Page 135 of Heir of Illusion

Despite the gloves he wears, his hands are a brand against my skin.

“I can do this myself,” I mutter, feeling like a helpless child.

“Let me.” His gaze lifts, connecting with mine. “I want to do this for you.”

Several moments pass as we stare at each other, both of us affected by our close proximity. Unable to do anything else, I agree to his request.

“You can take those off,” I say softly, nodding to his gloves. “If you want to.”

A thousand emotions pass over his face as he watches me. His throat bobs, and he swallows thickly as he removes the gloves and sets them on the vanity.

My head falls back as his bare fingers brush over my stomach, sending a thousand tiny shockwaves through each nerve in my body. His eyes are hooded as he grabs the rag and gets to work. Despite how gentle he’s being, I still wince as he dabs the wet rag against my wound.

He opens his mouth to apologize as he snatches the cloth away, but I cut him off.

“It’s fine,” I whisper between gritted teeth. “I can take it.”

With one hand, he resumes his task, while the other sits on my hip, his thumb softly brushing back and forth over my bare skin. The movement elicits more of those shockwaves, distracting me from the pain.

“You’re so strong, Ivy.” His breath coasts over my stomach, the heat of it sparking goosebumps. “You take so much, and yet none of it breaks you.”

My chest clenches. “Some of it breaks me,” I admit in a small voice.

“No, Angel.” He shakes his head. “You may get knocked down sometimes, but if you were broken, you wouldn’t keep trying the way you do. You wouldn’t be doing everything you can to help others.”

My breathing turns heavy as I process his words. The way he sees me is… staggering. The fact that he views me as something worthy of respect, even admiration. Has anyone else ever done that before? Maybe Leona and Remy. Possibly my brother too. But this is different, heavier, somehow.

After a few minutes, he finishes with my stomach and turns me to face the opposite direction as he begins the same process on the other side.

“If any of the poison is lingering on your skin, it will only delay your healing more.” His voice is rougher than I’ve heard it before.

“I know.”

“Some of these bruises are pretty bad,” he says as his fingers brush softly over my back, eliciting a mix of desire and pain.

“I fell.”

“Through the veil?” he exclaims, turning me again to get a glimpse of my face.

“I’d be dead if that were the case,” I remind him. “Kaldar tried to drag me through with him, but I twisted and went over the side instead. I ended up laying on the forest floor for most of the day, completely paralyzed from the poison.”

I don’t mention how the wound burned for hours before the pain finally began to fade. I doubt he’d take kindly to that knowledge.

“Gods,” he breathes, squeezing his eyes shut. “You’re going to give me a heart-attack someday.”

I roll my eyes, not sure that’s even possible for a God. When the wound is finally cleaned, I feel the soft press of his lips against my lower back. I shudder in his grasp, unsure if I want to move away or lean into his touch. Instead of doing either, I turn around to face him.

Thorne stares up at me, his eyes shifting with a myriad of emotions. There’s lust there, but also so much more.

“Can I stay?” he asks softly.

My heart stutters.

“Just to hold you?” he explains quickly, a hint of vulnerability creeping into his tone. “Only until you fall asleep. Then I’ll go.”

From the sound of it, I don’t know if he’s trying to convince me or himself. Still, I find myself nodding at his request. His eyes go round as his mouth falls open, as if he truly didn’t expect me to agree. My gaze flits to the door. Maybe I shouldn’t have… I know it’s not smart, but at this moment, I’m not sure I care.

Stepping into the bathroom, I shut the door behind me before I remove my tattered dress. Quickly going about the business of rinsing off, I wash away the dirt and blood that covered my body. My hands tremble as I think about who’s waiting for me in my room.

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