Page 265 of A Dance of Water

As she shifted on the bed, feeling the heaviness of the wings move with her, she recalled how soft they had felt under her fingertips in her dreams—would they be even softer now that she was awake?

The soft tinkling of glass vials and the methodical brushing of cloths as Tharen cleaned up made her drowsy. She exhaled softly, lips parting as she nuzzled against Vale’s pillow.

81

BLOODY ANGEL

AZ

Az sat by Luella’s bedside, stroking her white hair away from her face.

The ends were matted with blood, making his heart clench. She deserved to be clean, safe.

The Prima had done the best as he was able, wiping the blood away from her skin, but bits were left here and there—her wings were the worst. They had been untouched. Tharen and Graves both had demanded that they be left alone to heal. So, the delicate white was covered in her dried blood. The feathers were matted and clumped together; it was the worst at the base, where the two wings jutted gracefully from her inflamed skin.

White bandages with small blooms of scarlet were wrapped around her bare midsection. The sides of her breasts pressed into the sheets as she lay on her stomach. Her face was turned toward him on the pillow, her breaths even. Though her skin was still pale, color was slowly returning as she healed from the combination of Tharen’s potions and her fae healing.

It had been hours. Time was running out to come up with a plan.

Graves sat in a chair nestled in the corner of the King’s gilded room, hood pulled over his head as he rested. Tharen was sprawled out on the floor, head pillowed on his arm as he slept, unwilling to venture far lest she wake in pain.

Bastian and Vale had left to oversee the preparations for the final night of the Solstice celebrations. Az didn’t even know why; it wasn’t like Lu could attend in her current state. And if they tried to force her…

The demon gritted his jaw, fingers curling into the soft wisps of hair at Lu’s temples.

The curtains were drawn, leaving the room with a hazy, closed-off feel. Like they were in a little bubble, hidden from everyone and everything.

Dawn was approaching, and every soft, steady breath of Luella made him struggle to fight exhaustion—he couldn’t sleep. She needed him.

Az had told Tharen and Graves he would watch over her. The mage had given him a long list of signs to indicate if she was in pain, telling Az to awaken him at once if any were exhibited. For her, Az would remain watchful.

Always, for her.

To give himself something to do, he reached for the stack of folded cloths on Vale’s ornate nightstand, unfolding one and dipping the corner into a small glass of water nearby. Water trickled delicately as he wrung it out and gently swept it over the soft curve of her cheekbones, cleaning away the dried blood.

Her angel wings gave the faintest flutter at his soothing touches, making him smile with disbelief and awe. Did she enjoy it? Was she lulled into peace by his presence just as he was?

He was so focused on cleaning her, he didn’t even notice her eyes were open. An ocean of deep blue that held flickers of the night sky, staring at him.

Az jolted. "Lu, my angel," he breathed out, all at once, "you’re okay,angel—love."

The air was filled with faint sounds of breathing from Graves and Tharen, the crackle of the lone candle on the bedside table creating a moment neither of them wanted to interrupt.

"I feel better," she whispered. "I’m sore… but better."

He could sense her through their bond. The truth of her words, conveyed by the softly welling curiosity and disbelief, mirroring his own, flowed to him.

"It was real, Az. I have w-wings," she whispered, before bracing her hands beneath her on the bed, trying to push herself up.

Az quickly jumped in, placing a palm on the back of her head to force her down. "Angel, please don’t move. Tharen saw to your wounds, but you’re still healing. The ride here was long and not easy for you. You need to take things slow." He turned to Tharen, who was asleep. Not willing to move from Luella’s side, Az lifted an unused pillow near the edge of the bed and threw it at the mage.

Tharen jumped, sitting up in an instant, with a dagger held in his hand. His eyes scoured the room, tension in his body relaxing as he caught sight of the pillow near his hip on the floor and Az, who was doing nothing to hide the smug smile on his lips. Luella huffed a soft, weary noise of amusement. Gods, he loved that sound.

Snarling, the mage pushed to his feet. "Sleep with a fucking eye open, demon." He stopped when he realized why Az had awoken him. "You’re awake. And you look better. How do you feel? What do you remember?"

He was likely asking because of how many times Lu had slipped in and out of consciousness since her wings had emerged, confused and disoriented each time.

"I remember everything," Luella said slowly. The blanket covering the swell of her backside shifted dangerously low as she tried to sit up again.

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