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In sleep, his brow furrowed, his lips thinned He had golden stubble over his lean cheeks and dark circles under his eyes, looking older and more exhausted than I had ever seen him He wore black pants and a thin dark sweater, but I could tell he’d lost weight

How long had he been here with me? After our history, I was surprised he could tolerate the plants overrunning hi words, his care, his updates about life around the castle He’d challenged me to heal and stayed with ed to reen lair I stretched th

His a at hiht radiated froaze

"You’re okay with these plants?" I murmured, my throat scratchy

His smile widened "I’m thankful to them They comforted youwas I out?"

"For weeks"

My jaw slackened "That can’t be right"

"Those Bags were badly injured and you’d been shot Your regeneration ability hadfeet first "Will Iturn?"

"I do not believe that You would have already" Aric would never lie to me

I relaxed somewhat With a wave of my hand, I moved the vines off the bed, off him

He appeared to relax a touch as well "If soo that I would nod off while surrounded by the Elass of water on a tray He helped ht the cup to h to quench the worst ofto attack the castle Soon"

"I know You told me Happily, you led the Sun in the opposite direction of our home"

Our hoe tone, he said, "Do you not res we talked about on the journey here? Any of the things you told aze flicked overdown right in front ofdistant and formal "You must have many questions"

A thousand "Why weren’t we able to co on this, but not what he’d said "I called and called for you"

"The Fool disconnected everyone I don’t knohy Perhaps to conceal some players from others Or perhaps because he’d been weakened"

In the days before abandoning me, Matthew had suffered nosebleeds and increased disorientation Normally, I hated to think of him in pain But after his betrayal, I relished the idea

"Empress?"

I blinked "What happened to you after Circe’s tidal wave?"