Page 29 of Rising Out of the Darkness (Divine Guardians Duology #1)

“Oh, really?” I mused, wondering if he had indeed told her everything .

Clearing his throat, Declan spoke with amusement in his voice. “Lady Elena, this is Lady Clara Estridge, my cousin.”

He smiled down at me as I pinched my lips together and redness bloomed across my cheeks.

Shoving aside my embarrassment, I returned my gaze to the sweet woman in front of me.

The hints of resemblance now became blazingly apparent.

Dark chestnut hair, golden tan skin, similar slope of their noses.

The only difference was her hazel-colored eyes.

Gods, how did I miss that the first time?

Slipping my hands out of Clara’s, I desperately tried to cover the shame written all over my face.

“Goodness, Elena! Are you okay? Your cheeks are so red. Come over to the bed, let me feel your forehead.” Clara herded me like cattle towards the bed. “Let’s make sure you aren’t coming down with a fever.”

She forced me under the covers with a tsk, and I had to bite my lip to stifle a giggle at her sudden bossy demeanor.

Clara ran the back of her hand over my forehead, then picked up my wrist, closing her eyes while counting.

Once I was deemed in good health, she poured me a glass of water and placed it on the table next to the bed.

Glancing over at Declan then back at me, she politely excused herself from my beside.

“Declan, make sure she drinks all that water. If she doesn’t, you’re helping me apply wart salves to Lord Alastor’s feet for a week!” She winked, throwing a mischievous smile toward her cousin. It was a pleasure to meet you, Elena.” Clara headed out the door, closing it behind her.

“Gross.” Declan winced, shoving the glass of water in front of my face. “Drink.”

Taking a sip, I tried to stifle my laugh. “I like her,” I said, as the cool water calmed my parched mouth.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you two will get along a little too well for my liking.” His lip tugged up.

As I continued to sip my water, Declan shifted back and forth on his heels. It was as if he was trying to decide whether to leave or stay. Moving my body over in the extremely large bed, I patted the spot I’d made vacant as I spoke softly. “You can sit with me, if you’d like.”

He glanced at the empty space, then back towards me. Slipping his hands back into his pockets, he shook his head. I focused on the rim of the water glass. Silence passed between us for a few moments before the prince spoke.

“How are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly well, considering I was almost cut in half only a short while ago. Clara is truly a gifted Healer. I’ve never seen such a clean wound.” I rubbed my hand over my stomach.

A deep scowl covered his face as his eyes traced my movements.

Palming through his hair, he paced to the nearest wall and leaned against it.

“Elena…you were badly injured. By the time I got you to Clara, your lips were blue.” His fists clenched by his side as he continued to speak, “Your skin, it was so pale.”

The events of the forest replayed in my mind, and my heart swelled with guilt. It had been incredibly stupid to go after the beast like that. I could have died. I set the empty cup on the side table, then twirled my fingers idly within the sheets.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

It was all I could muster, but I knew his Elysian ears could hear me. We all had an unusually strong sense of hearing, and some had sight as well.

A pained expression etched across his face, he shifted his glance outside. “Don’t ever do that again, Lena.”

I opened my mouth once, twice, then closed it once more. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make that promise. No longer would I be frozen. I couldn’t lose another person, another innocent life, because of my fear.

“How is everyone else? How are you? I think my dynamis tossed you aside at one point.” I tried my best to divert the conversation off me.

“The others are well. Killian and I spent the night transporting the rest of the men back to the castle. A few stayed behind to bring back the horses. Liam is okay as well, a little fatigued after using so much dynamis to throw shards of ice at the monstrous beast. He and Killian have been taking turns guarding your room the past few nights.” Declan shoved his hands back into his pockets and walked back towards the edge of the bed.

“And you?” I asked tentatively. “Are you well?”

“No, but seeing you awake definitely makes me feel …lighter.” He held my gaze before releasing it to rub the back of his neck.

“My father and Lord Alastor will want you to attend dinner tonight. They’re very curious to meet the Light Phoenix, who has also now become known as the Slayer of Beasts.

” He shuffled his body back and forth. “The king and Lord Alastor, they are?—”

“Temperamental?” I interrupted, a smirk dancing across my face.

