Page 89 of Shadow Wings

“Nothing,” I said, clearing mythroat.

Leaning down, I scooped the dagger up and passed it to Dyter who stood in the ornatearchway.

He looked past me to the large emerald in the wall. The one that now had scratch marks around it from where I’d tried to pry it out. I wasn’t perfect, and I was the first to admitit.

“When did you wake up?” he asked, sheathing the dagger in the scabbard at hisbelt.

“Not long ago.” Long enough for me to use the restroom and get distracted by that emerald. He wasn’t going to make it easy for me to get that blade back either. I was going to need to find anothertool.

“How long did we sleep?” I asked. Judging by the stiffness I’d felt upon awaking, our nap had been more than a fewhours.

I followed Dyter back into the large bedroom, and the sparkling walls captured my attention before I forced it back to the old man. This place was driving me crazy, although I could see why they shoved gems into the dark gray walls. The refracted jewel-toned light in here was deep and rich. If I had a lair, I would want it to be likethis.

“A guard came to the door before,” Dyter said. “We slept nearly eighteenhours.”

I whistled low, but I wasn’t truly surprised. We hadn’t really rested since setting out from Verald, and even then, there had been the overhanging feeling of danger. Dyter had placed his packs in front of the sole door into our echoing, shared chamber, and after tending to Tyrrik—shoving as much food as possible into the slurring man—we’d slipped into a deepslumber.

“Is the king rested enough to see us now?” I asked, sitting on the narrow bed beside Tyrrik. His beard was filling in, and dirt smudged his cheek. I looked down at my tattered dress.Ineeded a bath and some cleanclothes.

Tyrrik jolted at the movement and then blinked up atme.

“Evening,” I said, reaching for a platter of fruit. I grabbed a bunch of grapes and popped one in mymouth.

We’d received plenty of food yesterday, and the guards had brought us more. This king was no good. If he could spare all this, he could afford to feed hispeople.

Tyrrik rolled onto his back, and I stiffened as the blanket fell mid-way down his bare chest. I know I usually slept next to that each night, but at night I could pretend our sleeping arrangements didn’t mean anything. In the light of day, noticing his sculpted chest somehow meant more. Tyrrik plucked a grape from my hand and dropped the red globe in his mouth. He leaned back, placing one hand behind hishead.

I took him in and swallowed. Holy pancakes.Look at the sparkling gems, Ryn.But I just stared at theDrae.

“So . . .” Dyter said, breaking thespell.

“Yes?” I said, facing him eagerly. I needed to get myself under better control. If he laughed, I’d hithim.

He didn’t. “We’re expected in a couple ofhours.”

Great. I cracked my knuckles. “Time to heal Tyrrikthen.”

Tyrrik shook his head. “I’m fine. In a few hours, I’ll be able to get through the meeting with theking.”

“You’re fine? You exhausted yourself and collapsed on the ground . . .unconscious.”

“But I slept eighteen hours,” he said. “There’s no need for you to deplete yourenergy.”

I rested my hands on his chest under the guise of healing him, which I guess I was, but—yeah—there were also ulterior motives.Classictrick.

I peeked up at Tyrrik and scowled at the wry smile on hislips.

I ignored him and tuned into my Phaetyn energy. Kamini was right, each time I used my powers, healing became easier, just like making plants grow. There wasn’t any gold poison in Tyrrik at all now. In fact, his body was fine, just like he’d said, but the flow of his blood was sluggish, and I could feel hisexhaustion.

I studied the pulsing blue power coursing down my arms and gathering in my hands, invisible to all but me. I guess I’d stuff as much in as possible to help him regain his stamina. I exhaled and opened the gates of my Phaetyn powers, the energy immediately flowing into him. I took another breath and threw the force atTyrrik.

With a yell, he jolted a meter in the air and flopped on thebed.

I echoed his yell, jumping away from the bed, frightened by the strength of his reaction. Holding my hands in the air, I stared at him. “Are you al’right? What justhappened?”

Dyter snorted. “I saw a donkey do that once when it wasbranded.”

Tyrrik panted and pushed up to sitting, the blanket puddling at hiswaist.