Page 44 of Kissed By the Sun

"Shh," Thorn soothed, reaching out as if to touch me but stopping short. "Don't strain yourself. You've been through a lot."

The pain in his voice made my heart clench. I wanted nothing more than to reach for him, to assure him that everything was alright, but something in his demeanor held me back.

"How long have I been asleep?" I asked, trying to piece together the fragments of my memory.

Thorn's jaw tightened. "A while...The healers weren't sure when you'd wake."

A while? Why didn’t he want to tell me how long I was out? My mind reeled at the implication. What had happened in that time? And why did Thorn look so... tortured?

I opened my mouth to ask more questions, but the anguish in Thorn's eyes stopped me. Whatever had transpired, it was clear that the wounds weren't just physical. Something had changed how Thorn looked at me and the soul bond, but I wasn’t sure what.

When I took a breath to speak Thorn held up a hand, his eyes downcast. "Senara, I...I know you can never forgive me for everything that happened to you." His voice was thick with emotion. "But I hope that over time, I can make it up to you. I promise, I will prove I am trustworthy."

"Thorn, no," I protested, my heart aching at his words. "None of what happened was your fault. I haven't changed how I feel toward you. I?—"

"How can you say that?" he interrupted, frustration evident in his clenched fists. "You shouldn't even be able to look at me.If only I'd been stronger, I could have stopped them from..." His voice broke. "From violating you."

His words hit me like a bucket of ice water. Violated? My mind raced, piecing together what he must have thought happened. "Thorn," I said, finding my voice again. "Whatever you think happened...it didn't."

Confusion clouded his features. "What do you mean?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "No one raped me, Thorn. It was all just threats." I watched as understanding slowly dawned on his face. "When I started making up that lie I told Leo and that fancy elf interrogator, they left me alone. I made them promise to stop hurting you, and they did. So I—I spun a grand tale."

Thorn's eyes widened, a mix of relief and disbelief washing over him. "You mean all this time..."

"I lied to protect you," I finished softly. "To protect us both."

Thorn slowly moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his weight causing the mattress to dip slightly. His eyes were still wide with disbelief, and I could sense the tension radiating off him. I reached out, my fingers brushing against his arm, hoping to offer some comfort.

When he still didn’t react I knew I needed to try a different tack. "Where are we?" I asked, trying to change the subject. My gaze wandered around the unfamiliar room, taking in the ethereal beauty of the leaf-curtained window. "And how was I healed? I couldn't have been out that long, could I?"

Thorn's eyes met mine, a flicker of relief passing through them at the change of topic. "We're in the Royal Halls as protected and honored guests," he explained, his voice low and still tinged with nervousness.

I nodded, trying to process this information. "But my injuries..." My mouth dried out as I remembered the searing pain that had consumed me before I lost consciousness.

"Elven healers," Thorn said, a hint of awe in his voice. "Their magic is...unlike anything I've ever seen. But Senara," he hesitated, his brow furrowing, "you've been unconscious for nearly two weeks."

My jaw dropped. "Two weeks?" I whispered, struggling to comprehend the time that had passed. No wonder Thorn looked so haggard, so worn. Had he been by my side this entire time?

As if reading my thoughts, Thorn's hand tentatively covered mine. "I never left you," he murmured, his eyes searching my face. "I couldn't." His touch was lighter than a feather and I couldn’t take it. I wanted him to touch me, to prove that he was okay, that this was real, that somehow we’d been made honored guests instead of being left to rot in the dungeons.

I leaned forward, closing the distance between us, and pressed my forehead against his. Thorn's breath hitched, but he didn't pull away. Instead, his fingers tightened around mine, anchoring me to him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I'm sorry for putting you through this."

Thorn shook his head slightly, his forehead still against mine. "Don't apologize. You're alive. That's all that matters. Besides, if anyone is to blame in all of this, it’s me. I’m the one who wanted to come and see the elves after all."

We stayed like that for a moment, breathing each other in, finding solace in our shared warmth. When I finally pulled back, I noticed a shimmer of tears in Thorn's eyes.

"But why?" I asked, my mind racing with questions. "Why would the Elves heal me? Why are we honored guests instead of prisoners?"

Thorn's expression turned grave. "It's... complicated," he said, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He gave me a quick rundown of what happened, and I saw a small part of his history as a soldier peeking through as the explanation soundedmore like he was reporting to a superior officer than the woman he shared a soul bond with.

“A takeover? Patricide? That’s a lot to take in.”

Thorn nodded. “High Lord Echo wishes to speak with us when you are ready, but no one knows you’re awake yet except me. We can keep it that way for a while longer.” His voice was soft and tender, making me melt for him.

One thing had come to mind though. “Thorn, I need to ask you something.” My heart thudded in my chest and there was a knot of tension at the base of my throat that made it hard to get the words out. But he was just watching me, waiting, so I blurted. “Did you ask about the bond?”

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