Page 27 of Lady of the Drowned Empire
Rhyan’s nostrils flared. “I’m going to kill him. Was it like this when he…when the star entered you?” His voice shook.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I’d been hoping to keep that from him. I knew it’d upset him. It would have upset me had the roles been reversed. But lying now seemed useless. “It was. I passed out after. It felt like I was on fire.”
Rhyan growled. “Bastard. Moriel fucking bastard.”
“It didn’t hurt after that though. It just felt…warm. More annoying than painful because I couldn’t forget about it, couldn’t ignore it. Then during Meera’s vision, she attacked me, and it flared up again. It was so hot. It almost started when Morgana took my armor. This was the third time it’s felt like I was on fire.” This had been the worst.
“I don’t think it should be doing that,” he said. “I’ve never heard of Afeyan marks acting this way.”
“Maybe it’s settling or something.”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
I shrugged. “I’ve never made a deal before, so I can’t say.”
“If that Afeyan bastard has done anything to mess with it, to make this worse for you, I swear to the Gods, I will kill him.”
“I’ll go with you,” I said weakly.
“You can have first punch. As long as I get second.”
I tried to laugh but felt too weak. “Deal.”
Rhyan sighed, kissing my forehead and snuggling me against him, hands resuming their massage over my back, attempting to warm me up.
We lay there for several moments, our breathing synchronized, my body slowly returning to its normal temperature.
“Lyr?” Rhyan said, his voice so low, I wasn’t sure he’d spoken at first. “Can I see?”
“Hmmm?”
“Can I see? Please.” His fingers danced uneasily against my spine.
“See the star?” I lifted onto my elbows.
“If that’s all right? I just, I don’t know.” He tensed beneath me. “I need to see it. When you’re not in pain.”
I pressed myself up, meeting his eyes in the bit of light that seeped through his cloak. “Are you just trying to steal another look at my breasts?” I teased.
“Every man needs a reason to get up in the morning.”
I laughed.
Rhyan’s eyes crinkled at my response then narrowed. “If we’re going to fight this, I need to understand it better. I need to see it when it’s not burning.”
Sucking in a breath, I pulled back his cloak and rolled to the side, sitting all the way up. Rhyan sat up as well, turning toward me, one eyebrow furrowed.
“You’re warm enough?” He squeezed my knee.
I nodded.
“And it doesn’t hurt now?” he asked, sounding like his heart was breaking.
I squeezed his hand. “No.”
“It still should have been me,” he said fiercely, inching closer.
I shook my head. “Rhyan, you know there’s nothing you could have done.”
