Page 52 of Crown of Slumber

Naked and wounded. Recovering from severe injuries.

Injuries he sustained from fighting by my side. Protecting me. All with an arrow embedded in his shoulder.

I thought of how he had ordered those goblins to stop attacking me, and they had. How the very ground had seemed to shake from the power of his words.

An image of the blazing blue fire that consumed the goblins filled my mind.

We still hadn’t discussed what had happened. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to. I didn’t want to consider what kind of volatile power flowed through my veins—lethal enough to incinerate a clan of goblins.

But Fenn was keeping secrets, too. He had some kind of magic that had stopped the goblins from feasting on my flesh.

I needed answers. I had to find out what his fae magic could do, and I had to know the extent of my own powers as well.

One thing was for certain: I wouldn’t get any answers by hiding.

Lifting my chin, I looked Fenn straight in the eye and said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

He blinked at me, his eyes flaring wide for a moment before a smirk spread across his lips.

Before he could say anything scandalous that would likely make my cheeks turn even redder, I strode toward him and whipped the blanket off him. He jerked from the motion, then winced, rubbing his shoulder.

“Why do I get the feeling you willnotbe gentle?” he grumbled.

“Oh, does the poor, pampered prince want someone to coddle him?” I teased. “You’re stronger than that, Fenn.”

His head whipped toward me, his eyes narrowing slightly. Confusion, surprise, and some other emotion I couldn’t place flitted across his features. “Perhaps you’re right,” he said, his voice soft and contemplative.

I looked at him, assessing the rigid set of his jaw and the determination blazing in his eyes. I had only been joking, but perhaps there was a truth to my words that he didn’t often let himself see. Despite his flirtations and romantic exploits and cavalier attitude that aggravated me so, he did have a strength about him that I hadn’t expected. And perhaps those around him were so used to him making light of situations that they didn’t often see it.

Perhaps he didn’t see it too often, either.

Fenn eased off the bed, letting his legs dangle off the edge. He groaned, his face paling as he shifted. I extended a hand to help him up, but he ignored me, rising from the bed and swaying slightly before striding toward the tub.

“Do you want me to—” I offered, feeling uncomfortable.

“No,” Fenn said, his voice uncharacteristically stern. “I’ll do it.” With his good arm, he unbuckled his trousers and let them fall to the floor.

Burning suns, my face was on fire. His tunic covered most of him, but his bare, muscular legs were on full display. My mouth felt like sandpaper as I watched him step out of his trousers and tug at the hem of his tunic.

Oh gods, oh gods.I swallowed hard and found myself moving toward him, desperate to help, to busy myself with something other than gawking at this injured man as he undressed in front of me.

“I don’t need help,” he argued.

“Shut up,” I snapped. “I’ll still let you do it, but I’ll wager getting your wounded arm through your sleeve will be more difficult on your own.”

He scowled but made no further objections. His good arm was free first, and I carefully eased it over his other arm, avoiding the injury as best I could before freeing his body from the stained, bloody garment. I let it fall to the floor, then turned away from him, refusing to let my gaze stray toward his bare chest. Instead, I bustled through the drawers of the wardrobe and found various healing balms and ointments, plus lavender-scented bathing soap.

“Are you going to bathe me?” Fenn asked, and I was relieved to hear a mocking lilt to his voice. It meant he was more like his normal self again.

“Would you prefer I call an attendant?” I asked. “I’m sure Dreya has someone available.”

Fenn was quiet for a long while before he muttered, “No. But I’m perfectly capable of washing myself.”

I snorted. “Are you? With that wound in your shoulder, it will be hard for you to use both hands.”

“The wound is healed.”

“No, the healing has only been quickened. It still hurts, doesn’t it?”

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