Page 81 of Heart of the Cursed
Chapter 32
Arun gently brushed a strand of Selene’s hair off her face while she slept.
He couldn’t believe how close he’d come to losing her. Rage filled him at the memory of what his brother had done to her. He hadn’t told anyone about the damage he had healed because of his brother, and he wouldn’t, not even to Selene. If she wanted to talk about it, then he would be there for her. But the last thing she needed was for him, or anyone else, to question her about it. Not that he needed to. He’d seen the evidence for himself.
Guilt ate at him along with the rage. Arun had given her his word that nothing would happen to her while he was around, so what did he do? He left her alone. That wasn’t going to happen again. He wasn’t going to let her out of his sight for a single second.
“How’s she doing?” Dain asked, poking his head around the door frame.
Arun leaned back in his chair. “She’s doing okay. She just needs time to rest.”
The relief he felt when she opened her eyes and spoke with him, even for those few minutes, was the best feeling in the world. He honestly hadn’t thought she would pull through. The way her skull was cracked open, the sharp jagged pieces stabbing into her brain, he thought it would be the end for her. At least, the person she had once been.
Instead, she had surprised him by bouncing back. There was no doubt the spark in her eyes had dimmed slightly, but she was just as feisty as normal.
“Good,” Dain said. “I’m glad she’s fine.”
The silence dragged out between them until Arun couldn’t take it anymore.
“What do you want, Dain?”
“We need to talk.”
“Then talk.”
If he thought Arun was leaving the room, then he could think again.
“I think it’s best we talk out here,” he said, nodding at the bed. “We don’t want to disturb Selene.”
“You won’t,” Arun assured him. When Dain still hovered silently in the doorway, Arun turned to him. “I’m not leaving her side. The last time I did, my brother took her.”
“Your brother is dead,” Dain said, as if to remind him. “He won’t be coming after her unless he’s figured out how to come back from the dead.”
Arun rolled his eyes. “Yes, I know he’s dead, but the rest of my family are not. It’s only a matter of time before they come after meandher. So, no, I’m not leaving her side.”
He hated that he’d brought his entire family down on her, but he didn’t regret the reason why. In fact, he would do it again if it meant saving her life.
Dain sighed heavily. “Okay, we’ll come in.”
Arun had known that Dain wouldn’t have been alone. He expected Taredd to walk in behind him, but he hadn’t expected Natalia and Amberly to follow in after them.
“We’re not leaving without her,” he told them before they could say anything.
“Don’t you think she would want us to find it?” Taredd asked.
“I know she wouldn’t,” Arun said. “She told me before going back to sleep.”
He hadn’t told any of them that she had woken up. He hadn’t wanted to leave her side, and since none of them had been by to check on them, none of them knew she had spoken to him about the spell already.
Taredd frowned. “When did she wake up?”
“A short while ago,” he admitted.
“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Dain demanded.
“I’m telling you now, aren’t I?”
“Only because we’ve given you no choice,” Dain said angrily.
