Page 120 of Obsidian Dream

Chapter Fifty-Six

KHALIDA

48 hours later

Villa Aurora, Rome

The beeping sound wokeKhalida.Just outside of Talik’s bedroom doors, she could make out the light footsteps of nurses and servants wandering the halls of Dante’s house.

On her wrist, the consort mark had returned—brighter than it had been in centuries.The familiar throb was comforting and reminded her Talik was alive.She remembered looking at Lucien, unable to form any words.His would reverberate within her for centuries.

Even the ancient gods do not have the power to destroy a consort bond.They cannot take what they have not been freely given.

She lay down next to Talik and listened to his breathing.It had been two days, and he was slowly recovering.Wrapping her hands within his, she gently lifted his wrist to see the consort marks side by side, a mirror image of each other.The physical wounds Ninhursag had inflicted on him were now superficial, and while he wouldn’t carry any physical scars, the mental and emotional ones would stay with him for a very long time.

She glanced up.The room was dark.The curtains had been drawn so he could sleep, but the two swords that hung across the room glittered with the dying light.

His heart rate was steady.

Whatever Lucien had done had worked—he had brought Talik back to the living.

Carefully, she wrapped her arms around Talik, mindful not to put her weight on him, and closed her eyes.

She didn’t know what the future would hold, but this time around she was going to fight the gods and death itself to make sure she got what she wanted.

***

KHALIDA

Fingers stroked herhair.

The beeping sound was gone.At some point, someone had wheeled the machine out of the way, leaving them alone.Khalida blinked, her eyelids heavy as she slowly took in her surroundings without moving.She wanted to stay there forever and not face the rest of the world—for it to just be the two of them.But she was a realist.This was only a small respite.

“I told you not to do anything stupid.”

Talik’s chest vibrated a moment before he winced.“I would hate to disappoint you.”

She pushed herself up onto her elbows until they were eye to eye.Above him, she tugged a strand of tricolored hair out of his face.On the white sheets he looked pale and gaunt.The doctors had assured her within the week he would be back to his normal self.

“So, turns out you do like me.”

She wanted to punch him.Or kiss him.But she couldn’t do either.Doctors’ orders.

“Did I ever tell you I love it when you wear a dress?”

She glanced down at the loose, pale purple maxi dress she was wearing to combat the heating that had turned the room into a mini sauna.

“Making a bargain with an ancient god and dying is hard to beat,” Khalida dryly said, ignoring his attempt at keeping the conversation superficial.If she thought about what could have happened, she would go down a dangerous rabbit hole.

He rolled his eyes.“I don’t know, you made a bargain with Lucien, and we still don’t know which side he is on.”

“Apparently our side,” Khalida said.It didn’t matter.Lucien had come through on his end, and Talik was here.“For now.”

“Ninhursag is still alive, retreated somewhere to lick her wounds,” he said.“I sometimes think she is still in my mind, but dying broke the connection.Sypha said it could take a long time before I stop sensing her, or the damage she did.”