“Who is that?” Galo asked as they began walking.
“You don’t want to know.”
“I think we really want to know,” Mateo said.
“August. Youngest prince of Olso.”
Galo and Mateo exchanged a look but said nothing.
“Em,” Cas mumbled, his eyelids fluttering.
“I think he’s coming around,” Em said hopefully. She walked a little faster.
Galo shook his head. “He says your name in his sleep all the time.”
The words were like a knife through her chest, and she curled her fingers around Cas’s shoulders a little tighter. She probably said his name in her sleep too. He was there, in her dreams, all the time.
Em ignored the curious stares as they hauled Cas to one of the homes beyond the center of town. She kicked the door open and took a quick look around. It was a small home, with a sitting area to her left, a dining room to the right, and a kitchen behind her. Stairs led up to what must have been the bedrooms.
“I’m going to go make sure everyone has cleared out.” She carefully lowered Cas onto the couch. “One of you find some clean water. Lots of it.”
Mateo ran out of the house, passing Violet on the way. August stood on the street, staring at them with a flabbergasted expression. She shut the door.
“Don’t let anyone but Mateo in. Lock the door when he’s back.” Galo and Violet nodded.
She sprinted up the stairs. She found two bedrooms, and picked the larger of the two. The bed was unmade, the sheets and comforter tangled at the end of the mattress.
There were fresh linens in a chest and she quickly replaced the old ones. She called down to Galo and Violet to bring Cas up.
They appeared a few moments later and carefully lowered Cas onto the bed. She climbed onto the mattress behind him, lifting his shoulders to peel off his jacket. He moaned in protest.
“It’s all right,” she whispered in his ear. She pulled the blankets up to cover him, easing him back so he was lying against her chest. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his hair. “You’ll be fine.”
FOURTEEN
SOMETHING HAD DIED in Cas’s mouth. And it had pounded on his head a few times before taking leave.
He swallowed, moaning as he shifted against something warm and solid. He was leaning against someone.
“Here,” a voice said. A cup appeared in front of him. “Drink.”
He frowned at the cup suspiciously.
“It’s just water.”
The voice sounded like Em’s. Was he dreaming again? Her voice kept floating in and out of his dreams. It was so vivid he’d swear she was next to him.
He took the cup with a shaky hand and tipped some water into his mouth. Someone took the cup away when he was finished. He turned, tilting his head up to see whose body he was snuggled up against.
Em.
He reeled back, blinking several times. He was definitely still dreaming. Or he’d died. Was this what waited for him after death? Waking up in Em’s arms?
She smiled. “Hi.”
“What are you …” His voice sounded strange.
“Galo and your friends were bringing you through Vallos to get you away from Jovita. Happened to run into me.”
“What are you doing in Vallos?” He was still half sure he was hallucinating.
“Retaliating. It’s a long story.”
A wave of dizziness crashed over him and he let his head sink into her chest.
“Am I dying?” he mumbled.
She ran her fingers through his hair. “Absolutely not. I gave you something to help neutralize the poison. It was a rough day, but you’re doing much better.”
“How long have I been here?”
“Since this morning. The sun just set.”
“Are Galo and Mateo all right? And Violet?”
“They’re fine.” She had one arm around his waist, and he found her hand, lacing their fingers together and pulling her arm in tighter.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” he mumbled. “You’re here and I’m too sick to enjoy it. And I smell.”
Her chest shook with laughter. “You smell wonderful.”
“No I don’t.”
“No, you don’t.” Her lips brushed across his forehead. “But I don’t care. And I don’t smell so great myself. I’ve been traveling for days. So we’re even.”
“How considerate,” Cas said. His body wanted to whisk him back to sleep, but he forced his eyes open. He didn’t want to leave Em yet. “Jovita poisoned me.”
“I heard.” Her voice had turned to ice.
“My cousin tried to kill me. She convinced everyone I was insane and pretty much took the throne. Now that I’m gone she’s probably officially taken it.”
“She’ll pay for it.”
“What kind of king lets his cousin steal the throne right out from under him?”
“The kind who would never dream of doing that to his cousin.”
“The weak kind.”
“Her reign will be short,” Em said.
His eyelids fluttered shut again. He tried to open them and only half succeeded.
“Sleep,” Em said in his ear. “You need the rest. I’ll still be here when you wake up.”
He squeezed her hand tighter. He let his head sink into her chest and gave in to sleep.
Aren tapped his fingers on the table, his gaze fixed firmly on Galo. The guard caught him staring for the hundredth time and made an annoyed sound.
“Would you stop staring?”
“Can’t help it,” Aren said. “I don’t trust you.”
“The feeling’s mutual.”
“Em ordered that none of you were to be harmed. We’ll obey.”
Galo and Mateo didn’t seem convinced.
“So.” Aren leaned forward, propping his chin up on his hand. “Did Cas make you the captain of his guard?”
“Yes,” Galo said.
“Not doing such a great job there, friend. He’s been stabbed, captured, and poisoned recently. I think he might want to consider a change of staff.”
Galo’s jaw twitched. “Whose fault is that?”
Aren pointed a finger at himself, pretending to be baffled. “Me?”
“I knew there was something weird about you from the moment you stepped foot in the castle.”
“Yet you never figured it out,” Aren said smugly. Galo looked like he was considering the best way to murder him.
Across the room, Violet stirred on the couch. She rubbed a hand across her eyes and sat up, blinking at the dark windows. “Was I asleep a long time?”
“A couple of hours,” Galo said.
“Is Emelina still up there with him?”
“Yes,” Aren said.
“She’s been up there all day. Should I offer to take over again?”
“Don’t bother,” Aren said. “She’s not leaving his side.”
Violet stood and walked to them, sliding into the chair next to Galo. She was trying not to stare at the burns on Aren’s arms and failing. Aren knew the expression well. He placed his palms flat on the table so she could get a good look.
“She actually cares for him?” Violet asked, her tone full of surprise.
“She’s not up there saving his life because she hates him,” Aren said dryly.
“Yes, she cares about him,” Galo said. “And the feeling’s mutual.”