Chapter 62

Damion stays with me throughout my visit to the infirmary.

The healer makes quick work of my injuries. I think the fact that Damion sat next to me, glaring daggers at the poor shifter the entire time he worked over me, made the healer work that much faster. He was efficient though, using a type of pale paste over the deeper wound on the side of my head -the place where I hit the rock in the fall- to stop any further bleeding.

When I'm all patched up, the healer lets me know I should keep the area clean and that it's fine for the newly patched up areas get wet. He then gives me a strong smelling ointment that he instructs me to put on the areas to keep them from scarring. I thank him as we stand from the bed to leave, and the man offers both me and Damion a quick bow before running off to attend to others who had been injured in the earth storm.

Instead of taking me to my room like I expect him to, Damion pulls open the door across from mine tugging me in with him. I've never been inside his room before, and I peer around the large space curiously. It's similar to the room I'd stayed in last time I was here, but bigger.

The focal point of the room is the massive bed that takes up the center. It's done up in dark blacks and grays. Similar to my room, there's a fireplace in the corner, already lit. A set of large wingback chairs are placed in front of it. There's food set out, like someone had called for a meal to be brought up to us while we were in the infirmary.

I don't know why, but what surprises me most is the fact that nearly every wall in his room is made up of tightly packed bookcases that span from floor to ceiling. Lines of rope span across each shelf and when I touch one curiously he follows the motion with his eyes.

"It's to keep the books from falling off every time we have a storm," he explains.

"Smart." I can't imagine the effort it would take to pick up all of these books every time there was an earth storm. I imagine that as soon as the last book had been put back in its place another storm would roll in, knocking them back off.

"I still can't believe you're here," he admits, "A part of me thinks that it's a very vivid dream that I'm about to wake up from."

I turn around to face him where he's leaning against one of his shelves watching me.

"When I didn't hear from you, I got worried," I admit, my bottom lip catching between my teeth, "The first chance I had to come, I took it."

"I'm sorry I worried you," he says, "I started writing to you a thousand times over the past week, but I stopped myself every time because I didn't want to risk it. I didn't want to send a messenger out to you, just in case there was any chance of them being followed. I couldn't risk the thought of anything happening to you."

"Are the Unseelie still attacking?" I ask. Anxiety at that possibility has my stomach clenching.

He sighs, running the flat of his hand over the side of his jaw, "They are- among other things."

"What do you mean? What other things?" I ask, my blood chilling in my veins.

His eyes flicker and he looks as if he's debating whether or not to tell me, and it's his hesitation that clues me in.

"The Seelie?" I ask.

His chin dips in confirmation, "They're attempting to claim a part of the mountains as their own," he explains, "Before you were taken, your father had started some sort of project involving mining into the base of the mountain. Every time we push them out, they come back."

Damion takes a step closer to me, his hand falling on the side of my neck. It's as if it pains him to keep his hands off me for a single moment longer than necessary and I find that I feel the same way. The warm edge of his thumb slides up the side of my neck while he talks, sending shivers up my spine.

"They've been persistent enough in their desire to dig that I'd consider opening a negotiation with them for the land," he says, "But for whatever reason the earth storms get more frequent when they start digging into the mountain. Strong arming them into ceasing their mining projects was the main purpose behind taking you that first time."

*Mining project.*

For some reason, those words niggle at my memory. It's been long enough that it takes me a moment to recall where it was I'd heard about the Seelie engaging in a mining project before. The night before I left the palace with the Unseelie fae, I'd asked my sister what it was the shifters had wanted in exchange for my return.

*"What was it that the shifters wanted?" I'd asked Lucia as she paced around my room.*

*"What do you mean?" *

*"What was their price for returning me home?" *

*"Oh," she'd blinked to clear her thoughts, her slim arms folding across her chest, "They wanted father to cease a project he'd begun at the edge of the northern mountain range."*

*"What sort of project?" *

*"I'm not entirely sure," she'd admitted, "but I believe it had something to do with mining, though. Why?"*

I blink back up into Damion's eyes, "My sister had mentioned something about a mining project to me," I tell him as the memory clears, "I'd asked her what my father had given in exchange to get me back and she said they agreed to stop a mining project. She didn't know any details about it though. What do you think they were digging for?"

"I have no clue," Damion admits, a muscle in his jaw ticking, "We've combed over the land they're digging into with no indication as to what they could be looking for. But whatever it is, it's important enough to them that they broke the agreement they made with us to start back up within the week you left their court."

"And the mining increases the frequency of the earth storms?" I ask, horror falling over me. No wonder Damion had gone to such lengths as to use me for ransom and to attempt forcing my fathers hand. People were dying in these storms. My father's project was putting Damion's people at risk.

"Dealing with the Seelie *and* the Unseelie. You've had a lot going on-"

He tips his head to the side considering, "It all seems insignificant somehow now that I have you here."

His words make my stomach clench but for an entirely new reason. My blood heats, cheeks flushing, as I stare up into his face.

"Do you want to eat or shower first?" He asks, thumb stroking down the side of my neck again.

I'm suddenly very aware of the dirt and blood on me from the days of riding and camping outside through the mountains. I'm sure I probably smell horrible, not that Damion has given me any indication that he thinks I do. He's staring at me, not like the dirty tangled mess I'm sure I am, but like he can't take his eyes off me.

"I should probably wash up first."

I tug my dirty riding shirt over my head, letting it drop at my feet before moving onto unbuckling my pants. I make quick work of bending over to peel them off too, adding them to where my shirt lays at my feet until I'm stand only in my underclothes.

Damion's gaze lowers to my newly exposed skin, his eyes darkening and heating as they slowly trail over me.

"Come with me?" I ask, my body rejecting the idea of being separated again so soon- even for something as brief as taking a shower.

A heated smile pulls at his lips as he leads me to the bathing room.