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I managed a weak smile. “You look terrible.”

He exhaled heavily and kissed my temple. “Oh my love, I thought I’d lost you.” He smiled through his tears. “You’re a brave little fucker, have I told you that?”

“Going to take more than a mangy giant to take me down,” I replied, turning my head gingerly to move closer to him.

“Yes, well you certainly showed him.” Rook lay his head on the pillow beside me with a sigh. “I thought they’d have to stitch you back together. You were so broken when they carried you - you…” He broke off, his voice strained.

“Is Nesryn alright?”

“Yes, she’s safe.” He pressed another kiss to my cheek. “Back in Isambard with my father, thanks to you.”

“Good.” I coughed as my voice fought its way through my dry throat. “That’s good.”

Rook got to his feet. “You need water, you must be parched.”

“How long have I been asleep?” I asked, watching as he poured water from a clay pitcher. I realized for the first time I wasn’t in my room, rather in a dim stone chamber, on a wooden bed. It must have been the infirmary, I decided.

“Three days since the trial,” Rook said slowly, moving back to my bedside. He gently supported my aching head and held the cup to my lips so I could sip the cool water. “I was so sure - I was sure you’d died.” He looked into my eyes and shook his head. “I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep my promise to you. I thought you’d died, and I wanted to die too.”

I lifted my hand to touch him, wincing as pain snapped at my ribs. “I’m here.”

He took my hand and pressed it to his cheek, then leaned over me and placed a delicate kiss on my lips. “My love, the sun of my life.” He smiled as he leaned his forehead against mine. “Theron was speechless.”

I let out a laugh, gritting my teeth. “Ah fuck.” I tried to raise my head and look down at myself. “Why am I taking so long to heal?”

“Hadrian Wolves,” Rook said, moving around the bed to inspect my left arm. I saw for the first time the gnarled black scars on my forearm, from where the wolf had bitten me. “They have venom in those fangs of theirs, and Fae are especially susceptible to it.”

I groaned. “Of course.”

“Theron really thought he’d scare you into marrying him.” Rook cocked an eyebrow at me. “But you, my fierce little Fae, won’t be cowed, will you?”

“And give up your cock?” I asked with a grin. “Never.”

Rook burst out laughing, and I was relieved to see some color return to his cheeks. “Greedy little Fae, you asked for akissif you won, not a fuck.”

“Since when am I ever satisfied with just a kiss?”

He shook his head, still smiling, and I wanted nothing more than to throw myself in his arms and kiss the dimples in his cheeks. “Greedy,greedyFae. You will have to wait until you’re recovered before you have the pleasure of more-than-a-kiss again, love.”

“Surely I’ll be perfectly well again in a day or two.” I tried to move and whimpered as pain rushed through me.

Rook’s smile instantly dropped. “Now, you need to rest. Enough talking.”

“I don’t want to stop talking.”

“Of course you don’t,” Rook chided, “You’re a stubborn ass.”

I smiled, suppressing a laugh because I didn’t want to hurt again. Rook sat beside me, holding my hand gently.

“I wonder what Theron will do next,” I said quietly.

“I think he knows he’s exhausted his bag of tricks,” Rook said. “He was utterly defeated after the trial. I’ve never seen him like that before. It was as though he was in a trance.”

“I suppose I showed him.” A glimmer of satisfaction bloomed in my chest at the thought of a defeated Theron.

“You certainly did. He thought you’d be throwing yourself at his feet begging for mercy and instead you catapulted yourself straight into a Giant’s-” He choked a little clutching my hand, and sucked in a breath. “I never want to see you like that again. It was terrible.”

I curled my fingers tighter around Rook’s. “It’s alright. I’m alive. I beat these trials just like you said I would.” I sighed. “Perhaps now I shall have my freedom after all.Ourfreedom.”