Chapter 78

The first thing Aeliana felt was heat.

It was not the comforting warmth of Tharx's skin against hers, nor the heat of a fire burning low in the hearth. This was different. Wrong. It pulsed beneath her skin, thick and sluggish, wrapping around her limbs like an unseen weight pressing her into darkness.

Her body did not feel like her own.

She was floating and sinking all at once, trapped in a space where sound was muffled, distant. She was vaguely aware of her own breathing-too slow, too deep.

And yet, she felt something else.

A presence. A weight beside her. A hand wrapped around her own, unmovable, steady, unyielding.

She recognized it before she could name it.

Tharx.

Even in the abyss, she could feel him.

He was waiting for her.

Aeliana's fingers twitched. It took all her strength, the smallest of movements, like trying to lift a blade too heavy for her hands.

And then-

The world rushed back all at once.

A sharp inhale of breath. A blinding flash of light behind her eyelids. The crushing weight of sensation, of awareness, of sound.

The pressure around her hand tightened violently.

"Aeliana."

Tharx's voice-hoarse, raw, unshaking.

She forced her eyes open, blinking against the dim candlelight. The room blurred for a moment before it settled, and then she saw him.

He looked different.

Tharx was always composed, always in control, his expression carved from stone. But now?

He looked wrecked.

His golden eyes were red-rimmed, shadows dark beneath them. His jaw was clenched so tightly the muscle ticked in his cheek, his fingers gripping hers like he would never let go.

"You're awake," he said, the words barely above a whisper.

Aeliana tried to speak, but her throat was too dry. The effort alone sent a sharp ache through her chest.

Tharx moved immediately, reaching for the goblet on the bedside table. He slid a hand beneath her head, lifting her just enough to press the rim to her lips.

"Drink."

The command was gentle.

She took a slow sip, the cool water soothing her throat.

She swallowed hard, her voice rasping. "How long?"

Tharx's grip on her hand tightened. "Three days."

Aeliana's breath hitched. Three days?

She tried to sit up, but the moment she moved, the world tilted violently. Her vision darkened at the edges, her limbs weak and sluggish.

Tharx was there instantly, pushing her back down, his voice low and firm. "Do not move."

Frustration flared in her chest. "I am not a fragile thing."

Tharx's jaw clenched. "You collapsed in my arms, Aeliana. You stopped moving. You stopped breathing properly." His voice dropped to a growl. "You are not as invincible as you believe."

Before she could snap back, the door to their chambers swung open.

The royal physician entered quickly, his apprentice at his side. The older man hesitated just inside the doorway, his eyes widening the moment they landed on her.

"Thank the gods," he breathed.

Aeliana barely had time to process before he was at her bedside, his hands already reaching for her wrist. His fingers pressed firmly against her pulse point, his brows furrowing.

She tried to yank her hand away. "I am fine."

Tharx did not let go of her other hand. "You are not."

The physician ignored their exchange, his focus entirely on her pulse. His expression darkened.

"What?" Tharx demanded.

The physician hesitated. "It is the same as before, my lord. Her pulse is too rapid. Her body temperature is still too high. It is unnatural."

Tharx's grip turned to iron.

"I do not need riddles, old man," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "I need answers."

The physician swallowed. "Then I will need more information."

He gestured for his apprentice, who stepped forward, carrying a tray of medical instruments.

Aeliana's stomach turned at the sight of the sharp, curved blade and the glass vials beside it.

The physician turned back to her. "I must take a sample of your blood, my Queen."

Aeliana tensed, instinct screaming at her to refuse. She had never trusted physicians, alchemists, healers. They saw too much.

Tharx spoke before she could.

"Do it."

Aeliana snapped her gaze to him, eyes narrowing. "Since when do you speak for me?"

His golden eyes burned. "Since you collapsed in my arms with no explanation."

The physician cleared his throat, hesitant. "It may help us understand what is happening."

Aeliana exhaled sharply. Damn them both.

She extended her arm, jaw clenched. "Be quick about it."

The apprentice stepped forward, setting the tray down. He took her hand carefully, tilting her wrist. His hands were steady, but she could feel the faint tremor beneath his skin. He was afraid of her.

Good.

The blade pressed into her skin, sharp and precise.

A small line of crimson welled to the surface.

The apprentice collected it in a vial, the thick red liquid swirling inside the glass. Aeliana barely flinched, her focus locked on Tharx, who hadn't taken his eyes off her the entire time.

It was unnerving.

The physician inspected the vial, then sealed it carefully. "I will examine this immediately."

Tharx's voice was sharp. "How long?"

The physician hesitated. "A few hours, at most."

Tharx nodded once. "Then go."

The men bowed and left without another word.

The moment the door shut, Aeliana exhaled, her entire body sagging.

She was exhausted.

And she hated it.

"I need to get up," she muttered.

Tharx made a sound close to a laugh. A dark, humorless thing.

"No."

Aeliana gritted her teeth.

She moved, forcing herself upright-only for the world to tilt violently again.

And then-she was weightless.

Before she could collapse entirely, Tharx caught her.

Effortless. Unshaking.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against his chest.

Aeliana swore, her head spinning. "Damn you."

Tharx didn't move. Didn't speak. Just held her.

Her hands curled into his tunic, frustration warring with something deeper.

"I hate this," she admitted, voice quieter than before.

Tharx exhaled slowly, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Then rest," he murmured, his grip unyielding.

Her breath hitched.

She closed her eyes.

Just for a moment.

Just until she was strong again.