“Head back then?”
She nods and sits up, my shirt all scrunched up around her stomach. It looks good on her. My clothes. Against her skin. Goddess, yes.
“Go and wash up first.”
She smiles and heads to the bathing room.
“You haven’t touched me all morning.”Ever pushes the thought to me, it clangs loudly inside my mind, and I realise too late that I’ve got no strength to hold any sense of shield.
I stop and shut the door. “I’d touch you, kiss you, stars, hold your hand wherever we go, but…” I pause. “Even doing what we did took a lot out of me.”
“It takes a lot to shield me for that long to stop the pain or visions.”Even her voice inside my mind sounds blue.
“I’m sorry. I want to be greedy with you, but you were right. We’ll get better, I promise, but right now, patience.” I give her the briefest kiss to back up my point, the fizzle burning to life the instant I make contact and my head throbbing in response.
Not enough sleep did not help anything.
“Will we get in trouble going back now? Will your father want to talk with you?” She keeps up with the questions.
“No, although it’s not usual for trainees to be out overnight. It’s not that we have a curfew, but we are expected to be back in our rooms.”
“What about each other’s rooms?” She shoots me a wicked smile.
“Try and stop me. Although we’ll have to get a bigger bed. Just to be on the safe side.”
“And maybe you can work on actually sleeping. You look like you didn’t. And I say that with love.”
“I look the way I feel, then?” Like crap.
“Sorry.”
“Another thing I’m working on. You’re distracting even when you’re asleep.”
We leave the apartment, and the officers on duty give us a cautionary look as we leave. I lead us through the halls and corridors until we’re out of The Tower and in the main courtyard. The Court is quiet for the morning. As we make our way down the main street, the aftermath of yesterday is still there to see. Overturned chairs, closed-up windows, cracked pots, and half of the few people around, still dressed in their Warrior uniforms. Stalls and carts aren’t open as we get closer to the Elemental faction.
Nobody approaches us, and we keep our heads down and our pace brisk as we leave the relative safety and head for the bridge.
Triple the usual guard quota awaits us, but again, let us pass without a single question.
We make it all the way to the closest training ring before we see anyone.
“Where have you been?” Rowan intercepts us, stopping us from getting inside.
“At the Ciro apartments. As my father instructed.” I step forward and square off to him, keeping Ever a step behind me.
“It’s against regulation to leave the training residence overnight unless previously sanctioned,” he tries to enforce.
“And what is there about ensuring the safety and well-being of a fellow trainee? We were under attack, and I wasn’t going to put Ever in danger.”
“The attack was a false alarm,” Rowan states, but the way he pulls back and masks his face tells me he’s hiding something. “And Ever should still be in her cell,” he hisses the last word.
No fucking way.
I concentrate and reach out towards him to get a read on his emotions, unsure I’ll get anywhere, the way my power feels today.
Every time I do this, it gets a bit easier—more familiar—just like they said it would. But power has limitations, and readingRowan’s nerves and defiance will have to do for now. My head throbs again.
“Ever won’t be going back to any cell,” I bite out. “And until you can get your story straight, I suggest you don’t speak to us again.”
