*****
Silence.
That’s all I hear. Where’s the beeping? I stretch my legs out, sliding them down the smooth fabric. I can move? I roll onto my back. Ugh, my whole body is stiff and sore. The surface I’m lying on moves. Something brushes against my forehead, moving my hair out of my eyes. I flinch away from the touch. Opening my eyes, I look at my surroundings. Where am I? I’m not in Dravin’s compound anymore; this room isn’t as bright. I slowly turn my head to the right, looking into a pair of green eyes. Colton? I draw my lips together to keep from crying out, but I feel the tears well up in my eyes. Seeing them, Colton reaches forward and pulls me to him. I fist my hands into his shirt and let my tears soak the thin cotton fabric.
Rubbing my back, Colton kisses the top of my head. “It’s going to be okay, Ry.
“I never thought I’d see you again. I feel like a herd of elephants trampled over me,” I mumble as I lean backward.
Colton grimaces and traces something on my forehead. I wince as he hits a tender spot. “I’m sorry,” he says after he sees my reaction. I reach up and kiss the underside of his jaw. “We’re not alone, babe.”
“I don’t care. Kiss me,” I tell him.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” he says as he leans down and kisses me. His kiss is very gentle. He’s very careful not to hurt me. I’m thankful for that, but I need more. I move my hands from his shirt up to his neck and pull him closer to me. He chuckles against my lips but kisses me harder.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Ugh, Logan has bad timing,” Colton complains as he pulls away and gets out of the bed. I sit up but have to close my eyes as the lights and colors in the room start to blur together. I try to block out my surroundings to stop the dizzy spell that overcomes me.
“Are you okay?” Emma asks me.
“Just a little dizzy,” I say as the ringing starts again. I reach up and touch my ear. It’s moist. Pulling my hand away, I open my eyes and look at it. I gasp at the red liquid covering my hand. Logan walks over to my side of the bed and grabs onto my hands. I look up toward him, but I’m not sure which one is actually him. I see multiples of everything in the room. The numbing sensation of his magic flows through me offsetting the pain.
I close my eyes and let his magic heal me. All the pain starts to leave my body. It’s like a storm. When it’s here, it causes a lot of damage, but once all the damage is done, it slowly leaves until there is no longer any proof it was there in the first place. I sigh as I start to feel better. My head is no longer throbbing, and the ringing has stopped. The aches and pains in my stomach and legs recede until I can no longer feel them. Without opening my eyes, I pull Logan forward and hug him. “Thank you,” I whisper into his neck.
“Anytime, sleeping beauty. Anytime,” he says into my hair. I pull away and look around the room again. We’re in a hotel. That much is obvious. Instead of asking questions, I crawl out of bed, hesitating when my feet hit the ground. I don’t want to fall when I start walking. When my balance seems decent enough, I walk toward the bathroom without saying anything to anyone. They seem to know what I need.
I start undressing before I even have the door closed, but I don’t care. I need this shower. I turn and glance at my reflection in the mirror. I have blood dripping down both sides of my face, one from the wound on my hairline and the other from my ear. There is also dried blood on my arm from the IV and streaks of dried blood caked to my leg. I’m surprised Colton didn’t destroy the hotel room when he saw me.
I try to make the shower quick, but when you’re covered in blood, there’s almost no way to make it fast. And quite frankly, the warm water feels amazing as it cascades down my body. I let it wash away all the physical evidence of my capture.
Wrapping a towel securely around my body, I use the bathroom door to cover me up the rest of the way. I know that there are probably others in the room by now. “Colton?”
Getting up from the bed, Colton walks over to the bathroom. “Yeah?”
“Are there any clothes for me to change into?”
“Umm,” he looks around the room briefly before Emma hands him my duffle bag. Instead of just handing me the bag, he brushes past me and walks into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. “Ry, how are you feeling? Be completely honest.”
“I’ve been better,” I say. I’ve learned that there’s no point in lying to Colton. “I’m still a little shaky, but my head’s not throbbing, my ear’s not bleeding, and the room isn’t spinning anymore. That’s a good thing, I guess.”