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I growled, and my other eye opened too. “It’s not that Iwon’t.It’s that she doesn’t want to.Shewon’t. And the Fates don’t allow forced matings anyway. If her heart’s not in it, the bond won’t take.” I grunted in pain. “We all know that.”

“Have you told her of the Mate’s Ache?” Melissima asked.

“The answer isno,” Raver said. “And there’s no sense in berating him about it. He’s trying to be all noble and shit and wait until shewantshim.Right now, they’re more enemies than lovers in this enemies to lovers romance trope.”

Melissima’s eyes widened.

Raver scoffed, looking mighty pleased with himself. “What? I pay attention to things. And I happen to know that the enemies to lovers trope is a fan favorite in both books and movies. It’s a classic. A tale as old as time. But this idiot is stubborn and determined to play the wounded hero for a hundred years if he has to.”

I glared at my best friend.

He gave me a smug look back.

“I can make you a tea that will help manage the pain. It won’t take it away, and drugs like morphine and codeine won’t work. But it’ll dull the ache enoughthat you can function.”

“Man, they just keep pumping you with drugs, don’t they?” Raver asked. “Aren’t you also taking something for your blood lust because your mate bleeds every month?”

Melissima’s eyes went even wider. “When was the last time you took your medication for that? That would also be contributing to your severe pain.”

I couldn’t remember. “I took it right before we left to go find Lerris and get Gemma back, but … that was hours ago. I put a spare capsule in my pocket if we ended up getting delayed, but I don’t have the whole bottle.”

Melissima clicked her tongue. “I see. Well, I’m no spellcaster-mage, but I do have the means to make you a similar compound to what I’m sure was made for you before. For now though, stay away from Omaera as best you can—which of course makes the Mate’s Ache worse, but until I can mix up the compound, its best. I’m going to go deal with Maxar. Then I’ll return and brew you the tea and make the compound.”

“Thank you,” I croaked.

“You’re an idiot,” Raver repeated.

I glared at him. “Water,” I said with a groan. “Be useful and get me a water so I can take my remaining pill.”

Rolling his eyes, he complied, returning from the kitchen a moment later. I reached into the inside of my jacket pocket and pulled out the capsule made by Mr. Fiddleman, the spellcaster-mage, back in Chase City. I wasn’t feeling the blood lust, but then again, maybe it was because Omaera was far enough away?

I didn’t want to risk it.

Locking eyes with my oldest friend, I shoved down the pain so it wouldn’t cloud my thoughts. “Do me a favor, Rave?”

He grunted and lifted his thick, dark brows. “Hmm?”

“Don’t give Howar the real coordinates to here, okay?”

Raver’s eyes darkened and turned serious. “Okay. But why?”

I shook my head and closed my eyes again, barely able to stay awake from how bad the pain was now. “Just don’t. Promise me you won’t.”

“Okay,” he said again, his voice solemn, “I promise.”

I noddedand kept my eyes closed. The darkness helped with the pain.

I’m not sure how long I lay there until Melissima returned with tea and a cold compress that smelled a little funky, which she placed over my eyes and forehead. “A comfrey compress,” she said. “Sit up and drink this tea. It’s made of nettles, ginger, turmeric, and cedar bark. I’ve spelled it to help with the pain. It should make her distance a bit more bearable.”

I accepted the warm, blue mug from the pretty mage, cupping it in both hands and groaning as I sat up against her couch before bringing the rim of it to my mouth. It didn’t smell terrible, but it also didn’t smell great. The cedar bark was overpowering the rest of the scents. But at this point, I’d do whatever I had to in order to mitigate even a fraction of this agony. Wincing at the taste, I peeled open an eye and glanced at the mage. “All of it?”

“Yes,” she said with a soft nod.

I drained it and handed her back the mug. “Thank you.”

“Your vampire friend has left,” she said. “But he asked me to tell you that he will do as you requested.”

A bit of the tension in my jaw dissipated. We were both loyal to our king, but I took solace knowing that Raver—like myself—was more loyal to me. Even though it would have pained me to do so, if he asked me to keep something from the King, I would have. Howar was my cousin, my monarch, and my friend, but Raver was … Raver was my brother without the blood. I would kill and die for him, and he would for me. There was no question of his fealty. While, at the moment, I was having some disconcerting feelings regarding my noble king and where his allegiances rested.