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I grimaced. Eww.
“Others can be more lethal. The desire to jump off high surfaces, the need to explore other peoples’ houses, wondering how your hand would feel without fingers, etcetera. Just make sure to stay connected to reality. Magic tends to have a kickback, and you’ve gone through quite the ordeal.”
“Good to know. I’ll keep the grass out of my mouth. Thank you, by the way. For helping me.”
She dropped her chin and regarded me above her frames. “You’re welcome. If you haven’t already, make sure to give most of your thanks to the man currently stealing your bed. He’s the one indebted to me now.”
I stiffened, but Razai gave an irritated groan. “Stop scaring her, Olive. In the last two decades, we’ve traded off being indebted to each other so many times that it hardly even matters anymore.”
Olive rolled her eyes. “You’ve been sinking deep in the red lately. Just saying. Oh, and make sure to drink a lot of salt water. Electrolyte drinks would be fine, but if you prefer sea water, that works too. Helps with the cravings. I’ll check in tomorrow.” She slid her glasses back in place and strode from the room.
The door clicked close, and I turned. “Two decades, huh? I can only imagine the kind of shit you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Razai peeked out from beneath the blankets, checking the door as if not quite believing Olive had gone. With a relieved exhale, he said, “She’s not as goody-goody as she acts. The lady loves to pretend like she made the moral high ground. Squeaky clean on the outside, but downright filthy in the—”
I grimaced. “I’d rather not…”
He lifted his brows. “In the surgery room. If she decides someone is going to live, she’ll do anything in her power to help. It can get scary. Trust me.”
“Oh,” I said awkwardly. And then, “Thanks, though. For helping me.” For some reason, the floor pattern was very, very interesting all of a sudden.
“Oh,” he mocked. “And here I thought you were referring to the glowing review I’d given Castile. Come on now, Gray. It’s hardly a favor when there wasn’t any choice.”
I peeked over at him. “What does that mean?”
He gave me a sad smile. “You think I’d just stand by and let you get snatched and hurt? And then not help you recover? I’d be a terrible employer. My Yelp reviews would suffer too much.”
Rolling my eyes, I asked, “How did you find me anyway?”
“You texted me. I waited, and you never came to your room. I had a bad feeling, and so I went searching.”
“And you happened to find me in an underground torture chamber?” I provided. “Not that I’m complaining. But still. How did you know?”
“I’m good at finding you, Gray.”
I swallowed hard. “Did you put a mage tracking spell or talisman on me?”
“Nope.”
I wasn’t about to ask more about what he’d meant by that comment. Because by the tone and the heartbreakingly affectionate way he was looking at me…
It was too much for me to handle. Not now. Not when my own heart swirled with confusion, desire, and worry. Not only that, but my magic wasn’t giving me a hint of guidance. In fact, she’d been quiet through the whole conversation, but she could just be hibernating after the hell I put her through.
Speaking of which…
Memories of what I’d done returned. What I’d done to Cole was… fuck. Had Razai noticed?
I stole a glance to find him staring thoughtfully at the ceiling as he cradled the back of his head.
He noticed me looking and smirked. “If you want to cuddle, you can just ask.”
“You’re reaching,” I shot back. He didn’t seem to be thinking about anything suspicious. Either that, or he just didn’t want to push.
No matter what, it gave me time to come up with a logical reason for what had happened. Or, I’d just play dumb.
Exhaustion climbed into my bones and pressed on me like lead. I eased back onto the mattress and didn’t care that Razai was probably feeling very self-satisfied right now. “What did you carve into Cole’s cheek? That mark. I’ve never seen it before.”
He shifted his arm behind my neck and pulled me closer. “It’s something that my family remembers. That a lot of the old families remember, actually. It’s the Coward’s Mark.”
