Page 136 of Cursed Heirs

“Take our time, check our sexual aggression at the door—especially me. Ultimately, just be there for her. And when things are able to become physical again, don’t utter the wordwhoreorprincess.”

“Thewhorething is more likely to come out of your mouth when you get in your dirty talk zone.”

“Either way.”

“Hold on. You know, don’t you? You know what happened to her?”

“Some of it, yes. My father witnessed… some things.”

“Tell me.”

He shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

“Orpheus.”

He laid his hand on my shoulder. “You don’t want to know.Ever.Trust me. Only one of us needs to bear that awfulness and it’s fortunately me. Just follow my lead with her and everything will be fine.”

“Ore, trying to spare everyone the way you are, and not just with this either, it’s going to cost you. It will weigh on you.”

He smiled out at me sadly. “I can bear the load. Don’t worry about me.”

Before I could protest, he stepped back and told me in a more upbeat tone, “Let’s go wake our baby bird up, bring him back to us.”

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s been too long since the four of us have been reunited.”

“No more,” he uttered resolutely. “No fucking more.”

It had worked.

A mere brush of Ore’s magic against his cheek had roused Talon awake.

The three of us stood around his bed, Ore and I on his left side, and Alena on his right closer to the door.

Tears filled Talon’s eyes and he shook his head against the pillow as he came to and took us in around him.

“I’m sorry. So fucking sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Shh,” Alena said, perching on the edge of his bed. “It’s not your fault. None of this is.”

“Shit, you’re here. You’re actually here!” he cried, the sight of her as he started to become more with it cutting through his upset.

He went to take her hand, but at the slightest brush, she flinched and shuddered, then eased off the bed.

“What’s—” He caught Ore’s eye and he discreetly signaled him not to call attention to it.

His face fell and then he was back to his former focus, asking us desperately, “Was anyone hurt? The damage… how bad was it?”

“You didn’t harm anyone,” I told him. “And the damage is being taken care of. Your chambers will be restored within a few days and until then you’ll be bunking in with me.”

“The acolytes attacked while you were raging,” Ore told him. “They tried to take you, but they failed. They failed at everything that night.”

“Your army? It beat them back?”

“Them and the perfectly timed arrival of Abigail.”

“Wow,” he said, blinking rapidly. “I can’t believe I missed all of that. All I was aware of was the flames—and pain.”

“That would be the iron net they tossed over you,” I informed him.

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