Darkblood Prison - G.K. DeRosa Page 0,56

lips. Oh gods, why did everything hurt? I pried my eyes open, even though I was certain I had a pygmy giant sitting on my chest.

Sterile white walls coalesced around me, and I squinted at the bright halogen lights overhead. The infirmary. I was alive! I slowly pivoted my head to the side and winced. Son of a biscuit! Glancing from the corner of my eye instead, a familiar shape took form slumped on the chair beside my bed. Talon.

His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady beat. My heart fluttered as I quickly scanned his body for injuries. He was okay. What about the others? I searched our bond for any tell-tale signs, but all was quiet. In fact, I couldn’t feel him at all. Was it because he was sleeping? Or maybe I was too burnt out.

I leaned back on my pillow and drew in another breath. I wanted to wake Talon more than anything to find out what happened after I passed out. From the looks of his dragon before everything went dark, he probably went all out Godzilla on the place. Had Thax survived? About a million questions competed for dominance in my mind, but I shoved them back to deal with later. I’d have to wait until Talon woke up, then we’d have all the time in the world.

The rustle of a curtain caught my attention, and I slowly pivoted my head to the right.

“You should let him sleep. He’s been up all night.” A gruff voice seeped through the sheer white fabric separating us.

I pushed myself up and immediately regretted it. A sharp pang sliced through my back, and I slumped back down. “Who’s there?” I whisper-hissed.

A hand reached around the curtain and tugged it back. A big guy in dingy white scrubs looked at me, his eyes oddly familiar. Close cut blonde hair hugged his face and highlighted his broad jawline. He was clean shaven, but his skin was marred with dark blotches, cuts and bruises. “It’s me, Vander.”

My breath caught in my throat. “Oh, my gods, of course it is!”

The hint of a smile lifted his chapped lips before it melted away.

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” I finally muttered.

“Yeah, me too.” He sat back on his bed but kept the curtain open. “Anyway, you should probably let Talon sleep. I heard you guys had a rough night, and he hasn’t slept more than an hour. He was waiting for you to wake up.”

“Oh. Okay, yeah, I’ll definitely let him rest.” My gaze automatically pivoted to Talon. His jaw was locked tight, a deep furrow marring his brow even in sleep. Now that Vander was safe, everything would be better. I tried to suppress a yawn, but it snuck out despite my best efforts. “Well, it’s nice to finally meet you,” I said awkwardly. Maybe I hadn’t tried to suck out his soul that night? Maybe he didn’t hate me?

“Right,” he muttered and closed his eyes.

Or maybe that was only wishful thinking.

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Hey, sleepyhead,” a soft voice murmured. The warm, inviting sound pulled me from a deep slumber. My lids fluttered open and focused on a familiar pair of silver irises. “It’s about time you woke up.”

I glanced around the white room. Still in the infirmary. The curtain beside my bed was pulled back, and my roommate was gone. My head whipped back and forth searching the space. “Where’s Vander?” Had I imagined the whole thing?

“Relax, he’s fine.” Talon squeezed my hand, and as his skin touched mine, his mouth twisted into a frown. It disappeared as quickly as it had come, and I convinced myself I’d imagined it. He cleared his throat and continued, “He went for a little walk to stretch his legs.”

“Oh, okay. So he’s feeling better?”

He nodded. “Much. He hasn’t told me anything about what he endured while he was in Thax’s castle, but I assume it’ll come with time.”

My hazy brain finally kicked into gear. “Oh my gods, Thax, that’s right. What happened last night?”

“Three nights ago, actually. You’ve been in and out of consciousness for days, Azara.” His other hand ran up my arm, until it reached my cheek. “For a terrible moment, I thought you’d never wake up. You lost so much blood I wasn’t sure Hayden could save you.”

Flashes of the fighting, the sharp stab of pain in my back, and Talon’s dragon all flitted across my mind. I winced at the dark memories.

“You should’ve listened to me, Azara. You never should’ve come after