Chapter 36

As much as I don't want to admit it, my time in the library is taking its toll on me. The tell-tale signs of a fever, while subtle at first, slowly start working their way through me until my efforts to conceal it are no use. Sweat prickles at my hairline, my skin going clammy as I push through organizing the books with shaky hands. My guards somehow notice my lagging movements and come to check on me. A single, narrow-eyed once over is all they need to decide it's time for me to wrap up my work in the library for the day.

"Time to go, Princess," Arden says.

I squint up at them, feigning nonchalance, "Why? We just started." I press my hands into the table to hide the way that they're shaking from exhaustion. It doesn't seem to work though, because both of their eyes drop at the motion and narrow.

"No point in overworking yourself," Arden says, "We can come back later if you feel like it."

"I'm fine," I say, swatting away their concern, "*Really*. I want to help."

Xavier glowers down at me, "You want us to lose our jobs, Princess? Because that's exactly what's going to happen if the King finds out that we've been putting you to work while you're sick."

"Lily," I correct, "You don't need to keep calling me Princess. Lily is fine."

Arden rolls her eyes, but the smile tilting at her lips gives away the fact that she's pleased, "Fine, then, *Lily.* Up you go. Unless you'd like us to carry you back to your rooms like a true princess."

I want to believe that she's bluffing about carrying me out of here over her shoulder, but there's a mischievous glint in her eyes that tells me she'd probably enjoy the spectacle of it in truth.

I shoot her a teasing pout, huffing out a sigh as I very slowly pull myself to my feet. "No need to resort to threats," I grumble under my breath and Arden laughs out loud at my sulky expression.

By the time we make it back to my room, I know that they made the right call by forcing me back to my rooms to rest. I feel like I've been trampled by a horse. I don't even have the energy to pretend I feel well anymore as we cross through the threshold to my room. As I settle into the bed, a low groan slipping out without my permission when I sink into the pillows.

Xavier narrows his eyes as he scrutinizes me, clearly troubled, "Would you like us to send for a Healer?"

I peek over at him through lids heavy with exhaustion, "No need. It's just a slight fever. I just need to sleep it off."

Arden pats my foot over the covers comfortingly, "We'll send Mitra in to sit with you in case you need anything," she says.

I try to tell them they don't need to, but they won't hear it. Right as the door closes behind them, I tumble into an exhausted sleep.

I wake up to the sound of voices. Well, *one* voice. A deep familiar rumbling sound.

The first thing I notice when I crack my eyes open is that it's dark. I must have slept through the rest of the day and into the night. It's disorienting. But not surprising considering that I can still feel the heat of fever prickling under my skin.

The King stands in the doorway of my room beside Mitra, making the older woman look tiny in comparison.

"Damion?" My sleep-drenched voice doesn't come out as more than a whisper, but he hears me anyway. His eyes swing in my direction, flickering over me for a moment.

"I can take it from here, Mitra, thank you." Mitra dips her head in acknowledgement and steps out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Damion's dark eyes continue their assessment of me as he takes the few steps across the room and settles into the chair beside my bed.

"How are you feeling?" He asks. He looks more rumpled than I've ever seen him. There's something different about him tonight that I can't quite pinpoint. The top few buttons of his white shirt are undone haphazardly revealing a v of skin and muscled chest. I notice the top portion of the tattoos I'd become acquainted with during the storm are on display.

I hurry to avert my eyes as I try to keep my thoughts from going *there*. Back to the kiss that I spent the majority of the night convincing myself shouldn't have happened. It's hard to remember all the reasons I'd come up with to not let it happen again when he's sitting here in front of me like this.

"It's just a fever," I say, "You don't need to sit here and watch me sleep. Really, I'm fine."

His lips tilt up at the corners, a contrast to the exhaustion lining his dark eyes, "I'd probably be awake anyway, so I may as well make myself useful."

I should argue that he should go and get some sleep, but I can't find it in me to. Something about having him here settles something deep inside of me and I feel like I'm finally able to relax. I watch him settle further into his chair and it's then that I finally notice what's different about him.

"Your horns are gone," I blurt out.

"They are," he says, simply. An amused smirk plays at the corner of his mouth.

"How?"

"I'm a shifter, darling."

I shoot him a bland look and he chuckles-a low sound that lights my body from my toes to the tip of my head.

"I was assisting in the clean up from the storm in one of the nearby human villages. They tend to be more receptive to my help when I don't show up at their gates with horns and spikes."

It makes sense, but I can't help but eye the empty space where they usually reside and a pang of loss shoots through me. I can't explain it. When I'd first seen him, his horns and teeth had terrified me. But the more time I spent with him, the more accustomed to them I'd become and now that they're gone, I miss them. I don't want him hiding that part of himself.

Or any part of himself for that matter.

"You should bring them back." I say as I settle back into the pillows.

He takes in my doleful expression and his eyes flash with a spark of yellow.

"As demanding as ever," he chuckles softly, and that simple sound sets off a rapturous heat under my skin, "They don't scare you?" He asks. His tone is teasing, but something in his eyes makes me think he's honestly curious.

I shake my head slowly, matching his smile with my own, "I like them," I admit.