Page 49 of God Touched

"I heard." Imogen stretched, her body aching and tired. "How long have we been asleep?"

"About five hours."

Imogen groaned but still sat up. "Better than nothing, I suppose. I'll go and get dressed. If Duncan comes back, tell him to bring me about a liter of coffee. I'll get a hold of Bayn and get him and Freya here. They are closest."

"A good plan." Arawan wrapped her in a thick fur robe. "I'm sorry we didn't get more time."

Imogen gave him her best devil-may-care smile. "You don't need much sleep when you're this fine."

"Go on before I change my mind and keep you here," Arawan said. Imogen didn't like the worry in his eyes when he looked at her, so she kissed his cheek.

"Come by when you're ready to meet with these losers," she said and walked back to her own rooms. Duncan was coming up the stairs with her breakfast tray. He raised his brows at her.

"Don't judge me, Dunk," Imogen groaned, opening her bedroom door and holding it out for him.

"It's not my place to judge you, Miss Ironwood," he replied, placing the tray down for her.

"Says you in the judgiest voice ever." Imogen almost dived on the coffee pot.

Duncan paused by the door. "I have served Lord Arawan for a long time. Despite being human, you make him happy, and all of Annwn can feel it. His mood affects us all. Perhaps that is something to consider if your affections are not…sincere."

Imogen knew she didn't owe him shit, but she still looked him dead in the eye and said, "They are."

Duncan inclined his head, and with the first smile she had ever seen him display, he closed the door.

Imogen found her phone and dialed Bayn. She hoped they weren't busy because she was about to drop a shit storm in their lap.

"What's wrong, Gen?" Bayn answered, not fucking about with any kind of pleasantries. Another reason he was her favorite.

"We followed up on some intel from Owain last night and walked into a cluster fuck. Yes, I'm okay, but Hafgan has sent an envoy. Can you and Freya come? Arawan wants you here, and so do I," Imogen explained in one long breath.

Bayn made a grumbly sound. "We can be there in twenty minutes. I don't like that they turned up so quickly."

"Me neither, but I'm not surprised. I think the horde creature army we took out last night was a backup force Hafgan was saving."

"You took out an army?" Bayn demanded. "What the hell, Imogen! You didn't think to call us?"

"We didn't know it was going to be an army. We had warriors, and to be honest, it felt like an army, but it was dark as shit, and I have no idea how many they were."

"And you are completely unscathed? How is that possible?"

Imogen swallowed a mouthful of coffee. "I don't know. Arawan put some pretty hefty shields on me and badass charms on my weapons. He's an army all on his own."

Bayn was silent for a long moment. "He must care about you to do that."

Imogen's stomach fluttered. "I don't know. Do you think a god is capable of caring for a mortal? He might have done it because he wanted to torment me with this deal we made. Who knows why gods do what they do?"

"Ah huh, whatever you say, sis. We will be outside the borders in twenty, so make sure you're there to let us in," Bayn replied, and they said their goodbyes.

Imogen went through her clean clothes, wondering what she should wear when meeting an envoy.

Fuck them. They don't get special treatment for waking me up.

Imogen grabbed her usual jeans and a T-shirt. She did put on some makeup to cover her sleep deprivation because she didn't want to appear the weakest person in the room.

Imogen found her ax that a helpful warrior had brought back to the castle for her. She felt guilty for forgetting all about it in lieu of getting railed by Arawan.

"Fuck, don't think about it," she told herself and hastily braided her hair. If she started examining her emotions from the night before, she would spiral.

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