Page 53 of Enchanted Crown
“How long have I been out?”
“It is early afternoon,” Malachi told me.
I’d slept for almost a full twelve hours. Huh. How about that. Who knew this soul bound business was so exhausting?
Malachi moved to bring me over a tray with food.
“I could’ve gotten it.”
“You’ll more than likely pass out again soon,” he told me. “I do not mind.”
I knew Jorah had been exhausted for the better part of a week after her bonding to my brother, but until I felt it myself, I couldn’t fathom the level of sheer fatigue. Was it the nature of our specific bonding, or just bondings in general? I was kin bonded to Krew, and I had been a bit tired for a few days, but nothing of this magnitude, nothing like this deep ache. I wondered if it had to do with the strength of the bonds.
I grabbed the bread and sunk my teeth into it, chewing while I could. I was ravenous and tired equally. Who knew on one of the happiest days of my life, I could go from an all-time high, to wanting to sleep for days on end?
I groaned. “I don’t want to sleep anymore.”
“Your countenance says otherwise,” Malachi chuckled.
“I want to wake up and see if it’s true. If we really are soul bound.” I thought I felt that invisible cord drawing me to Esta already, but we were also so close that it was hard to tell.
Malachi was quiet a moment, too quiet.
“No pep talk this time?”
He shook his head. “No. I was just thinking that should your sages be correct and you are soul bound, half of your battle in Dra Skor just got a whole lot easier.”
“What do you mean?” I asked before tearing into another bite of bread.
“You will be seen as something vital to our queen. As vital to her as the crown upon her head. As her soul bound mate, you will be important to our queen, thus to all of Dra Skor. We will protect you just as we protect her.”
I gave him a simple shrug.
“Correct me if I am wrong, but you were worried about winning over our people, were you not?”
“I won over Nana Mallick. I would have won them all over eventually,” I said with a confidence I had absolutely no business having.
“Insufferable prince,” Malachi said, quoting Esta.
I smiled, already feeling that heaviness weighing over me. “Honestly, I am just not going to get ahead of myself. Though that does sound helpful.” I yawned “What is it about you that is making me want to keep passing out on you?”
“It’s definitely not my ass,” he deadpanned, taking the tray from me.
I laid down, wrapping the blankets tighter around Esta. “Not this again.”
“Hey, I have a nice ass.”
The last words I managed to get out before sleep took me were, “No, you justareone.”
I wokethe next morning and managed to get out of bed to relieve myself and eat breakfast. I napped until early afternoon and woke to my magic stirring.
I bolted upright, wondering where the threat was, only to find that it wasn’t my magic which had woken me. It was hers. And that tether between us had seemed to be tugging me awake. To help.
“How long has her skin been like this?” I asked Malachi, my eyes not moving from the blueish purple lines fading in and out beneath her skin.
“Last few hours,” he admitted.
Esta heard my voice and rolled over. “Try to shift.”
