Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

If Jai complained at all about what all he did for her the next two hours, Lyv would definitely be more than happy to let him know he did it to himself. Did she ask for him to fade down into the palace kitchens to make her three plates full of food? No. Did she asked for more pillows and blankets, even though she was comfortable with what she already had? No. And did she ask for him to carry her over to the sink so she could brush her teeth and splash water on her face? No yet again.

By the time Lyv was full, warm and cozy, and freshened up, Jai was about to fall over from exhaustion. Not just because of all he did for her. She could tell the worry he carried for the last week was still weighing him down. But she kissed his cheek as they both settled back down on their cots and watched as his eyelids grew heavier.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Jai mumbled after moving his cot even closer to hers so they were pushed together.

"I am," she nodded with a smile. "What about you?"

"I'm not."

"What's wrong?"

And even though he was just a few inches away... "You're too far away."

Lyv couldn't help but laugh, which made a sleepy smile spread across Jai's face. "You're hopeless...but come here."

His smile widened even more when she pulled back her covers and moved over enough for him to lay down beside her. The cot creaked under both their weights, but held them with just a little bit of magic Jai used to strengthen it. Lyv shifted as Jai snuggled into her side just as Elys always did, one arm under her head and the pillow and the other secured around her waist. Lyv's were around him, too, one slung across his shoulder and resting along his arm over her.

When Jai spoke then, his lips brushed against the skin of her neck with every word. "I've always been jealous of Elys when he's been the only one to fall asleep on you like this...but now it's my turn."

"I say again, you're hopeless," Lyv murmured into his hair as his breathing deepened, especially when the hand she had on his arm trailed upward, tracing the white scars along his side. "And apparently jealous of a five-year-old."

"Don't think he's going to steal you away from me now that you're conscious again. You're all mine."

"Never would have even thought of it. So, is this repayment for when I took care of you all those weeks when you were like this after an attack?"

"Well, I thought we would be pretty even now since I'm still counting the attack by that gypsy gang a few years ago. Two and two. Can we be done with this already?"

"But you didn't take care of me then, you know," she told him, rolling her eyes. "You just hung around the palace, watching like a creeper."

He hummed against her neck then, kissing her scar once, twice, three more times before he fell asleep, Lyv's fingers still tracing along his back and side. She couldn't help it, marveling at this male in her arms that was all hers, just as she was his. And even though he more than likely wouldn't even touch her the way she wanted him to until she was fully healed and her magic back, she was going to take as much of him as she could get.

So, she held him for minutes or hours, she didn't know. Even when the morning sun began to shine through the windows and the main door to the infirmary opened with a quiet creak.

It was her mother who had come in, which Jai said she did even morning Lyv had been there, with a tray of food in one hand and her own cup of tea in the other. Bridget was so focused on getting the tray to the work table that she didn't even look over to where Lyv and Jai were, not until she turned and almost dropped her teacup had she not found the table when her eyes met Lyv's.