Page 34 (1/2)

More gauze there too, although at least it wasn’t an inch thick like it was on the rest of me I felt like a uard, and I’d be right at hoiven all the gauze and the oint into my skin-or as left of it

But I wasn’t too worried I was still alive, still breathing when I shouldn’t be That was a victory in and of itself Jo-Jo could fix the rest, noit took

The sy that I had, but I struggled against the blackness that threatened to sback down the rabbit hole-not until I told Owen how I felt about hi hi how much he cared, was the best medicine for me Just his presence alone soothedin the house Doors opened and closed softly, and footsteps tread lightly, as my friends and family crept around so as not to hoever else was still sleeping But I didn’t call out to whoever was already up Instead, I just lay there in bed and looked at Owen, grateful that I’d survived Mab’s Fire-and rateful that Oas here when I’d woken up

I didn’t kno long he slept or how long I watched him, but eventually his snores slurred, softened, and faded away His head listed to one side, and I could sense that he was rising up out of the black void of exhaustion

Owen’s eyes fluttered open-his beautiful, beautiful violet eyes The ones that never held anything but war and love and respect whenever he looked at h his black hair, h and looked over at me Apparently he still expected me to be asleep because he frowned and blinked a few times, as if he wasn’t quite sure whether I was really awake

"Gin?" he asked, treain"

I ht, playful even, but my voice came out as a harsh rasp I sounded-I sounded exactly like Sophia Like I’d spent et my hands on For a moment, I wondered hy my voice would be this way, and then I reer Goth dwarf had been forced to breathe in elemental Fire-just like I had

My voice didn’t bother Owen, though He closed his eyes and let out a long breath All the tension that had been coiled around his Owen shuddered out another breath, and a tear tracked down one of his cheeks

"Hey now," I rasped again "Tears are a waste of tiy, and resources That’s what Fletcher always used to tell h I could tell that it was an effort to be cheerful on his part "That ave us all quite a scare, you know"

"How much of a scare?"

He wouldn’taround Ashland, you could see the elemental flames from your battle with Mab from a half mile away After you stabbed Mab, the two of you were just lying there in the courtyard Just-burning Bria used her Ice ic to try to s with their Air power, but it took so long By the time that we put them out, most of your skin was just-melted Gone Down to the bones We didn’t even think that you were still alive until you opened your eyes and spoke to Finn"

Memories of my conversation with Fletcher filled my mind I didn’t knohat I’d seen at the Pork Pit had been a drea Didn’t otten some of the answers to my questions, even if it was only in my head, and that hat really mattered

"I asked for Fletcher, didn’t I?"

Owen nodded "You did"

We didn’t say anything Owen moved over to the bed, sat down, and put his arentle and easy with me as if I were made of the most delicate crystal Even then, I could tell that he was h his every instinct et as far away froht nohich is why his devotion touched h I was still exhausted and close to sinking back down into the blackness, I forced myself to sit up and move deeper into his eainst his chest, and sighed

"Is so you?"

I laughed, although it wasn’t a pleasant sound, giventhat there was nowhere else I’d rather be than right here with you, right now"

"Me too," he lad that you were here when I woke up More than you’ll ever know"

His arlad that you woke up, Gin More than you’ll ever know Because I just can’t iine my life without you in it"

This time, my eyes were the ones that filled with tears The salty drops slid down ingskin, but I didn’t care

"You know," I ht we made love before I went after Mab Before all that crazy stuff happened in the courtyard And I think it’s past time that I told you I feel the same way I love you, Owen Completely, totally, irrevocably I have for a while now It’s just that I’ve lost so many people in my life so brutally My mother, my older sister, Fletcher It’s hard for et close I wanted to tell you how I felt before, but I couldn’t I just-couldn’t"

E off my words But it was okay, because this tis I’d needed to, that I’d wanted to for so long now