Page 54 of Twilight of Embers
Knox reached for a cup on the nightstand. “Here, take a sip.”
My hand trembled as I took it. The moment the cool water touched my throat, I gulped it down. It was heaven.
When I’d drained the glass dry, I handed it back to him, a million questions in my eyes.
“We think you had a twenty-four-hour flu,” he explained.
My eyes went wide. “How long have I been here?”
Knox winced. “Almost that long. You ran into Maddox yesterday morning and were super out of it, so he called me.”
Now it was my turn to wince. Maddox already wanted nothing to do with me. I could only imagine how he felt now.
“And you brought me here?” I asked.
Knox nodded. “I didn’t want you in the dorms. You needed quiet to rest.”
“And this is your room…”
It wasn’t exactly a question, but he explained anyway. “Yeah. You’ve been sleeping for pretty much the entire last day.”
I jerked upright at that. “My classes. The diner.”
Knox tried to make me lie back against the pillows. “Don’t worry. Mad emailed all your professors, and Cillian called Fiona. You’re covered.”
I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “I can still make my shift at the diner today—”
“Oh, no,” Knox said, expression going hard. “You need to rest.”
“Knox—”
The door to his bedroom opened, and Cáel’s massive form filled the entryway. His light blue eyes widened. “You’re awake.” He turned to glare at Knox. “Why didn’t you call me?”
Knox rolled his eyes. “She just woke up.”
Cáel bared his teeth at Knox. “You still should’ve called.”
He strode toward the bed, carrying a tray, and set it on the nightstand closest to me. He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands immediately going to my face. The touch was painfully gentle as he tested my forehead and cheeks.
“How do you feel?”
I thought about it for a moment. I remembered how awful I’d felt yesterday. There was none of that now. I felt…remarkably good. “I feel completely fine.”
My stomach rumbled as if to punctuate the point.
My cheeks flushed, and I ducked my head.
Cáel chuckled. “You need to eat.”
My stomach squeezed as if to agree with him, and Cáel lifted the tray onto the bed.
“Start with soup, just in case,” Knox said.
Cáel sent Knox another glare.
I looked between the two of them as I took the bowl of what looked like chicken soup. “Are you two in a fight?”
Redness crept up Knox’s throat, and Cáel grunted.
