🐲 Dragon and Phoenix (Path of Light and Fire Book #2) (Completed) 🐲

Chapter 33

Leena awoke to sunlight beaming through her eyelids.

She kept her eyes closed, however. The right side of her head and her hip throbbed mercilessly. She knew wasn't still lying in the gritty and scratchy Hruh grass because she didn't have the urge to scratch herself. The cushions under her were thick and plush, cool to the touch and with the softness of a cloud. That she awoke was a good thing. It meant that Eastland was dead and someone had found her. She didn't worry. If they wanted to hurt her, they would have done so by now.

Besides, she wanted no part of the waking world at the moment.

"Leena," Sakima's voice called. "Are you awake?"

She groaned inwardly. Her body must have betrayed her alertness to him, but she doubled down on her subterfuge. She didn't speak and held her eyelids closed.

"Rest as much as you can," Sakima said. "You need it." The warmth of his body left her bedside and his footsteps trailed away from her bed.

Leena sighed and opened her eyes. She snapped them shut at once, this time from the brightness. "Sakima, come back."

His thick boots thudded back towards her and he placed his hand on her forehead.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I have no idea," he said. "You don't have a fever, but I knew that already."

"Thank you," she said.

"I didn't do anything," Sakima said. "I wasn't even a sufficient distraction for the Empress. She saw through everything. At dinner, she told me you were with Selena. She mentioned it so casually. 'I think you'll enjoy the paella,' she said. 'Also, your fellow Serien is with Selena right now. You know, I take it back. I think the ceviche would be closer to your pallet.' Then she went on about the meal. It wasn't until the Empress called me to this room, late last night, that I learned you were not with Selena like she said and you were hurt."

She finally pried her eyes open and blinked until the five Sakimas turned into one. He sat on a stool, right next to the massive bed upon which she lay. He was still wearing his green and gold tunic and the Acadian hawk on his chest stared into her eyes.

"She told you the truth," Leena said. She fought the bitterness creeping into her gut. It was heavy and pulled her to the earth. "She wasn't my mother."

"I'm sorry, Leena."

She shook her head. "Don't be. I don't need her. I never did." She looked around the room. "Where is Zannick? Is he okay?"

"He was at dinner with the rest of us," Sakima said. "Let me warn you, he is very different than before-"

"I can speak for myself!" Zannick yelled.

Zannick appeared in the doorway and strolled to Leena's bed. Gone was the dark blue robe that made him look like a wise wizard. Instead, he wore in a multicolored bodysuit: greens, reds, blues and every other color you could imagine slashed through his outfit with tassels that streamed from his shoulders. His face was painted white, with large black stars around his eyes.

"Enough games," he said. "Get up. Stop milking your injuries."

It's too soon for this, Zannick. Too much at once.

He leaned forward until he was just above her forehead. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it wasn't the kiss her on the forehead her gave her.

"I'm glad you're safe, mi ahijada," he whispered.

"I could say the same," she said.

The Empress entered just then, wearing the same orange and black jaguar dress from before. All that had changed was her makeup. Instead of bright blue, her lips and nails were an equally bright shade of red.