Page 33 of Mountains of Mist and Magic

“I'm okay.” She tried to reassure him, and weakly reached her hand out to him. He caught it, squeezing it gently before placing it back across her chest.

“You must rest. The healer said that your head injury could potentially have some...lingering side effects.”

“Effects?” Her head did feel a bit...fuzzy. She immediately tried to sit up, and a bout of nausea quickly overcame her. She leaned over the bed and threw up the contents of her stomach. Luckily, Triston was there with a basin, catching what remained of her travel cakes. He patted her softly on the back, murmuring in the same sweet tone he had used with Sea Breeze.

When there was nothing else left in her stomach, Triston took the bowl out of the room; she heard the door open and voices exchanged outside. After a few seconds Triston came back into the room, and she heard running water, so she guessed there was a bathroom. When he approached the bed again, he held up a clean, wet towel. She took it gratefully, wiping her mouth.

“The healer said that could be one of the effects.”

She nodded, but then a painful jolt went through her head, and her face screwed up in a tight grimace.

“Pain too,” he murmured. “Should I get the healer?”

“No, I'll be alright. I'm just...tired.”

“You can sleep, but only in small increments. I'll stay here throughout the night and make sure you're okay.”

“You don't need to do that, I'll be fine.”

He grabbed her hand, and she felt that familiar spark and a physical longing within her chest. “Yes, I do.”

He let go of her hand after a few seconds, but she could still feel the ghost of his warmth.

“Triston?” she asked.

“Yes?”

“Tell me...tell me something about yourself. My head feels...off...and I need a distraction.”

“About myself?”

“Yes. Anything.”

He frowned, but then leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, as if he was getting more comfortable. “I...”

“Yes?”

“I...don't know what to even say.”

“Tell me about the Tidal Kingdom Palace.”

Julietta closed her eyes, but could hear the smile in his tone when he started.

“It's only accessible from a huge sea cave. There's a bridge connecting the bay to land, and it's manned by guards. The only way in is by boat...”

She smiled, listening to his gentle words describe his home, her body relaxing a bit. She closed her eyes, and drifted off to his soothing narrative.

Chapter Seventeen

With Brandle's demise, Sion already felt a great deal better. He hadn't realized just how much the knowledge that the oily snake was beneath their feet affected him. He also knew that Renya and Grayden would be furious if they found out what he'd done. Thankfully, Beauty had given him the perfect cover. Brandle's body was recovered in the mountains, but Beauty had seen to it that all evidence of Sion's contribution to his death was gone. The entire lodge assumed that Beauty had been the one to take his life, and the only person who knew otherwise was Selenia.

Sion knew she would take the secret to her grave.

But now, they had even bigger problems on their hands. Cressida was still contained in the sublevels, but was moved into a room. She was still locked up, but in more of a bedroom than a prison. It irritated him to no end that she was still alive, and now comfortably set up in a suite. The only thought that kept him sane was that eventually she'd meet her end too. Just like Brandle. Sion would just have to be patient, and wait until Renya and Grayden got the information they needed out of her.

Besides, if letting her live a little longer brought back magic, and allowed him to be fully fated to Selenia, it didn't really matter. He would pick that outcome over Cressida's death any day. Sion's love for Selenia overcame all, even his need for revenge. Loving her had changed his outlook on a great many things.

Now was the time to move forward. Grayden and Renya had called a meeting, and everyone (including Cressida, much to Sion's annoyance) was seated in the council room.

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