“I feel fine,” I said. It was a partial truth. I felt… better. But fine?
I wasn’t sure I’d ever been fine.
Being cooped up in bed the last few days had given me enough time to think, really think, about everything that had happened to me.
And now I knew what I was going to do. I had a new purpose in life: I was going to kill High King Edgar and his son if it was the last thing I did. The High King would never be able to hurt me or anyone else ever again. I would make sure of it.
I could already imagine the look in those blue eyes as the life drained out of them. The realization that it was his own pet who had finally killed him. The Crimson King. Taken down by the very Earth Elf he had kept as a prisoner.
It would be a fitting end and one that I swore I would make happen if it was the last thing I did.
Xander growled under his breath. “I don’t believe you, Aileana.”
“Really,” I insisted. “I’m fine.”
Xander shook his head, clearing his throat he rubbed a hand on his temples. “You didn’t see yourself after we rescued Hironna from her husband. For the goddess’ sake, Aileana, when Daegal arrived with Teroth, you were lying unconscious on the forest floor. I had tocutdozens of roots off of you. They were crawling out of the ground, trying to take you away.”
“I—”
“Sunshine,” he snarled, running a hand through his hair as his golden eyes flashed. “You’re not listening to me. It was as though the forest didn’t want you to leave. Your magic was pouring out of you and you weredying. Your heartbeat was slowing as the woods seemed to claim you as one of their own. In all my years, I have never seen anything like that. So yes, you need to rest.” His voice hardened as he snapped, “Forgive me for caring.”
“Whydoyou care?”
The question burst out of me far more harshly than I had intended, and he flinched. Xander’s hands balled into fists at his sides. He took a deep breath, staring at the ceiling.
I repeated the question. “Xander. Answer me. Why do you care?”
“You know why, Aileana,” he hissed between clenched teeth.
I stared at him. Did I know? I had my suspicions. I thought perhaps Nonna hadn’t been lying when she had seen something between us.
But toknowsomething was so deep. So powerful. To give something life by speaking it out loud was to give it power. And I wasn’t sure I was ready to give Xander that kind of power over me.
So I bit my lip and kept my mouth shut. I forced the words back down my throat. I shoved them out of my mind, where they couldn’t bother me anymore.
And neither of us acknowledged what we both knew to be true. I gave up my fight to get out of the room for another day. He didn’t push me.
Minutes later, when Daegal came rushing in with a tip about the location of another piece of the map, Xander left without a word.
We didn’t see each other for the rest of the day.
* * *
“Here.”
I blinked, rubbing my eyes as something was dropped on my feet. I pushed myself up, reaching over to grab the dress Xander had unceremoniously dumped on the cot. “What’s this for?”
“You need to get dressed if you want to look around The Pines,” he replied carefully as he stared out the window, his back to me.
Thatgot my attention. Eagerness filled my voice as I swung my bare feet onto the wooden floors. My toes curled as the morning air ran up my legs. “Do you mean it? I can finally leave this infernal cabin?”
He nodded, turning around. “As long as you are careful, Morwen said you should be able to get up.” Xander frowned, adding as an afterthought, “Besides, I know how much you hate being cooped up.”
“Careful, Xander,” I said, trying to keep my voice light. “I might be tricked into thinking you like me.”
Xander’s eyes flashed, and he opened his mouth as though to reply before seeming to think better of it. He shook his head, gesturing to the clothes.
“Get dressed,” he said gruffly. “I’ll wait for you outside.”