Page 149 of The Prince's Mage

He’d been losing hope, but those changes and the night she’d returned his cloak had brought them all roaring back.

* * *

Two and a half weeks before…

Everything was a haze of pain and the demon’s screeching, taunting voice. Nikias’ chest burned.

He had brief moments of awareness. Someone helping him sit up, drink, and eat—a healer. Gavril stepping into the tent and updating him on the camp. Each time he remembered it a little better.

It was only a few days after his ordeal with the demon when he woke up to the sound of someone stepping into his tent. He blinked, but it was so dark he couldn’t see anything. His chest still burning and all the muscles in his body sore and aching didn’t help.

Still, he could see whoever it was at the foot of his cot, setting something down on the trunk.

Nikias blinked and the tiny bit of moonlight coming in from the open flap shone off the figure’s hair just enough for him to see it was red.

Aimilia.

He’d been hoping to see her soon.

Or… maybe this was a dream. He usually saw her in his dreams.

Before he could stop himself, he breathed out, “Amata?”

Aimilia froze, still slightly bent over whatever she was setting on the trunk. His cloak? Was she returning it?

He tried to shift, to sit up, but the second he moved the burning in his chest doubled and all he could do was slump back into the thin cot, failing to muffle his groan. The pain was blinding and he sank his fingers into his chiton, hiding the bandages from view. He pulled at the fabric, but it did nothing to ease his pain.

It didn’t stop him from hearing the demon’s voice ringing in his ears, trying to condemn him to a miserable fate with her abominable abilities. He was breathing through clenched teeth, unable to open his eyes to see if Aimilia was still there or not.

But as the burn eased, he heard the sound of someone moving again and a soft, muffled noise.

He was able to force his eyes open again and he saw Aimilia was kneeling beside the cot, both hands pressed over her mouth to muffle her sobs. There was just enough light for him to spot the tears welling up and rolling out of her eyes.

What was she crying for? Him?

This time he had enough control of himself to say, “Commander Aimilia?”

She immediately went rigid at the sound of his voice. She took a deep breath and tried to scrub at her face. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness, it’s just me. Go back to sleep. I was just trying to return your cloak without disturbing you.”

She started to push herself up, and she was going to leave. Despite the agony trying to sit up had been moments before, he could not stop himself. He reached for her arm, but missed. Instead, his fingers sank into her waist, crumpling the fabric of her cloak as he caught her. She froze and he should let go now that he’d stopped her, but he couldn’t.

She stared down at him with wide eyes and he forced his heavy tongue to move. “Why were you crying?”

Her lips parted, and he could see the tears well up again. He kicked himself for bringing them back, but he had to know.

“Because… this is my fault,” she whispered, her voice breaking. He could feel her shift, her knees buckling, but he couldn’t let go. “You’re like this because of me.”

That’swhat she thought?

His hand on her waist flexed as his voice rasped and lowered. “Let me make myself clear, Commander. You bear absolutely no responsibility for any of this. I am like this because the demon demanded blood. I am like this because my actions demanded blood, so my blood needed to pay it.”

“But I—”

“But nothing.” He wanted to keep going, to make it clear to her he would never have let the demon lay a hand on her. He wouldn’t have brought her if he wasn’t wholly committed to protecting her from the demon, but the words wouldn’t come.

Aimilia just hit the ground again, slipping out of his grip and shaking her head. Her voice was full of the sobs she was holding back. “What happens next? You and your father are both just a step above death and your father’s going to disinherit and exile Gavril even though he’s the reason we have peace, and Gavril and Marcella will leave, and it’s going to be worse than when he was gone on your mission to capture Hypatia. This time it’ll be forever, and I’ll be stuck, and you—”

“Breathe, Commander.” Nikias couldn’t muster up the strength to reach forward again as he was too focused on holding off the renewed aches and burning just catching her waist had brought him. But the urge to reach forward and wipe away her tears was almost stronger than his weakness. “I am going to be fine. Believe me, I have no desire to lose my brother again. I will do what I must to keep him and his wife.”

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