“Hmm, yes, that’s one way to put it.” His tone was more serious now. “They will not tolerate outbursts, objections, disobedience?—”

“So, you’re telling me I need to be quiet and watch my mouth? Is that what I’m hearing?” I chuckled.

“I’m serious, Elena, it’s for your own safety. We are not good men.”

I raised an eyebrow at the term “we” in that sentence—if he wasn’t a good man, he wouldn’t have saved me—but he just stared at me, waiting for an answer.

“I make no promise,” I said. “I will try my best, Your Highness.”

“See that you do.”

I nodded, and it was silent again until he explained that he would send up my lady-in-waiting, along with a selection of dresses for me to choose from for the evening.

A flutter of excitement rushed over me at the mention of dresses.

He told me that dinners in the castle were always formal, meaning elegant attire only.

“Before I leave, there’s a few things I want to show you.” He extended his hand to mine.

Sliding back over the edge of the bed, I let my feet fall to the floor and allowed Declan to help me up. Though I was almost fully healed, I had to admit that I still felt exhausted.

His gaze was no longer on my eyes. Following his gaze down to my chest, I realized why.

My robe had fallen open, exposing the slip of a nightdress that barely covered me.

I gasped, withdrawing my hand from his, and tugged the ends of my robe closed.

The prince’s mouth hung ajar, and I couldn’t resist tilting his chin up to close it.

He cleared his throat, following me as I walked towards the center of the room, away from the bed.

“What did you want to show me, Declan?”

“First, let me show you the bathroom.”

“Hmm, that wasn’t what I expected.” I tried to stifle my laughter as I began to roll my eyes before I caught his gaze.

“Watch it, Wildfire,” he said in a low growl as he led me into the extremely oversized bathroom.

Now, my mouth fell open. The floor was covered in a beautiful white stone with strands of gray and black that ran through it. Large windows let the light in, but also let you see the ocean below.

Declan spun my body around to face a copper bath to the side of me. Stone tree-like roots supported the bottom, lifting it off the ground, and it had a faucet like the one I used every day to pump water from our town’s well.

“I thought you might like this better than me tossing you in the lake…or the ocean.” He smirked, gazing out the window at the view of the waves below. I shook my head, ignoring his jest, as he pulled on the faucet and water began pouring out.

“You have running water?”

“We’ve always had aqueducts beneath the cities, and a few centuries ago we figured out how to pump the fresh water through faucets into homes. We also figured out how to heat it as well.” He waggled his eyebrows up and down.

“I’ll be doing this immediately.”

Declan cleared his throat.

“Without your company this time, of course.” The towel he had picked up slipped between his hand as I sucked in my lips to contain my laugh.

“Of course.” He tossed the towel into the basket he’d taken it from, then motioned with his head for me to follow him back into the bedroom.

“Well?” I asked impatiently.

He reached within his deep navy jacket, trimmed in gold, retrieved my dagger and handed it to me. The sight stirred a squeal of delight from me as I embraced the prince in a hug. His entire body stiffened, so I released him.

“Thank you for finding this for me. I thought … I imagined that I would never see it again. This dagger is really all I have left of them.” I almost choked on the words.

That was when he surprised me once more and pulled out my mother’s feather pendant. It was on a new chain, one that he was now draping over my neck as I stood there at a loss for words.

“All you have left of who?” Declan whispered, his thumb brushing against the side of my neck.

“My parents,” I said, so quietly that I didn’t even know if I had made any sound.

“I’m sorry we took you from your home.”

“Don’t be, it wasn’t your fault. Your father is the one I blame.” I let out a laugh, looking up at the prince to try to lighten the mood. Instead, I was met with a solemn expression.

“We are not good men, Elena,” he said, repeating his earlier statement.

“You saved my life, Declan.” I lifted my hand to place it gently over his heart. “That makes you good to me.”

His throat bobbed, still not making eye contact. The prince’s hand rose to cover my own. We stood there for a few moments before he lifted my hand off his chest and I let it fall to my side.

“I’ll see you for dinner tonight, and please don’t be late,” he said, walking towards the door. He opened it wide, then began to close it before he peeked around once more. “Wildfire,” he said.

“Mmhmm?”

“Thank you for stepping in front of that beast … and for saving my life.”

The door closed with a soft click, leaving me alone and speechless.