Page 55 of Ties of Starlight

Heat flooded her cheeks.

The healers couldn’t have put her in something before letting Nyrunn back in to see her? Of course not. He was her husband, in this life anyway.

She just pulled the blanket back up; at least it had done its job during the night in covering her.

She couldn’t say she’d survived more mortifying situations, but she had experienced them. On the scale of embarrassing, humiliating, or outright agonizing things she had firsthand experience with, this was low.

And yet she still felt more exposed and vulnerable than she had ever before.

Why would Nyrunn, who surely was exhausted and had plenty of other things to deal with following a Moon Elf attack, be so concerned with whether she rolled over or not he would physically hold her down to prevent it? Especially when he knew who she was and what she’d done in her last life? Or if he believed she was a madwoman?

She stared up at the dawn breaking in the sky above, the tent having been opened up, she imagined, for the healers. It was harder for them to use starlight to heal her given her biological makeup and the fact that it meant the starlight magic running through her veins was weaker than a normal elf’s, so the more starlight the better.

She reached over and brushed her fingertips over the top of her bad shoulder. She was definitely in pain and it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but it also wasn’t as much as it should be.

Why wasn’t she in worse shape?

When the tent shifted again, Idonea only lifted her head slightly to be able to see it was Nyrunn, returning with a pitcher of water and one of the healers.

Idonea expected Nyrunn would pour her a glass of water and leave as the healer approached, but once she had a glass in her hand, he took a seat in the chair beside her bed, eyes focused on the healer. She reluctantly let the healer examine her bandages, keeping one eye on Nyrunn, who never once let his gaze drift over to her. He stayedabsorbed in what the healer said, confirming there was no infection, but healing wouldn’t be as fast as it would for a full elf.

Idonea didn’t care. She just wanted him and Nyrunn to leave.

Finally, he stepped back and said he’d have the servants have a bath prepared for her to clean up and then put on fresh bandages. Idonea murmured an agreement as she clutched the blanket to her neck again, but the healer was really talking to Nyrunn, and had been the whole time about her care.

Once the healer was gone, however, Nyrunn was still in his seat, running a hand through his hair.

“Idonea…” Nyrunn sighed, looking up. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

Idonea contemplated just pulling the blanket over her head and hoping he got the hint.

“Just… tell me one thing. Idonea, look at me.” The clear command in his tone had her reluctantly doing so. “Why did you sacrifice yourself to save me?”

She blinked at him. That’s what he was thinking about?

“You’re the king.”

“You’re Gytha’s chosen.”

“Yes. And in this lifetime, you’re Agnarr’s. Either way, the ritual would have been ruined, but if it was me, at least Adastra would still have a king to stand against the Moon Elves, and I’d come back in two hundred and fifty years. It was the only logical choice.”

“Did you want to die?”

“Of course not!” Idonea sat up straighter, still keeping the blanket wrapped around her with her good arm. “The last thing I want is to fail again!”

Nyrunn’s gaze darkened. “That’s not what I asked you.”

But before she could respond, the tent was openingagain and Lady Asa came in, directing several servants with a tub on where to set up. Lady Asa’s arms were full of clean clothes from Idonea’s things. “Pardon, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You’re not,” Idonea said, mostly so Nyrunn couldn’t delay her chance to be clean and clothed any longer.

Nyrunn took a deep breath. “She’s right. Thank you, Lady Asa. I have to go, but will you sit with my wife and ensure she’s comfortable for the day?”

Idonea glared at him. “That’s really not necessary. I—”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Lady Asa said with a grin as she held the tent flap open for the servants traveling back and forth to fill the tub. “I’d much rather have Idonea as my charge than Lord Frode. He won’t stop fretting about this delay and the attack. You’re doing me a favor.”

Nyrunn let out a chuckle and Idonea’s knuckles turned white from how tightly she was fisting the blanket. She didn’t like the pang that went through her chest at the sound and the fact that it was Lady Asa who had earned it.

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