Thirty-Six
CHAPTER
ZATHRIAN
“Stop bouncing your leg so fast, it’s annoying,” Mateo mumbled.
Well, it’s annoying that you’re annoyed, I thought to myself. I wanted to be a smart ass, but I refrained. For now. We were both tired, hungry, and under stress, so I couldn’t exactly blame him for wanting to snap at me over something so minuscule.
I glared at Mateo, nearly growling. He raised his hands to show he retracted his statement. Bags under his eyes nearly as dark as my own, arms crossed, he was slumped in the chair across from me on the other side of Aerilyn as she lay in the infirmary bed.
An exasperated sigh left my lips. “Sorry,” I muttered, shifting in my seat. I leaned forward, pulling my chair closer to Aerilyn’s bedside.
Despite the connection of our Bond, my anxiety continued to grow with each moment that she lay resting in that damned bed. She was alive, but at what cost?
It had already been two whole days since everything happened, and she still hadn’t woken up.
Please, wake up, Aerilyn.
No matter how hard I tugged on the Bond, I couldn’t get to her. Somewhere in there, she was fighting, I knew it. I could sense the restlessness within her, even in sleep.
My hand slid to her cheek, carefully looping my finger around a single silky curl. I tucked it behind her ear, and my forefinger glided down her jawline, all the way down to her palm. Cupping her hand, my other hand rested on top of it.
I could only hope that my touch brought her as much warmth and reassurance as hers brought me. I felt Mateo’s eyes on me again, but I didn’t look at him. Instead, I studied the delicate features of her face, from her freckles down to the minuscule scar on her cheek.
Even now, she was beautiful.
“She’s going to be okay, you,” Mateo said.
“Right,” I replied.
The chair creaked, hinting that Mateo had risen to his feet. His footsteps echoed as he made his way around Aerilyn’s bed and stopped at my side. Mateo patted my back.
“I don’t think any of us can ever thank her for what she did. As much as I don’t think she will ever know how appreciative we are of her, she is loved. By us all. It’s not just you who’s affected by—”
“I know.” I cut him off, hands still cupping hers. “It’s only a matter of time before she wakes up. I know that, you know that, the Gods do, too, but as much as she needs rest, I need her to wake up and come back to me more.”
Mateo said nothing. I turned to him, watching him nod his head a few times in agreement.
We sat like that for a few minutes.
Mateo slid his hands to his knees. “Alright, big guy.” He stood up. “I am going to get us some food. I don’t think Aerilyn would be happy to hear you’re in here wallowing in self-pity and starving yourself while doing so.”
A small chuckle left my lips. “I suppose you’re right. She wouldn’t be happy, would she?”
We both smiled.
“My point exactly. So let me…” He exited the room, rounding the corner without even giving me the chance to respond.
I shook my head.
“He really is a piece of work, huh?” I asked Aerilyn as if she could hear me. I rested my head against our hands, admiring her with tired eyes.
“I wish you would wake up soon, Starshine. I keep thinking about how it felt, to lose you again…” My words caught in my throat.
For a moment, I almost wasn’t sure what to say.
Choked up over the thought of her body limp within my embrace, the memory was etched in my mind.
I wanted to forget, but I knew I never could.
“Please, come back to me soon. I have so much to tell you, and even more to show you…” I trailed off again, kissing the back of her hand lovingly.
“I won’t leave you or let anything ever happen to you again. I promise. I am here, waiting for you,” I whispered.