Warrior (Relentless #4)(168)

“Neither can I.” I’d tried many times to understand how a Mori could survive being constantly surrounded by Fae power.

Unable to be with Sara, I prowled around the estate, growing more ill-tempered by the hour. As the days stretched into a week, with no change in her condition, my fear for her escalated. Even the faeries seemed unsure of what was going on inside her body or when she’d wake up.

Eight days after Sara had entered Eldeorin’s healing sleep, Roland burst into the den where I was trying to concentrate on reports Tristan had sent me. We were planning to set up a command center nearby so I could be near Sara and oversee the extra teams the Council was sending to California. Tristan had found two properties for lease within a mile of here, and he was working on procuring the one next door.

“She’s awake,” Roland shouted.

I stood so fast the desk chair fell over. “You’ve seen her?”

“No, Heb told me. He said Aine felt Sara waking up.”

I was up the stairs and standing outside Sara’s door within seconds. Aine appeared at the top of the stairs, carrying a tray of faerie food.

My heart began to pound. “Sara’s awake?”

Aine smiled happily. “She is just coming out of the sleep. I’ll tend to her and come back when I can.”

My body felt weak, and I needed to lean against the opposite wall. I stared at the closed door, wondering what was going on in the room. Was Sara awake now? Was she still in pain? I knew Nate was in there because he spent his days with Sara, but I couldn’t hear anything past Aine’s faerie wards, even with my Mori hearing.

Roland and Peter showed up, and the three of us paced the hallway, waiting for Aine to reappear with word of Sara. The waiting drove me insane, although it didn’t come close to what I’d been through the last week.

“What the hell is taking so long?” Roland griped, making me worry that something was wrong.

At last, the door opened. Aine smiled and beckoned me forward then put up a hand when I reached the doorway. She waved her hand, and suddenly I could feel Sara. My pulse quickened and I stepped into the room.

“No!” Sara cried a second before I felt the sting of Fae power against my face.

Aine ushered me outside and closed the door. “I’m sorry. Sara is awake, and I needed to test her control before I allowed you to see her. She is past the worst of it, but she will need more time to learn to control her magic.”

I swallowed my disappointment. She was awake; that was all that mattered. “Is she all right otherwise?”

“Yes. She is a little distraught, but physically she is well.”

“I want to talk to her. Is there a phone in her room?”

Aine nodded. “I believe so. I will check.”

She disappeared and reappeared a minute later with a phone number.

“Thank you.” I pulled out my phone and gave Roland and Peter a look that said I wanted some privacy. They frowned and headed downstairs, followed by the sylph.

I could hear the phone in the room ringing. On the third ring, Nate answered.

“Hello?”

“It’s Nikolas. Can I speak to her?”

It felt like an eternity before I heard her tearful voice on the other end. “Nikolas?”

“I’m here,” I answered softly, wishing I could hold her and wipe away her tears. “Don’t cry.”

A small sob escaped her. “I’m sorry.”

Nate left the room, closing the door quietly. He gave me a wide smile and went downstairs.

I laid a hand on the door. “You have nothing to apologize for. The faeries explained what is happening with your power.”

Her voice rose. “I could have killed you.”

“But you didn’t,” I calmly reassured her.

She was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know how long it’ll be before I can see you again.”

“I know.”

I heard the uncertainty, the unspoken question in her voice. Did she really think I would leave her after everything I’d gone through to find her?

“I’m not going anywhere, and we can talk like this whenever you want to. You just focus on getting better.”

“I will,” she replied, sounding a little more like herself.

“Good. Now tell me, how do you feel?” Fatigue was creeping into her voice, and I didn’t want her to overdo it.

“A bit weak,” she admitted.

“But you aren’t in any pain?”

“No pain. Aine said I’m over the worst of it.”

I smiled. “She told me that too.”

I heard her muffle a yawn, and I knew it was time to go. For now. “You need to rest.”

“I’m fine,” she protested weakly.

I laughed. “Liar. Get some sleep. We can talk again when you wake up.”

She sighed. “Okay.”

I hung up as Roland and Peter appeared at the top of the stairs again.

“Can we go see her now?” Roland asked impatiently.

“Yes, but don’t let her overdo it. She needs to rest.”

I went back to the den to call Tristan and give him the good news. He’d had to return to Westhorne earlier in the week, but he said he’d come back to California when Sara woke up.

Aine met me in the main hall. “May I have a word with you?” she asked.