“We don’t get sick, but the human pets do. We keep physicians on staff to ensure they remain healthy.” He pauses, turns his body toward me, and places a cool hand against my cheek, tilting my face up until our eyes lock.
His touch grounds me, soothing even through my fear.
“I’ll bring you someone I trust,” he promises, his voice lowering, edged with a subtle threat. “Someone who values her own life enough to remain silent about what she sees here. Someone who understands that speaking of this to anyone would result in a fate worse than death.”
I shiver at the ruthlessness in his tone. But at the same time, I’m grateful for the certainty that he’ll do anything to protect me, even when he’s upset with me.
“I’ll be back within the hour.” He rises from the bed, his expression softening as he looks down at me.
“Aerix,” I start, needing to get through to him before he leaves. “I’m sorry. I should have told you immediately.” I pause, glancing down at the floor before turning my focus back up to him. “I didn’t because… well, because I was scared.”
“I know.” His voice is gentler now, kinder. “And I shouldn’t have lost control like that. You’re sick, and the last thing you needed was me making it worse.”
“You didn’t make it worse,” I tell him, but his gaze moves to the window again, as if he can’t bring himself to believe me.
His wings twitch, his body tenses, and his hands are clenched into fists so tight I’m surprised his nails aren’t digging holes into his palms.
He needs more. He needs…
“I love you,” I tell him, the words carrying all the fear and desperation I can’t quite voice.
He inhales sharply and moves back to me, cupping my face in his hands. “I love you, too,” he says, his thumb brushing across my cheek, wiping away a tear I didn’t realize I’d shed. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever created, and I’ll be damned if I let anything destroy what we’re building together.”
I can’t bring myself to speak as the sire bond between us thrums with raw, desperate emotion.
“Stay strong for me,” he says, standing again and turning reluctantly toward the door. “I’ll be back soon.”
I nod silently, watching until the door clicks shut behind him, leaving me alone to wait, hope, and cling to his promise that this is something he can fix.
ZOEY
As I waitfor Aerix to return, I curl up on the bed, pulling the silk sheets around me like armor.
This can be fixed,I tell myself.The doctor will figure out what’s wrong. Then, she can fix it. It will be okay. Aerix won’t let it be anythingbutokay.
Still… worry twists in my stomach so intensely that I have to run to the bathroom to be sick again. I stay in there for a while, sitting in front of the toilet, staring down into the bowl even though there’s nothing left in me to expel.
“Zoey?” Aerix eventually calls, breaking me out of my trance.
“In here.” I stand up, take a deep breath, and walk back into the tower quarters with my head held high.
Aerix hurries to my side, his hands on my shoulders, looking me up and down as if he can diagnose what’s wrong with me himself. When his eyes meet mine again, they’re troubled, as if he doesn’t like what he’s seeing.
I don’t blame him. I don’t like the pale, sickly version of myself I saw in the mirror, either.
Eventually, he turns around and focuses on the thin, tall, redheaded woman standing in front of the closed doors,clutching a leather bag. Her wings are retracted, although from her midnight eyes, I can tell she’s fae.
“This is Dr. Lennox,” Aerix introduces her with a curt nod. “She’ll examine you.”
“Okay,” I say, my voice wobbling as a wave of dizziness overcomes me. I press my fingers to my temples, and Aerix wraps his arm around me, concern flashing in his eyes again.
“You need to sit down,” he tells me, and I follow him to the bed, since sitting down sounds wonderful right now.
Once I’m situated, he keeps his arms wrapped around me, as if he’s afraid to let the doctor touch me.
Dr. Lennox keeps her focus on Aerix. “Will Your Highness be staying during the examination?” she asks.
“I’m not leaving her side.” Aerix doesn’t hesitate, his arm tightening around me.
