Page 56 of Elora and the Crow

“Stay with me?” he asked.

She nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned, she was wearing her favourite cotton pajama set. She climbed into the bed beside him, pushing her damp hair away from her neck.

He rested his left hand on her hip, staring at her in the dim light from the bedside lamp. “You look exhausted.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “Gee, thanks.”

“I’m worried you’re doing too much for me,” he said. “Have you slept at all?”

“I didn’t get much last night because I was worried I’d set your bedroom on fire by reciting spells in my sleep,” she said. “But I did a fireproof protection spell on your bedroom earlier today, so if I recite spells and light some fires while I’m sleeping, they shouldn’t actually burn anything.”

Jonah smoothed a strand of hair away from her cheek. “A fireproof spell is hard to do.”

“It is,” she admitted.

“I’m proud of you, little witch,” he said.

“Thank you.” She smiled warmly at him. “Although, I think that might partially be why I couldn’t get the healing paste to work. The protection spell weakens my magic and will for a bit until I get used to it.”

“It’s fine,” he said. “My hand doesn’t hurt that much.”

“Liar,” she said with a soft smile.

He rubbed her hip, blinking back his exhaustion and the pain with effort. He needed to make Elora feel good like she had done for him.

“Little witch, will you let me make you come?”

She studied him before shaking her head. “No, you’re tired and in pain. You need to rest, Jonah.”

“What I need is to make you feel good.”

“You can do that when you feel better,” she said.

“Elora, I don’t like taking without giving,” he said.

“Special circumstances,” she said.

He started to protest, and she shook her head. “We both need sleep.”

“Yeah, I know,” he said, giving in with a grumpy acceptance.

She hesitated and then wiggled closer, resting her hand lightly on his hip and being careful not to touch his right hand as he draped his arm over her waist and pressed a kiss against her mouth. “Goodnight, Elora.”

“Goodnight, Jonah.”

CHAPTER18

“How is he doing?” Bren sipped at the coffee Elora gave him.

“He’s better.” She sank onto the stool beside Bren. Her body ached and her magic had gone from its usual bright hum within her to a barely detected buzz. She knew it was a combination of all the healing spells she’d performed, the fire protection spell on Jonah’s room, and her general exhaustion, but it still made her uneasy.

“Is he?” Bren asked. “Kaida told me she heard him screaming.”

Elora drank some coffee, hoping the jolt of caffeine would help her tired brain. “Can you tell Kaida thank you again for staying here with Jonah this morning while I was at the potion shop? I didn’t want him to be alone, and with Cece working, I didn’t know who else to call.”

“It wasn’t a problem for her,” Bren said, “but I’ll pass on your thanks. Why was he screaming?”

“I went to the potion store because I needed help from Charissa with the healing spell for Jonah’s hand. I performed the spell as soon as I returned, and it was… painful for him.”

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