Page 32 of The Discovered
“How did I know you would never let that go?” I muttered, glad to be facing away from him.
“Tell me.”
I did sort of promise the Universe to obey Daelon more often if he lived. I groaned. “Fine. It was… risqué. And about you. But not a sex dream,” I quickly added. My heartrate soared. “So don’t get too full of yourself.” As soon as it left my mouth, I instantly regretted it. What the hell was in these magickal pain killers?
I could nearly feel his grin. “Mmm,” he purred into my neck. “I knew it.”
I needed to use the bathroom.And exit this conversation.
I wriggled out of Daelon’s grasp and started to get up.
“Hey, where do you think you’re going?” he asked, more than amused. He grabbed my wrist and then quickly let go when I winced. It was the wrist he’d grabbed too tightly when possessed by whatever that malevolent force was.
I turned to look at him as I sat at the edge of the bed. His face had fallen, no trace of its former mischief. He grasped my arm lightly, inspecting the red, just formed bruising in the shape of a hand.
“I’m sorry,” he said again.
“Stop apologizing.” I wished I could banish the shame from his eyes. He looked like he’d failed the whole world. “I just need to use the bathroom.”
He released my arm, watching me as I stopped in front of the mirror. I suppressed a gasp for his sake as I caught a glimpse of my neck, which was bright pink and beginning to swell. The bruises along the sides were red and splotchy.
I turned to Daelon, who looked positively mortified. “It’s not that bad. They’re sort of like, uh, hickeys.” I shrugged and disappeared into the bathroom. Okay, maybe it looked way worse than that, but I needed to make light of it all so Daelon wouldn’t shut down again.
Out of his sight now, I inspected myself further in the tall, golden-framed mirrors, smoothing down my messy hair and readjusting my thick knit sweater dress. My head throbbed slightly even through the witchy painkillers, and I remembered that I’d also hit it hard during the attack.
When I came back into the room, my stomach dropped at the sight of my empty bed. I was surprised at just how much it disappointed me. Even after all the cuddling and vulnerability, not to mention a shared near-death experience, I had absolutely no idea where we stood. I didn’t know if I could suppress my feelings any longer.
I ventured outside the room, a bit loopy and lightheaded from the pills. They felt like a blanket of warmth around my every nerve ending, swarming my mind with soft, wispy clouds. I spotted Daelon in the kitchen chopping up what appeared to be herbs and fruit. He stopped when he noticed me.
“Go get in bed,” he ordered.
“Without you?” I leaned my head to the side.
He narrowed his eyes, unable to hold back a smile. “Those painkillers are working, huh?” He shook his head. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
Were the magick pills really affecting my behavior that much? Oh, well. Who needed inhibitions anyway? It wasn’t my fault he looked so hot right now, with his taut muscles and his chiseled face and his—
“Go get in bed,” he repeated. I could tell he was trying not to laugh.
“Yes, sir,” I said, biting my lip. “Is that how you want me to respond when you order me around?” I teased, feigning innocence.
Daelon set down the knife, utterly bemused before regaining composure. He lifted a brow. “Yes, that would be preferable to how you generally respond.”
His eyes flashed something dangerous as he crossed his arms, as if he was daring me to continue. I decided to postpone the challenge for another time, spinning on my heel to get back in bed.
“How is it?”
“Kind of gross, sorry,” I said, drinking the green smoothie Daelon had blended for me. It tasted exactly like its contents, which were a bunch of herbs and a banana.
“It will help speed up the healing. It’s a recipe my mother taught me, one that was passed down for generations,” he said thoughtfully, momentarily traveling somewhere else in his mind. He sat with me in the king-sized bed. “Plus, you haven’t eaten in at least 6 hours.”
“Holy shit.”
“What?” He sounded alarmed.
“You’re obsessed with me.”
He rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, but I could tell the corners of his lips wanted to tip upward.
