Page 98 of Possession

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I was so preoccupied when I first got here, and I hardly saw you. This has been an adjustment, and I wasn’t there for you.”

With his face all pinched and sincere, it is way too difficult to stay mad. I’m about to sigh and let it all go when his brows furrow. “Did something happen?” he asks.

Confused, I look behind me and wince. Henry is tall enough to see over my head, and I’m assuming he picked up on the mess of black pages scattered about.

I’m not sure I have it in me to explain; I’m not sure I even can. I feel silly. I really just sat on the floor for hours, scribbling. Why?

Am I going crazy? Would I even know?

“Where did you go, when you left earlier?” I say.

He meets my gaze, seeming to understand that I don’t want to talk about the mess. “I went to speak with the Grand Mage,” he says.

“Why?”

“Jaegen shouldn’t have been able to come in here. There’s a ward in place.”

I’m not very adept at magic terminology, but I’m pretty sure wards are meant to keep people out. And yet Cera got in. “Aris got in, too,” I say aloud.

“What? Are you sure?” he asks, more taken aback than I expected; he almost looks offended, like there’s been an affront.

I nod slowly, confused by the amount of force in his voice. “He was in my dream.”

“Was he actually there, or did you imagine him it?”

“I know Aris,” I tell him. “He was there.”

“Dreams can be persuasive. Just because you saw him doesn’t necessarily mean—”

I try not to roll my eyes. “Henry, it was him. Aris breached the wards as well.”

He studies me, reading my intensity, then sighs. “I’d better speak with the Grand Mage again,” he says somewhat reluctantly.

“Now?”

“No.” His eyes roam over me, expression softening. “I’m with you now.”

It’s the perfect thing to say. Unknowingly, my lips have twisted into a smile, and my headache is completely gone. The hold he has over me is remarkable; my day was something of a nightmare, but he’s fixed it just by looking at me.

“Do you want to come in?” I ask, then remember the mess I made. I glance behind me and make a disappointed noise with my tongue. “Or we could go for a walk?”

“Why don’t I show you my room?” Henry asks.

My eyes widen. Is that an innuendo? No, he’s just being nice. Of course, he’s just being nice.

“Sure,” I stammer.

He steps into the hall to make space for me, and I follow him out. Neither of us speak for a few moments.

“Thank you for apologizing.” I want to ask why he ran off, what he’s been so busy with, but I’m hesitant to disturb the tender peace. After a moment, I just add, “It’s nice to talk to you again.”

“I’m sorry that I was gone,” he says, then looks at me with purpose. “But I’m here now.”

I want to believe him; I want it so badly that, for a moment, I almost do, but… “Could you give me some answers then?” I say.

He pauses. “It depends on the question.”

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