Page 37 of Joy Guardian

He rubbed his forehead. “It seems to be that way. I’m notentirely sure how it happens. Theleilathasare created in a way that allows for the emotions to flow from the human to the fae. But it looks like a flow in the opposite direction is also possible. The flow of magic.”

“Is that how my bones have healed in just five days?”

“Five days is still longer than it took for my bones to heal.”

“All right, we know you’re magical.” I petted his hand. “But human bones normally take weeks to heal, not just a few days.”

“I guess my magic helped then.” He smiled.

“It’s still helping. I wouldn’t be feeling as well as I am on my own. After ten days with no food, I likely wouldn’t even be alive anymore.”

“I can’t let that happen.” Leaning down, he placed a kiss on my cheek, and I realized he’d learned that from me.

Some time ago, I started kissing him goodbye every morning when we parted. It was just an innocent peck on his cheek, and I told myself it meant nothing. But I longed for that contact with him. I wished to touch him, hold him, and have him close.

I also knew that shadow fae didn’t normally kiss each other, and I tried not to expect him to ever kiss me back, but deep inside, I secretly wished that he would.

Warm ripples spread from his kiss through my chest.

He stroked my cheek with the tip of his finger, making a circle around the spot his lips had touched.

“I never knew how much a kiss made you feel,” he marveled, sensing through his tendrils exactly how I felt.

But it washiskiss. He was the one who made me feel so many things that both elated and terrified me.

A shadow of worry crossed his eyes. He must have felt my fear too.

“We should go,” I blurted out before he might ask me to clarify it. “I can move. I’ll be fine. See?” I gathered my legs under me, ready to get up.

“No. I’ll carry you.” He hooked his arm under my knees.

I hugged his neck, feeling more than comfortable in his arms.Guilt slithered into my chest, however. He hadn’t slept for days, watching over me. And now, he had to carry me too.

“Don’t,” he said before I voiced it. “I can sense your concern. But you don't need to have it. Somehow, taking care of you feels like the one right thing I’ve ever done in my life. Please, don’t deny me that.”

The short tunnel led us into another large cavern, then into another one.

Somehow, Kurai found his way in complete darkness. For me, it often felt like he walked through the vacuum of outer space, with no floor, no ceiling, no walls. No light or life, just endless nothingness.

After walking for hours, we came into yet another giant cave. This one was illuminated with flickering blue and pink lights that made it look magically mesmerizing. The light came from the tiny dots in the stone.

“This is so beautiful,” I gushed. “What is this light? It looks like a place made for a party.”

“It's a fungus living in the dents of the stone. But some people believe it’s the light from the surface trapped in the rock.”

“I like the second explanation better.” I laughed. “It’s definitely more suitable for something this beautiful than just some fungus.”

“Either way, it means we’re getting closer to the surface. Have you noticed the ground has been steadily sloping up?”

I hadn’t noticed that, but I wasn’t the one walking. Kurai had been carrying me all this way.

“We should find a place to rest,” he said. “You’ll need to get some sleep.”

“Youshould get some sleep,” I corrected. “I’ve done nothingbut sleep for days now. I’ll stay up, just in case the snakes return or something.”

“The centipedes? We’re a long way from them now. But it doesn’t mean there couldn't be another nest of them nearby.”

He walked around the cave until he found a raised flat rock that he deemed the safest place for us to rest on. After lowering me on the rock, he climbed on it, too, and made himself comfortable by laying on his side with his arm under his head.

---