Page 89 of Solar Shadows

“Let’s get you healed,” I said, hoping my face didn’t look too much like a lobster.

“Thank you,” he responded, voice tight.

I got down to business, not having to expend too much energy on him. It took all of twenty seconds for his wound to vanish and for his complexion to lose its peaky sheen.

I did let off a yawn though, forced to sit down on his bed. “Phew. That’s always a doozy.”

“Thanks so much,” he said. I felt him move, the bed bouncing slightly, and then he appeared by my side, his big thigh almost pressed against mine.

Why did he have to wear a white vest and gray sweatpants to tempt my naughty eyes?

I kept them dead ahead.

“You’re welcome.” A slight hint of fatigue lurked around my fringes, but I’d be okay after some coffee and food.

I stood up. “I’m off to feed myself.”

He grabbed my arm, his touch sending shockwaves through my body.

Slowly, I turned my head, his stare making my breath hitch.

“I’m sorry.” The softness in his voice weakened my knees.

I twisted myself around to face him, his fingers still curled around my left wrist. “For what?”

He didn’t break eye contact as he spoke. “For failing you.”

A surprise. “How did you fail me?”

He sighed heavily. “Got myself hurt, allowed that dickhead to take you and then bite you. What was that about?”

“On my arse,” I threw in. “He bit me on the arse.” I smiled, not making light of it per se, but the whole thing was ridiculous.

He chuckled. “How is it?”

“My booty? As perky as ever.”

“Good.” He laughed some more, shaking his head.

Your hand is still on me, honey,I wanted to say.

His expression turned serious again. “I’ll do better. I won’t let anything like this happen again.”

“Hey, hey, hey.” I sat down beside him, his hand finally slipping off my wrist. “Don’t do that to yourself. The whole thing went from zero to a hundred so quickly.” I snapped my fingers to illustrate my point. “Chaos isn’t exactly the easiest thing to navigate. And look at me? I got myself kidnapped.”

“Because you were hurt and poisoned.”

I shrugged. “Maybe.”

“A fact, not a maybe.”

I felt my lips curl into a snarl, thinking about the murky shit again. I killed it quickly. Done. I just wanted a quiet moment, and to sate my belly’s hungry rumbling.

However, I checked my phone just to stress myself out some more. There were an alarming amount of calls and messages, some from press people I knew.

Darn it. This was a bigger mess than my brain could comprehend.

No messages or calls from Helen, though. I’d reached out to her during my tests, getting nothing. Now it was her turn to ignore my calls and messages. How could I blame her? She’d been brought up like the rest of us to reject House Aurora. If I wasn’t The Sun, I wouldn’t be loving the idea of a failed dynasty making its return. Well, maybe I would. I wasn’t sure and it didn’t matter.