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“Still sweltering,” he reported, as he drew his hand away. “His fever has calmed a little, but not yet enough.”

“The tea will help to bring it down further.”

“The rest will just be a matter of time.” He eyed Kai. “Okay?”

“Sure,” Kai murmured, and grabbed Vorzyr’s hand and pressed it to his chest.

I grinned. Kai had been like that since he’d fallen ill—very touchy-feely, needing the contact and, for once, not solely of a sexual nature.

The sickness had really brought out his softer and sweeter side.

It was a mixture of pleasant and unsettling.

Vorzyr climbed onto the bed and put his bag down on the edge, telling Kai, “I brought the work from today’s classes for you. A couple I’m not in, so Ariana lent me her tablet to make sure you didn’t miss the work from those.”

“She did?” Kai asked.

“She did,” Vorzyr confirmed.

“How’s she doing?” Kai queried.

“Keeping to herself as usual.”

“And pulling away from us entirely,” I muttered.

Vorzyr gave me a look, not wanting to upset Kai while he was ill. And because it was obviously a sore spot for him, too.

But I couldn’t hold back now that it had come up. “She could’ve come by to check on him at least once.”

“That mission fucked up everything,” Kai said, emotion welling in his eyes.

Yeah, along with touchy-feely, he’d been a lot more emotive.

“Just give her time,” Vorzyr told us.

“It’s all I’ve ever been able to do,” Kai confessed.

Vorzyr reached out and stroked the thick stubble lining Kai’s jaw now. “I think this is actually different and a good thing.”

“How?” I asked.

“She was incredibly disturbed by what happened to Kai, the position we were all put in, too. I believe all of it was a wake-up call for her, and now she’s taking some time to digest it, come to terms with it.”

“I see your point. Could be.” I eyed Kai. “Right?”

“Perhaps,” he said, lifting a shoulder, and clearly not in the frame of mind to get his hopes up about it. Since that night, he’d been very anti-Kai, taking on a defeatist attitude when it came to that. He shifted his weight in agitation. “I need to replicate that test and start examining it, figure all this shit out.”

“And you will,” Vorzyr assured him. “We’re working to get you better as soon as possible so you’re able to do that.”

“Just using me for my supreme magical abilities and know-how?” Kai asked.

“For your supreme sexual talents as well,” Vorzyr deadpanned.

Kai chuckled, but it turned into a coughing fit.

Vorzyr stroked his back through it.

And then Kai sank down into the bed, curling up against him. “Are you staying?” he asked tiredly.