The truth was, no one had, but it made sense. You don't become the leader of your people if you don't have the smarts to gather the knowledge to keep them safe. Especially if your species has been hunted for centuries. The only way to stop an egomaniac out to kill you is to get in front of him. To have better information than he has. To know what he's going to do before he does it.
"Does it matter? Point is, I know, and I need your help stopping Alister."
He tilted back little farther and stared up at the ceiling for a moment. "I'll send out some feelers, let you know what I find. "
"Thanks." I started to get up, but his next words stopped me.
"As for Inigo. I know you're hoping things will change," he said. "But they might not. I told you when we started this whole thing he might never be the same."
What he'd told me was that Inigo might not survive, but he had. "He's alive," I said. "That's what matters."
"Is it?"
I shook my head and gave him a weak smile before striding from the room. It had to be. I refused to believe it would have been better if I'd let him die.
My footsteps slowed as I reached the door to Inigo's room. Part of me was eager to see him again, but a bigger part of me was terrified by what I'd find. I dreaded another run-in with the cold, hard man he'd become. That was not the Inigo I knew and loved. That was not the man who held me when I needed it and kicked me in the butt when I needed that. I felt guilty, but he was a stranger, and I really didn't want to see him again. I wanted my Inigo back. That was the truth. I wasn't sure what I'd do if the stranger was there again. Tanith had told me to be patient, to wait. I wasn't sure I had it in me. I wasn't sure my heart wouldn't break long before he healed.
Telling myself to grow a freaking backbone, I stepped to the open doorway. He was sitting in a chair next to the window, the sunlight shining on his golden hair. He was wearing clothes too, not just pajamas. I couldn't help but feel a little thrill of hope. Clearly, he was getting better. Physically, at least.
"Inigo?" I hated the hesitation in my voice and the butterflies in my stomach. This was ridiculous. He was my boyfriend. I shouldn't be afraid to see him, talk to him. And yet I was.
He turned slightly until his eyes caught mine. Those beautiful blue eyes that had once looked at me with such love, such passion. At least this time they weren't cold.
"Morgan." His tone was neutral. I couldn't tell if he was happy to see me, angry, or what. Maybe he just didn't care. I shoved that thought aside. I could take anything but that.
"I wanted to see how you're doing," I said, pausing at the foot of the bed. I could smell him, a chocolatey campfire scent tinged with vanilla that was his alone. I wanted to wrap my arms around him and breathe him in, but instead I wrapped my hand around the bedpost and clung to it for dear life.
Inigo glanced out the window as if he found the sweeping green lawn behind the castle fascinating. "Better," he said.
"That's good." I didn't know what else to say. He wasn't exactly encouraging, but at least there wasn't that cold anger. I didn't think I could've handled that. "It's good to see you out of bed."
He shrugged. "Guess I was getting tired of lying around."
It wasn't exactly a joke, but I'd take it. Since he wasn't yelling at me to leave him alone, I perched on the edge of the bed. I felt awkward, out of place. I had no idea what to say. The sad thing was, Inigo and I had always had things talk about, and suddenly there was nothing. I reminded myself to be thankful the emotionless stranger seemed to be gone. Awkwardness I could deal with. If I had to.
Inigo cleared his throat. "So what's been going on? Catch me up." He tried to keep his tone light, but I could tell it was a struggle. I guessed we were going with the whole "pretend everything's normal" thing.
I gave him a quick rundown on my trip to the Caribbean, complete with vampires and Alister Jones. I told him about my new power, my training with Tommy, the visit to Nevada and Jade, and everything we'd done so far to try and find Alister. I didn't mention Haakon. I'm not sure why. It wasn't like there was anything going on with us, but something kept me from telling Inigo about the Viking Sunwalker.
"Sounds exciting," he said dryly.
"Oh, you know me," I said. "A thrill a minute."
There was another awkward pause, punctuated only by the hum of a hedge trimmer from below. The castle came with some very nice gardens, if the view from Inigo's window was anything to go by.
I cleared my throat. "You? Anything exciting?"
"The usual. Physical therapy, mental bullshit. Drago's been by a few times to help me with my Dragon abilities."