Page 31 of To Sway a Prince
I swallowed hard, the taste of regret bitter on my tongue. "Do you regret it? Cutting yourself off from her?"
"No." He said it so firmly it bordered on harsh.
I tried to swallow that knot of emotion in my throat. When I severed another knot, the threads coiled at my wrist and stung more. A few tears rolled down my cheeks, and I dashed them away. "You're better than me," I said, my voice thick.
"I doubt that." He put his hand over my wrist to soothe the sting.
I kept my eyes down, not meeting his gaze and trying not to think about the warmth and strength of his hand around mine. The urge to fling myself into his arms or curl up beside him thrust itself into my mind, and I had to shove it away. "You were trying to keep the omenfang trapped. Or you were trying to trap something else, and then the glass broke. Was that one of the other solutions you were testing?"
"Yes." He measured his breaths, keeping them slow and steady. The warm cedar scent intensified. "I still have a few more possibilities. You are buying me time and breath. For that I am grateful. Already I feel better than I have in days."
We talked about all manner of things, mercifully avoiding the topic of mates, love, and family. It had been foolish of me to evenbring it up. Some of the knots were more resistant than others. It took minutes to dispatch a single one, and a few reformed entirely and had to be removed a second and third time before they only returned with fewer threads and eventually vanished entirely.
At last my hands cramped. They ached, and the well of my magic felt dry. I sank back and rubbed my hands. "It's a start," I said, though already I was calculating how many hours it would likely take to remove them all. We had a very long, long journey ahead of us if I was to undo them this way.
He eased the rest of his way onto his side. His expression was weary but relieved. "One for which I am exceedingly grateful." He nodded toward my hands. "Are you in pain?"
"It's nothing serious." I cracked my fingers and then flexed them, feeling the ache in my knuckles and wrists.
"You should eat. The larder is fully stocked." He stood and picked up his tunic and surcoat. Carefully he pulled them on and adjusted the shoulders. "I apologize that I cannot join you. There are matters in the tower that require attention."
"Do you need help?"
He took my hand in his. His thumb brushed over my palm, kneading gently to ease the tension. "You can help me best by recovering. By restoring your magic."
I tried to pull away, feeling self-conscious, but he held my hand firm. "You're sure?"
His gaze held mine. "Yes. Please. Sleep in the guest room tonight. Eat. If there is more you can do, I promise I will tell you. But you have already done more than enough."
"Given that I broke into your tower, I feel like I should make myself useful. Seems the best way to make up for it."
"Even accounting for that, you have done more than enough."
He helped me to my feet and then released my hand slowly, his touch lingering. "You need to eat too," I said firmly.
He gave another small, scoffing laugh. "I eat."
"I may need you to prove that." I folded my arms.
"Very well. We will share a meal together at some point soon. But for now, I must see to my other responsibilities." He took my hand in his once more and pressed a kiss to my aching knuckles. "Please make use of this room. All that you need will be in here. Including garments if you need them."
A teasing response leaped to my lips. Asking him whether he thought I smelled or if he simply preferred the thought of seeing me in something other than my riding leathers were both possibilities, but I found myself simply smiling and thanking him instead.
The air grew thicker and smelled more of dragons, hay, and blood as I descended the staircase back to the stable. It was warm, almost humid in the hollow core of the tower. Upon reaching the door, I peered inside.
Zephyrus was in the cell nearest the door this time. He lifted his head, a low growl rumbling up his throat that soon turned into a chuff. That deep, happy trill made my heart lighten even more.
The other dragons stirred and shifted, a few rustling their wings. They were likely exhausted from the day's endeavors. Thalorion was in one of the cells now, head resting on his forelegs like a large cat as two of the others curled up beside him. He watched me with half-lidded eyes.
I crossed as close to Zephyrus as I could. "You did good out there. You and the rest of your kin. I never knew you could fly in formation like that. It sounds like that isn't close to half of what you're capable of."
Zephyrus lifted his chin, his gaze still fixed on me. Steam curled from his nostrils. A series of low chirrs and the way he puffed his chest confirmed he was proud. As he should be.
I picked up a stick from the corner of the room and used it to scratch his jaw through the bars. He rubbed against it, curling his upper lip and pressing his teeth on the edge.
Soon I'd be able to hug him, and perhaps soon we could fly together again. I spent a few more moments giving him the best scratches I could, spoke to the other dragons, and then left. I really didn't want to sleep, but sleep was necessary to restore my magic.
As I neared the door to the guest room, I heard voices. Caein and Ramiel. My heart tightened, and my stomach somersaulted. I should just go back to my room and prepare for rest. But maybe I should say good night.
