Page 31 of Iridian

“Hello,” Taland said, a little mischievous grin on his face.

“Taland, uhm…this-this is Fiona. Fiona, this is Taland,” I barely managed, and I had no idea why it was so hard to look either of them in the face just now.

“It’s a pleasure, Mister Taland,” Fiona said.

“Just Taland is fine.”

“Do you need anything else from me, Rora? Any medical help maybe?” Fiona stepped by the door again and looked me over quickly with her hands folded in front of her, like always.

Her smile was genuine and her eyes warm, but even so, I felt like my skin was on fucking fire.

“Nope, nope, I’m fine. Thank you for the food, Fi. I’m fine,” I assured her.

She threw a quick look at Taland, and I could have sworn her cheeks turned a bit pink. Fuck, it was so hot in here…

“If you need me, you know where to find me,” she said with a bow of her head, and then she turned around to leave.

“Thank you, Fi,” I said, and by the time the door closed, I felt like I was standing right below a scorching sun.

Then Taland chuckled.

He wore nothing but a towel around his hips as he came to me, took my hands and pulled me toward the bed, sat me on the edge.

“You know, for someone who grew up with maids and slept in silk sheets and had a bathroom the size of most apartments, you should be more spoiled, baby,” he told me, then reached for the huge tray and put it on the bed between us.

I realized it had two of everything—plates and glasses and cups and hardboiled eggs and silverware—that’s why it was so heavy. It was almost twice the size of what Fiona brought in for me after I had one of my (now pretty consistent) near-death experiences.

“I’m plenty spoiled,” I muttered, and my mouth watered when he pulled the silver domes open to reveal two large plates full of everything—pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, and in smaller bowls there was melted chocolate and maple syrup and mustard and that garlic sauce that Fiona made, which made me want to literally drown in it.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better-looking breakfast,” Taland said in wonder, pulling the white and red cover from a small basket at the edge of the tray that had four croissants in it—my favorites. “And no, sweetness, you’re everythingbutspoiled.” He broke a croissant in half, brought the bigger piece to my lips, and bit into his at the same time I did.

Heaven.

It was heaven. Soft and warm and so delicious I wanted to cry.

Instead, I ate more.

I ate another three croissants and two waffles and drank the whole glass of milk, too, so fast that when it was time for the coffee, I felt like I’d explode if I took a single sip.

Meanwhile Taland smiled and chuckled and laughed at me while he watched me stuff all that food in my mouth at once, while he ate like a normal person. I didn’t even care—I had been starving for real, and now that I had all the food in my system, I fell down on the bed and breathed. For real this time.

Fuck, I kept forgetting how much better everything looked with food in my system, how much clearer my mind could get.

“This was good,” Taland said, wiping his mouth with his napkin when he was done. “Not as tasty as you, though.” He stood up and put the tray on the bedside table again, then lay down on the bed sideways with me.

His kisses after all that food were twice as powerful, especially when his lips lingered for a few seconds everywhere on my face.

“I always forget what it means to be full,” I muttered, eyes half closed as he continued to kiss me. “What time is it?”

“Your clock says it’s a little past four a.m. It will be dawn soon,” Taland said, and I flinched.

“The others?” I knew he didn’t know—he’d been with me the whole time, but he could guess.

“Probably somewhere bickering. Waiting.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and turned me to the side to face him.

“Do you really think it’s going to work—the sun? Or did I just have a bullshit idea?” It was very possible, considering everything that had brought me here.

“I don’t think you’ve ever had one of those,” he muttered, kissing the tip of my nose. “I think it will work—why else would a little sun appear as we were given the scrolls?”

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