Page 81 of Rising

“Am not.” I muttered hopelessly.

It was pointless. Once he’d brought it up, Reina wouldn’t leave me alone unless I let her check me over. Alexiares elbow flew into my side, and I buckled over.

Reina rushed over. “Maia, why didn’t you say anything?”

“You need to conserve your energy, your magic. I was just going to find someone here,” I said, giving a weak attempt to push back.

A familiar warmth and tickle ran up the length of my body, pain slipping away as Reina’s magic took over. I welcomed it, my body fighting my mind, begging it to let it survive.

“Nonsense, here. You’re simply badly bruised. That would explain the wheezing coming from your tent,” she glimpsed between Alexiares and me. “I was afraid to ask.”

She chuckled, offering me her arm in support as her, and Alexiares guided me towards the gate. I only made it a few steps before darkness took over, and my body gave out.

* * *

My eyes shotopen and I took in the unfamiliar surroundings, panic creeping in as my flight-or-flight kicked in.

“You’re awake,” Alexiares’ raspy voice came from right out of view.

I jumped, attempting to hop out of the bed on instinct. “What? What’s going on? Where am I?” My body flailed.

Wherewere my friends? What had happened? How much time did I lose?

He dropped to his knees at the edge of the bed, gently pressing me into the mattress, only causing me to panic more at the restraint.

“Hey, you’re fine,” he said, rough hands gripping the sides of cheeks, forcing me to meet his eye, recognize him. “We’re in Elko. Look at me. I’m right here.” His rough fingers traced the outline of my jaw, stopping on my lower lip.

Tears streamed down my face as I took in the beauty of his face, appreciating it for the first time. The dead eyes I’d been accustomed to looking at, were now soft and filled with worry. I stopped fighting, body now calm as his hands pushed back my loose hair from my eyes. Everything felt gray, the lines of right and wrong blurring as I found comfort under the touch of someone who’d I claimed an enemy only weeks before.

“What happened?” I asked, my breathing returned to normal, exhaustion weighing me down.

“You passed out before we hit the gate. Everyone else is fine. Lay down. I’ll go get Reina,” he said, getting up and striding towards the door, stopping on his way, eyes trailing over my body, examining me once more. “Glad you’re not dead.”

Minutes passed. I rolled to my side, registering how I could move without pain for the first time in days. I was in a normal bedroom, likely inside a normal house from The Before. Elko hadn’t been damaged the way Monterey had in the aftermath of society crumbling. There’d been no reason for them to start over, only maintain.

“Thank all good and glorious!” Reina’s voice echoed around the room, startling me from the power nap I’d taken during the wait. “I was headed to come check on you. You should’ve been awake hours ago. Was starting to get worried, but Alexi promised to come get me if you started to look worse.”

I tried not to be insulted. “Alexi?”

“Yeah, he said that’s what people usually call him, but that you’re stubborn and told everyone to call him by his government.”

My eyes rolled. “How long was I out?”

“One day,” she said as if it were no big deal. “You had a crazy infection. Renal contusion.”

“English please?”

“Bruised kidney, that turned into an infection since no one knew to watch for further damage,” she scolded.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to scare you.” I shifted up in the bed, the desire to lie down and rest gone.

“Scare me? Amaia, I know I joke a lot, but I’m a big girl. More importantly, I care about you. I just want to make sure you’re okay girl, I’m literally here to keep you safe. Healthy as a peach. You have to tell me these things, okay? Gotta let me do my job.”

Reina’s mouth curved into a smile, eyes shimmering earnestly. Her body language indicated she was doing okay. No sign the use of her magic had taken a toll. Her coloring was still good, her pale skin now permanently rosy from the days in the sun. The day of rest had done her well.

I couldn’t help but oblige. “Okay.”

“Good. Now that that’s covered. Let’s talk about how Mr. tall, dark and grouchy hasn’t left your side,” she teased.

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