“Is there anything else I can do for you?” the elder gentleman asked in a low, soothing voice.
Effie attempted a smile and shook her head. “No, but my thanks to you.”
With a little bow, he left the room, leaving Effie to the mercy of the three men surrounding her.
“What?” she snapped, needing to break the uncomfortable silence.
“What happened?” Lucian countered.
Effie shrugged. “I already told you.”
“You haven’t said shit,” he said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. Lucian’s tanned skin was pale, his eyes all but black as he stared at her. She’d scared him.
Trying to alleviate some of the tension, she glanced at the men wearing the scarlet robes and asked, “Are you going to let him get away with talking to me like that?”
“Answer the question.”
She frowned. “I don’t know what to tell you. Yes, my ankle hurt, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Then, out of nowhere, this bone-deep ache started working its way through me. The ache turned into a burn, which turned into . . . something. I don’t know where it came from, or why it happened.”
“How do you feel now?”
“Fine.”
Lucian scowled at her, and Effie flinched.
“Okay, I’m a little sore, but I’m fine. I swear. More embarrassed than anything.”
And tired, she added to herself. After the day she’d had, all she wanted to do was curl up with Lucian and sleep for a year. Maybe two.
“What were you doing right before the pain started?”
Effie went crimson and risked a glance at Lucian. “Taking a shower.”
“Has anything like this happened before?”
“No. Never.”
The questions halted, and Effie wondered if they were talking amongst themselves. Her theory was confirmed when Lucian straightened. She’s suspected for a while that the Triumvirate frequently communicated telepathically with their Guardians, but this was the first time she’d witnessed them doing so. Generally, they made a point to include everyone present in their conversations—at least she’d assumed they had.
“She’ll stay with me tonight.”
The two Triumvirate members bowed their heads in agreement.
“Let us know if anything else of note occurs during the night.”
Effie looked back to Lucian and could tell from his expression that absolutely nothing of ‘note’ was going to happen between them tonight. He still looked pissed.
She let out a disappointed sigh. Things had been going so well.
“Rest well, Daughter.”
“We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Goodnight,” she called softly as they left.
The silence stretched, and Effie shifted uncomfortably on the bed when Lucian made no move to come closer to her.
Staring down at her lap, she wiggled a finger through a tiny hole in the black wool. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“Sorry? What the hell for?” Lucian asked, sounding truly baffled.
“For being a constant inconvenience. It seems like you are always having to deal with me.”
“You are not an inconvenience.”
She let out a bitter laugh. “Sure. And you’re not currently plotting the fastest way you can get out of here.”
Effie heard a rustle of fabric as Lucian crossed the room.
“You want to know what I’m thinking right now? I’m trying to figure out how to ask you if I can hold you, and knowing that it makes me a selfish bastard to ask anything of you right now.”
“You-you what?” she asked, her head snapping up.
Tension was practically rolling off of Lucian. His muscles were tense, his eyes wild. Her Guardian was on the brink, but of what, Effie didn’t know.
“Of course you can.”
Lucian closed his eyes, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. He unclenched his hands, flexing the fingers as he sucked in a breath.
“Lay down,” he demanded.
She pushed back from the edge of the bed and scooted back until she was on the other side, leaving room for him to sit down beside her.
Lucian was still wearing the same damp clothes he’d been wearing while showering with her, but he made no move to remove them. Instead, he unlaced his boots and tossed them on the floor and then swung his legs up and rolled to face her.
“Roll over.”
She shifted until she was facing the wall, her back facing Lucian.
Without a word, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him until her back was pressed against his chest.
Lifting a hand out from the blanket, she ran it along his fisted hand. He let out a breath that sounded suspiciously like a sob, his hand trembling beneath hers.
“Lucian . . .” She started to lift her head.
“Sleep, Effie. I’ll watch over you.”
Lacing her fingers through his, Effie snuggled into the pillow and closed her eyes. After what happened in the treehouse, she didn’t expect to find sleep easily. But her body was exhausted, and it wasn’t long before she drifted off, if not peacefully, at least with the certainty that nothing would dare come for her while Lucian stood guard.
Chapter 26
Kieran turned the corner and came to a complete stop when a door opened, side-stepping into an open room to remain hidden. He knew the Guardians resided in this particular wing of the citadel, but it was the quickest route to the Hall of Prophecy, and he had to get this book back before anyone discovered it was missing.
A soft giggle made him freeze.
Effie? What in the hell is she doing over here?
Craning his neck around the doorway, Kieran let out a low hiss as rage started to bubble up within him.
She took a step into the hallway, wearing a shirt that fell down to her knees. She’d belted it around the waist to try to make it fit better, but there was little to be done to conceal the fact that the garment did not belong to her.
A low growl sounded in the back of his throat. There’s only one reason a woman would leave a man’s bedroom in the morning wearing his shirt. Kieran didn’t need anyone to tell him just whose shirt it was either.
His suspicion was confirmed when an arm snaked out of the room and pulled her back.
Tilting her head up, she gave Lucian a sweet smile, her cheeks a bright pink. “I thought you told me I needed to go eat.”
Lucian looked down at her, lifting a hand to caress the side of her face. “Not without a proper goodbye.”
Effie twisted in his arms so that she was resting against the doorframe and facing the shirtless Guardian. “Is that so?”
Kieran watched the sickening display unfold like a man watching his entire life burn down around him. His knuckles were white where they gripped the wall, his breathing uneven. No. No. NO!
“What did you have in mind?” she asked, her voice so soft Kieran could only just make it out from where he was hiding.
Lucian tilted Effie’s chin up, leaning down to run his nose along hers.
“Tease,” she said, placing her hands on his shoulders.
Bending slightly, Lucian wrapped an arm just underneath her butt and lifted her up so that her face was level with his. She wrapped her legs around his waist and gave the Guardian a look so heated that a piece of the doorframe broke off in Kieran’s hand.