Page 47 of Galadon
“Sleep, slayer,” he said, pulling her closer until she was fully wrapped in his warmth. “I’ll be right here to watch over you.”
It was so hard to stay angry at him when he was being sweet like this. Rayna decided to be a little generous. “If you prefer, you can send your clothes to shiggara.”
“That’s generous of you,” he said, body shaking as he laughed silently.
His chest was bare a moment later, and she rested her cheek against his hot skin. Rayna was too tired and weak to pull away, especially when his embrace felt so right. She could always make things difficult for him again tomorrow. With that thought, she fell fast asleep.
Chapter 21
Galadon
The lingering aches and pains from my captivity with the Kandoran were nearly gone. After a deep sleep with Rayna in my arms, I’d woken refreshed and stronger. My mother had prepared a hearty meal to further boost my strength. Finally, for the first time in over a week, I’d shifted to my dragon form, and that boosted my mood further. Flying had helped relieve the lingering tension in my muscles, even if I couldn’t do it for very long yet.
I didn’t like staying inactive except during the coldest parts of winter, and we were nearly halfway into May. The weather was fair and warm now. My inner beast had needed to be set free, especially since the Faegud guards had left. They’d stayed until I’d recovered enough to resume my duties.
They’d done their job well. It helped that I’d insisted on them swearing an oath to tell no one what they saw on my land, and only the most circumspect shifters were chosen for the task. It had been difficult to cede control, though, even briefly.
I finished shifting back to my human form and headed for the tunnel entrance to my lair. Rayna remained fast asleep when I departed several hours ago, and I’d been reluctant to leaveher. If not for my need to get into the sky, I might have stayed to watch her rest. Something broke inside of me when she’d plunged that knife into herself. My fears and reservations about her came crumbling down at the prospect of losing her forever. It wasn’t to say they were gone, but I now had a new perspective. She belonged with me, for better or worse.
As the dim tunnel opened to the large cavern I dug out centuries ago and fortified with my flames and support columns, I spotted Rayna sitting at my dining table. She’d nearly finished the meal I left for her. It satisfied me on some primal level to provide for the woman who’d given me her heart.
I could hardly stop myself as I approached her. “It’s good to see you up.”
She lifted her gaze to meet mine. “Where were you?”
“Patrol,” I said, lifting my hand to run my fingers through her hair.
She stiffened. “I’m…dirty.”
She wasn’t wrong. While Rayna and I had been under our forced comas, my mother had sponged off the worst of the blood and grime on us, but only a proper bath would rid the rest. I’d had mine as soon as I was up and walking yesterday inside a separate, underground chamber nearest to an outdoor firepit we used to heat the water.
“As soon as you’re finished, we can rectify that problem.”
She pushed her plate away, still a quarter full, but it had been overflowing. “I’m done, and all I can think about is getting clean.”
“I understand,” I said, watching her slowly rise to her feet with a wince.
I headed to my wardrobe to get another tunic, so she’d have something clean to wear after her bath. Tomorrow, her first new outfit should arrive, and then I wouldn’t get to see her walking about in one of my tops with most of her legs bare.
She gripped the edge of the table. “How far is it?”
“Normally, I’d say not far at all, but you’ll likely think it’s a long distance right now.”
Rayna lifted her chin. “I’ll be fine.”
While I would have preferred to scoop her up and carry her, I understood the desire for independence more than most. Nothing annoyed me more than needing help. My mother and I had fought many times when she began staying in my territory, as we decided who would take care of what. I ceded control of laundry since I hated that task anyway, but we shared the chores of gathering and cutting firewood, hunting for food, caring for the herd of cows and sheep who grazed my land, and cooking. She even went on patrol occasionally, though only with the promise she’d alert me immediately to any issues.
“Go ahead, slayer,” I said, gesturing toward the tunnel entrance.
I stayed close to Rayna as she began taking small, shaky steps. My mother had checked on her earlier while she slept and said the leg bones had reformed, but they weren’t at full density yet, and the muscles would need to be used before they’d regain strength. I had to let her exercise as much as possible so her body would complete the recovery process.
After only ten steps, Rayna’s knees collapsed. I caught her before she hit the ground and helped her stand. “It’s fine. The same happened to me, but it does get easier.”
“I can’t believe how weak I am,” she said, gripping my arm.
That wasn’t only because of her injuries. I didn’t think it was safe to tell her that the elixir stifling her slayer urges had also reduced her to near-human strength. Her immune system was still robust, according to my mother, but the first female who took the potion had reported the other side effects. I’d been told Javier was trying to rectify that problem, but so far, he’d had no luck. Headaches were another possible issue, so I’d also watch Rayna for that.
“You’ll regain your strength soon enough,” I said, hoping that was true.
