statement. “I want to go find him, so that we can… ah… talk. Please.”

“I’ll have someone deliver the message to him,” Sinister said, shooing me back to my room.

“I want to go by myself,” I protested.

I’d wobble all the way back to LA if that’s where he’d be. Focussing on getting to him would submerge half of my worries. Left waiting for him, not knowing when and if the message got to him, or if he’d decide to come at all, would only heighten my anxieties.

“Not going to happen,” Sinister retorted.

I frowned. “Please.”

“No.”

I huffed bitterly. “Regar was more fun than you.”

“Regar also got you kidnapped,” he reminded me.

Ouch. That hurt. Seeing that there was no way I could convince the bull-headed Rottweiler guarding my door, I sulked back into my room, wishing there was more I could do. There wasn’t.

Other than to keep on replaying my mother’s story inside my head and everything that happened today, there was absolutely nothing to do in my room.

And so, I waited.

Chapter 46

KARMUTH

HIKO LEFT ME FOR DINNER AFTER OUR FIFTH CIRCLE AROUND THE reservation. After my sixth trek, I somehow ended up in Drek and Ronya’s living room with a glass of Void Sundance on the table in front of me.

Ronya looked like nothing ever burdened her at all. She was glowing with health, and that brought a ray of happiness on Drek’s face. It was exactly what I needed in my misery, to see two people blissfully in love and still alive against all odds. Even despite the sacrifices that had got them here.

“It’s always a joy to see you, Kar,” Drek said. “Especially after all you’ve done for us, but we didn’t expect visitors this late. Ronya could have baked something had we known you were coming.”

“Your presence is enough,” I replied, intending to smile.

My lips did not get the memo and stayed stubbornly downturned. Funny how I’d wished to be alone but the moment I shook off Hiko, I went searching for companionship.

“Is everything alright, Kar? You seem down, even more so than usual,” Ronya asked gently.

She was older than me by a century, but I never considered her a mother figure. With everything going on in my head and the way her voice touched my broken heart, I knew she’d been one for me ever since me and Drek started training together.

“It’s been a long day. A very long day,” I sighed. “I just wanted to make sure you were doing well after the attacks, and the disease.”

“That’s very sweet of you, but shouldn’t you be taking care of yourself, too?” Ronya gave me a comforting pat on the back as she shuffled out of her chair to search for anything edible in their tight kitchen area even though they hadn’t expected me, nor had I asked for anything more than the drink I still hadn’t touched.

“Coming here is helping me,” I admitted. The atmosphere of their cottage was warm and welcoming, exactly what I needed. Their attentiveness never felt intrusive.

“We heard you’d been taken to the dungeons and the princess was kidnapped.” Drek had a complete opposite approach to Ronya’s tender demeanour. He liked to get straight to the point. If there was something he wanted to know, he didn’t beat around the bush and wait for people to tell him things on their own terms. Even that didn’t feel intruding.

“That’s all sorted out now. She’s back safe and sound.” I knew if they’d heard about the dungeon and the kidnapping they’d also heard about my mate bond.

While they were likely curious about it, neither of them brought it up. I rubbed my face before I took a sip of the Void Sundance.

I added, “She’s been through so much since she arrived. I’m not sure I’m able to offer her everything she deserves. I wasn’t able to protect her, which is the part that I hadn’t even worried about since that’s what I do for a living.”

“Taking care of another person is always daunting at first.” Drek gave Ronya a brilliant smile when she placed a half-cut meat pie on the table and brought out cutlery. “Do you think I got it right the first time I approached Roro? Hell no. She sent me walking with a dubious grin on her face. Didn’t think I’d try again, but here we are. If you love her, I have all faith that you’ll give her everything she needs.”

I swallowed over the lump in my throat, a storm of emotions warring in my mind. “I’m… damaged.”

“Aren’t we all?” He raised a brow.

“Love has a healing quality,” Ronya said. She cut me a piece of the meat pie and slid it in front of me.

“So does a hearty meal and a good night’s sleep,” Drek pointed out with a smile, making a plate for himself as well. “I can skip on the sleep if you’d like me to, but I will never say no to Ronya’s cooking.”

“Nor to her love, I’d figure,” I pointed out, the corners of my lips tugging up, my mood lifting.

“Certainly not,” he agreed.

“I… I feel the same way about Isay,” I confessed.

“She’s incredibly lucky to have you, Kar.” Ronya gave me one of her warm smiles that said she believed every word of it.

I wasn’t as sure, but I wasn’t going to correct her on it. Their unconditional support was what I came here for in the first place. I might start to believe it if I stayed here long enough to soak in their belief.

I took another sip of my drink and stabbed a fork into the meaty goodness on the plate in front of me. She did know how to cook, and Drek was right, saying no to any of her meals was a crime. I was also starving. With all the action of the day, I hadn’t had time to eat. Now that the adrenaline and all the negative emotions had eased up, my growling stomach came into hyper-focus.

“With everything the princess has done to the court, it’s really good to know she has someone to take care of her,” Drek said.

He’d said something entirely different before the delther attack, but I wasn’t going to remind him of that. It might’ve been just a few days ago, but it felt like ages now. A lot had changed since then. Opinions had changed. My whole world had changed.

“We’d fully expected that we’d need to keep Ronya’s recovery a secret, but when the entire court was revived, it was no longer a necessity. You’ve got yourself a strong woman.”