Divine Destiny: Serendipity Saga Book Two

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Pain shot down my shoulder as my back connected with something hard. I opened groggy eyes to find myself half on the bed and half on the floor. I cursed my thudding heart when I realized that all that had startled me was falling off the bed in my sleep.

As my brain caught up to the rest of me, I desperately wanted to tell someone about what had happened but realized--with a resounding pain in my chest--that the two people who knew most about Achillia and Sage's adventures were the farthest from me right then. Kellic acted like she'd been possessed and Carson was...well Carson wasn't exactly there for me right then.

Anton's face popped up over the edge of the bed, his chin leaned on his hand, watching me with playful eyes. "You alright?" he asked, a smile on his lips. He held his hand out to me and I took it as he lifted my torso back onto the bed. He was exceptionally spry this morning.

"Thanks," I said and gestured down to his bandage. "How are you?"

Anton looked down at the bandage as though he'd forgotten all about it. "Oh, yeah," he said, "I think I'm all healed up." He sat up and started tugging at the wrap, struggling to pull it around his back.

I leaned up and took the edge from him, unraveling it from him with more ease. The last round fell off and I ran my free hand down the muscles along his back. He was surprisingly built and it occurred to me that I had never seen him without his shirt. He turned to look over his shoulder at me, exposing his chest.

His skin was completely smooth, with only a slight difference in coloration exposing that there had ever been a wound at all. I ran my fingers over his chest skeptically, as though there couldn't possibly be nothing there already.

Magicks healed quickly but more slowly than other vampires. Even with sufficient amounts of blood it still took us days to heal from severe wounds. The pain in my own arm had significantly decreased but I still couldn't completely move it.

I hadn't realized how invasive my touch had been until his hand wrapped gently around mine. I looked up at him, taking my eyes off his skin for the first time. His gaze was smoldering. "I'm alright," he said, his voice rough.

"How?" I asked him.

"Just lucky, I guess," he said, laughing. His voice was still husky and low but it was obvious he was trying to push the underlying feelings away. He hadn't let go of my hand as he spoke though and his skin was surprisingly soft. He let my fingers rest against him, not moving my hand away.

My heart pounded in my chest at that gaze. It was intoxicating.

He suddenly pulled away and climbed from the bed. He moved away so quickly that the warm air scattered in his wake. "Do you mind if I use your shower?" he asked, gesturing to the bathroom. His jeans were torn to shreds and his shirt was already gone. Despite his brief sponge bath, he was still covered in grime from the previous night's fight.

I nodded, not trusting my voice to come out smoothly. He grinned that arrogant but attractive smile and retreated into the room beyond.

It wasn't long before I heard the knobs twist and steam drifted into my bedroom. I climbed out of bed, pulling open my closet and finding a silk robe hanging there that I hadn't worn in years. I pulled it on, putting one arm through the hole and draping the other side over my shoulder. The silky material felt cool and smooth against my skin. I desperately needed a shower too but it could wait.

Now that I was awake, I needed to see how Evelyn was doing. She had injured herself for me. It was the least that I owed her.

I took the stairs two at a time until I ended up back on the first floor. Fortunately, my face hurt less today and the pain in my arm was fading all the time. I was beginning to feel like myself again.