Page 75 of Twilight of Embers
Knox jerked his head in a nod and moved for the door.
I headed back up the stairs and toward my room to find Maddox sweeping up the remnants of one of my sculptures. My gaze flicked to Cillian in question.
He grimaced. “East.”
Shit. He really was on edge. At least he didn’t shift in the middle of the house. That’d be one way to let Hayden in on our secret.
Just the thought of her name had my focus pulling to her. She looked so tiny in my massive bed, way paler than normal, too. I crossed toward her, that rage spiking again at the darkening bruise on her face.
I set the ice pack and bottle of apple juice on the nightstand, then untucked the box of crackers from under my arm. “Here,” I said quietly. “Let’s get this on your face.”
As gently as possible, I lifted the ice pack to her cheek.
Hayden’s hand covered mine as she took it. “Thank you.”
I jerked my head in a nod. “I brought you some crackers and juice.”
Maddox dumped the tiny ceramic pieces into a trash can. “Once you eat that, there are pain meds on the nightstand.”
“Okay,” Hayden agreed, far too easily.
This wasn’t how my Little One normally acted. She was full of fire, fighting us every step of the way. Seeing her so easily agreeable, so quiet, felt all sorts of wrong.
A ringtone pierced the air, and Cillian tugged his phone from his pocket. “Talk.”
As he listened to the voice on the other end, his expression darkened. “Detain him, and I’ll meet you at the shed.”
My beast pushed at my skin. He knew what this meant. They’d located a traitor suspect. My dragon wanted vengeance more than his next breath. The only thing he wanted more was the closeness to Hayden.
Maddox pushed to his feet, looking at me. “Do you want to go with Cill or stay here?”
I was torn, but in the end, there was only one answer. “I need to stay.”
Surprise flashed in Maddox’s amber eyes. He’d never known me to walk away from a chance for bloodshed. “Okay. I’ll text with updates.”
“Thanks.”
Cillian shoved his phone into his pocket and bent to brush his lips across Hayden’s temple. “I’ll be back, Little Flame. Rest.”
She didn’t respond at all, and I wondered if shock was settling in.
Cillian’s gaze locked with mine. “Keep a close eye.”
I grunted in response. He knew I wouldn’t let Hayden out of my sight.
The moment the door closed, I toed off my shoes and climbed into bed next to Hayden. She didn’t hesitate; she simply curled into me.
Relief swept through me at her seeking comfort in my arms. Some part of me had feared that once she’d seen the monster within, she’d never look at me the same.
My arms curled around her. “I’ve got you, Little One.”
“What’s happening?” she whispered.
I couldn’t lie, not to Hayden. But I couldn’t tell her the full story either. I brushed a hand up and down her spine. “There are people who want to harm us. And they want to harm anyone we care about, too.”
Hayden’s head tipped back, the ice pack falling away. “You care about me?”
I stared into those violet eyes. “I’d do anything for you.”
