Page 61 of The Prince's Sacrifice

One benefit of the man’s drinking was that he was rarely up early, and Tor doubted that anyone was expecting them to simply sneak off.

“Makes sense,” he agreed.

He was usually the one hatching plans, but he had to admit that he really liked the efficiency with which Pel had set this up.

Tor looked at Bavil and Larexa. “Can you take care of Melody while I’m gone? I’m hoping we’ll be back… after.”

Even though he was pretty sure everyone in the room knew what he was hoping for, he wasn’t quite ready to mention it out loud to anyone other than Pel.

“Of course,” Bavil and Larexa said in unison.

Tor laughed. This trip to Tond had been nothing like what he expected—and he’d gotten so many good things out of it. These three siblings were the best.

Something of what Tor was thinking must have shown on his face because Pel said, “I need to go pack.”

So… not ready for Tor to be proposing sorting out their familial problems. Fair enough.

“I’ll go order supplies from the kitchen so it’s not clear who needs them,” Bavil offered.

“And I’ll sit with you.”

Larexa resumed her seat by the bed as the two brothers headed off. It still wasn’t a resolution of all their difficulties, but Tor had never seen them all work together so seamlessly before. His heart ached a little, but it was a good ache. He hoped it meant that he and Varex could get back what they’d lost, too.

“Do you really think anything is going to happen?” Tor asked.

“I certainly hope not,” she answered, brown eyes lacking their usual sparkle. She was totally serious. “Just in case, I can create a pretty awesome shield. And you’re a little magic light at the moment, aren’t you?”

Tor wasn’t actually sure what he could do at the moment—but he could just imagine how Pel would react if Tor started experimenting with his magic.

“Thank you,” he said instead.

She smiled, her eyes softening. “Of course.”

She kept feeding him, reading whenever he dozed off, and she even helped him walk around the room a few times. He was starting to feel better, although far from normal. He tried not to overexert himself, thinking of the journey ahead, sitting back down whenever he was winded—which was distressingly often.

Larexa looked sympathetic. “Not exactly what you’re used to, huh?”

Tor sighed. “I got in more than a few scrapes as a kid, but once Varex and I Manifested, despite some of the wild stuff we got up to, we didn’t get injured as often as you might expect. We wereeither luckier than we deserved, or it’s true what they say about magic helping to keep you healthier.”

She was frowning. “Wavilon gets a fair number of requests. Father doesn’t often allow him to leave the castle, since he’s the only healer we’ve got in Tond, but if it’s a matter of life or death, he might be allowed to intercede. He’s mostly on hand for the royal family and injuries to the guards—because you’re all very foolish.”

This made Tor laugh. “True. Honestly, even with the guards, I don’t think our healers are that busy—but we have more than one, and, if I’m being perfectly honest, it’s not something I paid that much attention to.”

He didn’t remember anyone coming to the castle to ask for aid from a healer—but there were several who practiced in the city, so perhaps they took on the load.

Frowning, he said, “I’ll find out more when I’m back home. Maybe it’s the nature of the work people are doing or just an unlucky season or two.”

He found himself yawning, and his frown deepened. “All I’ve been doing is sleeping!”

Larexa’s expression was at once sympathetic and stern. “And now you need more. You’re going to be traveling. You need to conserve your strength.”

Since Tor couldn’t even protest without yawning again, he gave up. It wasn’t as though he could be positively contributing to the work to get out of the castle, so he might as well be resting.

As he settled more fully on the bed, slipping under the sheet, he said, “So you’re going to watch me sleep?”

It seemed perfectly normal with Pel, but now that it was sleep and not a magical coma, it seemed ever so slightly creepy. Or embarrassing. Maybe both.

Larexa produced her book. “I have something to do. I won’t look to see if you drool.”