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As they joined the others at the table, Darien’s attention dipped to Loren’s hand—clasped in Sabrine’s—before slowly lifting to her face.

She couldn’t read his expression. He couldn’t be jealous, though, could he? It wasn’t like Darien to be jealous of herfemale friends. But there was something about the gesture that was bothering him. She could tell from the set of his mouth, the crease between his bold brows…

Lace rose from her seat at Darien’s left. “You can sit here.” She angled the chair toward her and put her own cigarette out in the ashtray.

“That’s okay, I can stand,” Loren replied.

But Lace had already stepped aside. Loren let go of Sabrine’s hand and sat down beside Darien, fully aware that he was keeping watch over her like a hawk. She tried not to meet his stare, instead turning her body toward Sabrine as the wolf claimed the free chair to her left.

“Tattoos, please,” Darien said quietly.

She glanced his way, but instead of making eye contact she focused on his necklaces—and pushed up her sleeve so he could see her ink.

Clearly satisfied, he sat back in his seat.

She cleared her throat. “When did you guys get back?” she asked no one in particular. She didn’t care who answered, as long as it wasn’t Darien. She could still feel him staring.

“Couple of hours ago,” Kylar replied. He gave the amber liquid in his glass a swirl and sipped.

Darien said, “You slept for over twenty-four hours.”

Her brows flew up, and she made the mistake of looking at him.

Overtwenty-four hours? She’d known it was a long time, but…wow. She hadn’t expected that.

From the look on Darien’s face, neither had he. “I was worried about you,” he confessed in a low tone. Steel eyes scanned her face, the hand he had resting on the table sliding an inch closer, as if he wanted to touch her but thought better of it.

“I’m fine,” she said quietly. She directed her next questions at the group—anything to stop her from looking at Darien again.From reaching for the hand he was now sliding back, fingers curling into a fist on the wood. “Where’s Dallas? Is she back yet?”

“Not yet,” Lace answered. “We’ve been trying to get a hold of them, but we haven’t had any luck.”

“Roman’s in Arbor,” Darien said. “He’s with Pax and Shay.” That was a relief. The fact that Roman had managed to find both of them before the forcefield went up was impressive. He deserved a trophy.

“They told me Roark helped you guys get out of Yveswich,” Sabrine said to Loren. “That’s…surprising.”

“I know, right?”

“Maybe he’s finally coming around?” It would be a dream come true. Not just for Loren, but for Dallas as well.

“Yeah, I don’t know. Maybe. He seemed different. Like he’s changed or something.” She tugged her sleeve back down, forgetting that she’d pushed it up. The motion drew Sabrine’s attention to the new ink on her palms.

The wolf grabbed her left hand. “You got new tats?” She grabbed the right too, and Loren opened her fingers so she could inspect them.

“They’re conduits. They’re supposed to help me channel my magic like a stave so I won’t drain myself so quickly.” Without them, she likely would have died when she’d poured her magic into the Control Tower in Yveswich. Or fallen into another coma.

As if reading her mind, Ivy said, “She won’t be doing that again anytime soon.” Loren accepted it for the threat that it was.

“Yeah, no kidding,” Sabrine breathed, tilting her hands. The metallic ink of the sun and moon caught the dining room light, shimmering like gold and silver dust. “It’s time to start taking better care of yourself,” she said, letting go of her hands. “You should’ve seen Dal when you were in a coma—she was a wreck. We all were.” Loren didn’t doubt that. She also didn’t doubt thatthe person who’d taken it the hardest was sitting right beside her, desperate for her to look at him.

She didn’t. “Did they tell you how I’ve been recharging my magic?”

“Yeah, the saunas and the pool? That’s pretty wild.”

“It doesn’t work the greatest,” Ivy cut in. Her tone—sharper than shattered glass—made Loren flinch. “Caliginous Chambers are best for her, but she’ll have to be even more careful now, since it’s not like we can go back there anytime soon. Right, Loren?”

Sabrine looked between them with a puzzled expression. Clearly, she could sense that something was up.

“Ivy.” Darien spoke the warning—or maybe it was more a request to lay off—softly.