Page 99 of Dance of the Phoenix
We’d spent the last few hours fucking each other ferociously, and both of us were spent. If I didn’t know what was going to happen, I would’ve fallen asleep like I did this very same night, before I’d turned back time.
But this time, things were different.
“Let’s eat,” I declared after some time, sitting up and wincing, seeing as how I was sore all over.
As if it was an accomplice in my plans, Ragnor’s stomach growled. “Yeah,” he murmured, wearily sitting up. “Should we heat it up?”
“Nah, it’s still tasty,” I said, grabbing the cold pancakes and handing them to him.
He frowned. “Don’t you want some? You said you were hungry.”
I forced a grin on my face to hide my rising nervousness. “After eating you up, I feel quite full.”
He barked out a surprised laugh, eyes twinkling a bit before they dimmed back to their previous, resigned expression I couldn’t wait to wipe off.
To my utter relief, Ragnor practically inhaled the pancakes, unsuspecting that I might’ve added something to them. It warmed my heart that he trusted me at least that much. Ironically, that would also be his undoing.
When the plate was empty, Ragnor licked his lips. “That was fucking good,” he said, and pulled me into his hug, lying back on the bed after putting the plate away. “Thank you, Aileen.”
I buried my face in his chest, hugging him tightly.I’m sorry,I thought grimly.I’m sorry, Ragnor.
Slowly, I heard his breaths becoming even, his chest rising and falling at a monotonous pace. I counted the breaths, heard his heart calming down but beating, alive, in his chest.
Minutes later, Ragnor was asleep.
Gently, I pushed his arms away and sat up, watching him sleep. He seemed so serene and peaceful, as if he had no cares in the world. As if he hadn’t hidden anything important from me. As if he hadn’t died and left me all alone, almost tearing my soul away and leaving me to a brutal fate, similar to Jada’s.
As much as I loved Ragnor, and as much as I was exhilarated that he was alive again, that I’d succeeded in turning back the clock to make things right this time, I couldn’t help but feel resentment.
Just why did you never tell me anything?
I sat on the bed and watched Ragnor as the minutes turned into hours. I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t afford to. I had to keep an eye on him until the very last minute to ensure he wouldn’t wake up before he needed to.
Being in an almost trancelike state, staring at Ragnor’s sleeping face, I jumped when the bedroom door suddenly opened, revealing a familiar face I hadn’t seen in a while.
Eliza looked at me, her right eye wide with the same shock that I felt at this moment. “Aileen? What ...”
Her gaze went to sleeping Ragnor, and I could tell a million thoughts went through her head; about just as many passed throughmine. “What are you doing here, Eliza?” I asked, quickly pulling on my shirt and jeans from before, so as not to talk to her stark naked.
“I ...” she started, then paused, frowning, before turning to look at me. “You know.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Know what?”
Eliza walked toward me. “About the Tears of Euphorrey.”
Tears of Euphorrey?For some reason, that term sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint why. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I told her frankly, deciding on a whim against dancing around the truth, feeling as though we had the same agenda. “But I do know Ragnor will die tomorrow if I let him fight.”
She sat down on the chair. “Yes, he will,” she said, grimacing. “But he must. There is no other way.”
“But there is,” I told her, watching her closely as she whipped her head up to stare at me, her good eye unblinking. “You know about the rules of the Hecatomb?” I asked, and when she reluctantly nodded, I smiled. “The rule is that the final battle will be between twoSacreds.”
Her eye widened just then. “Aileen,” she said slowly, “you can’t possibly think—”
“I’m going against Atalon,” I told her, smiling wider. “So please, in case it’s related to that, do tell me about these Tears of Euphorrey.”
Chapter 53
Ragnor
