Page 71 of Road To Runes

I nearly fell backward onto the bed when he let go of me, which was when the feel of what I was wearing struck me. Someone had put me in my fluffiest pyjamas and the scent of essential oils enveloped my sense of smell.

Even though I had saved myself from falling backwards, Priya grabbed my ankles and swept my legs back onto the bed, and I landed back in bed with a fluff-muffled thump.

"What's happening?" I asked. This actually seemed quite real.

"Yourstupidact of self-sacrifice injured you so badly you've been asleep for three days." Priya sat on the edge of my bed, her relieved smile every indication that she wasn't nearly as mad as she wanted to sound. "Which means you'rereallybehind on the dishes."

"And dinner," Edward added, as Hecate jumped up on the bed next to me. "Don't think we're letting you off easy because you were unconscious. Not an excuse."

I sat up and grabbed Hecate, pulling her into my lap where she curled up against my chest. Everything came flooding back to me; being trapped in the house, and enchanted so I couldn't escape...and Hecate and Asher's stupid act to join me. Hecate was okay, but what about...?

"Where's Asher?" I asked. Under normal circumstances, I would have had a heavy debate in my head about whether or not to ask them, for fear it would make me look desperate and weak. But I had to know if he was okay.

"Sleeping." Priya patted my leg. "I made him. He'd been waiting for you to wake up and didn't even nap. It was getting out of hand."

"So, he's okay?"

"He's fine. Don't worry about him. Or anything, actually," Priya said. "You'll have plenty of time to do that later."

What didthatmean? But then I remembered what mess we would have left behind. The Bishops’ house would have burned down and neither they nor the Franklins would be any closer to getting the powers back I had stolen. Wherever they were right now, they were pissed, and probably plotting. Priya was right. I wouldn't worry aboutthatfor now.

But Asher...

Priya interrupted my attempts to worry about thrusting a glass of water at me. "Drink this. We've been keeping you alive with potions so far and we're running low on supplies."

I took it, my mouth too dry to deny her, and gulped down half the glass. The fatigue, aching muscles, thirst and hunger could have convinced me I'd been out of it for weeks, not merely a few days. When I finally lowered the glass and took a deep breath, I stared into the water.

"So… everyone made it out okay?" I asked. "Even...?"

"Even your dumb relatives, yeah." Edward had bent down and rested his hands on his knees.

Good. At least that meant they weren't also going to hunt me down for that, too.. Ihadtechnically set the fire, even if destroying that gods-forsaken house had given me more peace than I ever remembered. Just knowing that the house no longer existed made the weight on my shoulders lift a little.

"And I amsotempted," Priya said, pressing her fingers together into points which she then jabbed in my direction, "to tell you how dumbyouare for doing what you did. Using a grimalkin's power and then overloading yourself so you knock yourself out for days? You nearlykilledyourself."

I took another drink. It didn't matter what she thought of what I did. The fact all three of us had made it out alive was a miracle, so clearly I had done the only right thing. I was at peace with my actions.

"But," Priya continued, lowering her pointy hands. "I honestly didn't think you guys were going to get out of there. We were already discussing how to sledgehammer the wall open when youexplodedit."

"Can't say I don't make a mark." I drained the glass and Priya took it from me.

"We didn't need proof. We already knew that." Edward backed up toward the door, gesturing wildly with his arms. "I'm going to get Penny. She's been worried about you."

Priya rolled her eyes as she set the glass down on the floor. "Figures. The two people who wouldn't leave your side are the ones who took naps at theexacttime you chose to wake up."

I laid back down, the water sloshing around in my stomach. Hecate curled up next to me, tucking herself into the crook of my arm and resting her head on my shoulder. She stretched a paw out across my chest and dug her claws into my pyjama top, fixing herself there.

The second Asher learned I was okay, he would probably take off to his job again, anyway. It was probably for the best that I hadn't seen him when I woke up. Better that I didn't see him at all. I could live with the moments before I blacked out being the last I remembered between us.

I already felt tired again and closed my eyes just to block out what looked like morning light streaming in through my window. Just to preserve my energy for when Penny came in. Lie-in hangovers were bad enough, but I'd never sleptthislong before. I would need some serious coffee just to get out of bed.

When a pair of footsteps echoed up the stairwell outside, I heaved a sigh. This would have to be a quick visit, because I really needed a nap.

Priya's weight lifted off the bed and I opened my eyes, but instead of Penny, Asher stood before her. He had his leather jacket on, his phone sticking out of one of the pockets, and he had his shoes on as if he was ready to go somewhere. I swallowed the lump in my throat, but it stayed lodged there. Called it.

But the moment I opened my eyes, Asher hurried to sit on the edge of the bed where Priya had been.

"No," I muttered, and pushed at his arm. "If you're going to leave, then leave. Don't hang around here like you care."

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