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“You made a joke.” Sure, it was morbid, a little depressing, but he’d take what he could get.

“Shut up.” She jabbed an elbow in his ribs—half-heartedly, but still, it was progress.

Her legs slid against his, smooth and unhurried in the water. His body tightened, that familiar ache stirring low in his gut. Not wanting to ruin the moment with expectations he knew she wasn’t ready for, he shifted, forcing space between them.

“Time to wash your back,” he said.

Taly exhaled, as if bracing herself—then leaned forward.

Her back.

Skye bit back a growl. For not the first time, he wished—oh, how hewished—he could rip those responsible from the grave just to kill them again.

It had taken Aiden days to remove the Vorpal Vine. Hours upon hours of surgery, of cutting every individual thorn loose from where it had dug into tender flesh. He’d managed to free her face, her neck, and every other part of her body. No scars remained.

But her back…

Beginning at the base of her spine and moving upward as it widened, the scars branched and twisted in delicate fractal patterns. Still red but fading, the skin would be slightly raised when it healed.

It was day four of surgery, and Aiden had finally worked his way to the root of the Vorpal Vine. Had just made the first cut into her back when she stopped him.

No more.It was a broken, nearly inaudible plea.Please, no more…

Skye had felt it through the bond, the crushing tide of pain. It was too much. She was tired of fighting. All she’d wanted was rest.

“Is it ugly?” Taly asked in a small voice.

The anger surged hot and fast, but Skye buried it beneath a steady breath. Reminded himself that there was no one leftto hunt down for making her feel this way. “It looks like… lightning,” he said, grabbing a cloth and soaking it in warm water. “Like someone took a bolt of it and injected it beneath your skin. When I see it, it reminds me of how strong you are. So, no—it’s not ugly.”

She gave a little nod. “Sarina thinks I should let Aiden remove them.”

“Sarina can see that they cause you pain. None of us like seeing you in pain, Tink.” He pressed the cloth to her back, and she hissed as the heat of it soaked into her skin. The thorns had burrowed deep into her muscles and other soft tissues, and her body was still trying to adapt to the intrusion. Healing around it.

“I need the pain,” she said through gritted teeth. “Ivain said it would help.”

“Help with what?”

She was silent for a long moment, arms folded tightly around her knees. This was more words than he’d gotten out of her in weeks, so he’d half given up by the time she finally whispered, “Em, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Chapter 78

“You don’t have to do this,” Skye said from where he sat on the edge of the bed.

“I know.” Taly checked her reflection in the mirror.

“If you’re not ready—”

“I’m ready,” she insisted, not needing to turn around to see his eyes flick up and down her body, as if he would find some evidence to the contrary. And true, she’d given them plenty of cause to worry lately, but she was tired of being tired. It was time to keep moving.

Taly smoothed a hand over her braid, then over the combs behind her ears—immortal, arched ears that she no longer needed to hide behind a glamour. “I can’t stay in this townhouse forever, Em. There’s too much to do, and I’ve already wasted enough time wallowing.”

Creaking floorboards told her Skye was on his feet, and a moment later, hands slid around her waist as he buried his face in the crook of her neck, hugging her from behind. These last few weeks had been hard on him too. Through the bond, she could still feel the echoes of terror from that day and everything that came after. Fading, but then every so often, a memory would trigger, and the blind panic, the anguish of the moment would constrict his heart like a fist.

I’m fine.She almost said it out loud before she caught herself. She wasn’t fine. She was anything but, and Skye knew it. She’d told him everything—about that feeling of absolute power, how deeply it had unsettled her, and the voice she could still hear whispering in her head.

Kairó vuun’manii.

And he hadn’t balked from it. She was starting to think maybe he really meant it when he said he planned on sticking around. Also, that he had a thing for high-maintenance women.