Hanna and the Hitman - Honey Phillips Page 0,38

sins.”

Aidon’s hand shook in hers, and she could tell that he was losing his strength, but that didn’t diminish his glare.

“Don’t hurt her,” he gasped, and then his eyes fluttered closed.

“Help him,” she pleaded as his entire body went limp. Even his normal swirl of colors was starting to fade into a single gray hue.

“Damn fool left it for too long,” Tanor muttered, but she could hear the anxiety in his voice. “He needs to drink.”

He sat down next to her and lifted up Aidon’s head, supporting him against his chest as he reached for the glass of liquid. He held it to Aidon’s lips, but they remained closed as the red liquid dribbled down his chin.

“Dammit. Drink, boy.”

There was no response, and Tanor looked at her, his eyes full of pain. “I can’t help him if he won’t drink.”

“Let me try.” He had responded to her voice before; perhaps he would again. She leaned closer and whispered, “Please, Aidon. You have to drink.”

His head moved a little at the sound of her voice, but his lips still didn’t part. Panic raced through her veins as she tried to think of some way to revive him. The first time he had been unconscious, he had responded to her kiss. Maybe he would this time as well.

Ignoring his grandfather, she leaned even closer and brushed her mouth across his. Did it move beneath her touch? Praying with all her heart, she stroked her tongue across his lips, silently urging him to open. At first, nothing happened, but then they parted—only a fraction, but maybe it was enough. She dipped her finger in the red liquid and pressed it to the seam of his mouth. She almost sobbed with relief when his tongue touched her finger. After repeating the gesture until he was suckling eagerly, she finally pulled her hand away and placed the glass at his mouth. He choked on the first sip, but then he swallowed.

His mouth closed again, and she had to repeat the process twice, using her finger to drip liquid into him before he would take a drink, but eventually he accepted the glass and drained the rest of the contents. As soon as it was empty, he slumped back against the pillows, but his skin was once again a velvety swirl of colors and his breathing was deep and even.

“Is he better?” she asked anxiously.

Tanor studied her face. He had been silent throughout the process, simply helping to support Aidon and making sure that the glass was ready whenever she reached for it.

“It’s a good start. He should wake soon. When he does, he needs to eat the jinsar fruit.” He gestured at the bowl of colored cubes, and her stomach rumbled.

She blushed and dropped her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ve been too worried to eat.”

Tanor studied her again, then nodded sharply. “You should eat some.”

“I can’t do that. You said he needed them.”

He shrugged. “The fruit is plentiful. It will only take a short time to prepare more. Go on,” he urged. “Try some.”

The fruit did look tempting, especially after the hot walk, and she reached for a bright-pink cube that looked a little like watermelon. The heady scent wafting from the tempting morsel made her mouth water as she lifted it to her lips.

Just as she was about to pop the piece of fruit in her mouth, a hand reached out and struck it away. Startled, she looked down to find Aidon’s eyes wide open and full of rage as he glared at his grandfather.

“How could you, you bastard?”

Chapter Fifteen

Aidon swam back to consciousness slowly, but for the first time in longer than he could remember, he didn’t feel weakness tugging at his veins. He could taste flovat juice on his lips and knew that he’d made it back just in time. He should have been relieved. Instead, all he felt was the weight of the chains binding him to this planet.

Even before he opened his eyes, he caught Hanna’s lush scent and started to relax, knowing she was close by. He could tell that his grandfather was there as well, but no matter what his faults, he didn’t believe the old man would try and hurt his mate. But then he heard his grandfather offer Hanna something, and he opened his eyes in time to see her raising a piece of jinsar fruit to her mouth.

Horrified, he struck it away and glared at his grandfather. How could he do such a thing?

“I should have