Chapter 219
FAYE
25 Points
When I opened my eyes, the ceiling above me was unfamiliar–too white, too bright, too still. For a few seconds, I just lay there blinking at it, my mind foggy and slow, as if someone had stuffed cotton between my thoughts. Then the faint smell of drifted in, a soft electronic beep pulsed
steadily nearby.
The clinic.
Why was I in the clinic?
It took another sluggish moment before the memory slid back into place–me trying to stand after the council meeting, the floor swaying like it wanted to fling me across the room, and Cole catching me before everything dissolved into darkness.
I exhaled heavily.
Great.
I turned my head slightly and saw the IV drip at my side, the clear liquid dripping in a patient rhythm. One needle in my hand. A thin blanket over me. Someone had removed my shoes–Cole maybe, or one of the nurses. The last thing I remembered was the panic in his voice. I would laugh at that later… but right now, I was too tired to find it funny.
I shifted, trying to push myself up, and my body felt heavy–as if it had been recharged halfway but
not fully.
“How long have I been out?” I murmured to myself, reaching toward my phone on the bedside
cabinet.
The time made me freeze.
Hours.
I’d been asleep for actual hours.
Before I could process it further, the door opened quietly. Dr. Adams walked in with her usual smart steps, wearing that stern, unreadable face that always made me feel like I was a
disobedient child being judged silently.
“Luna, you’re awake.”
Not a question. Just a statement thrown into the room like she already knew the answer before
entering.
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“Yes,” I said, sitting up a bit straighter.
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She stopped beside me, eyes scanning the chart in her hand, then shifting to the drip bag. “Good.
You needed the rest.”
I didn’t argue. Mostly because she was right.
She moved closer and checked my pulse, then my eyes, then the infusion.
“The tests are back,” she said as she scribbled something down. “Everything looks fine overall.”
Relief washed through me–warm but brief.
“But,” she added with the sort of calm finality that always meant trouble, “you were severely dehydrated. That’s part of what caused your dizziness.”
I stared at her. Dehydrated?
I drank water… a lot of water… all the time.
“How-“I began, then shut my mouth. Right. Arguing with Dr. Adams was like slapping a sleeping bear. Foolish and unnecessary.
She wasn’t finished anyway.
“And you need more rest. Not optional.” She stepped back and gave me that clinical, pointed look. “For your sake and for the baby’s.”
I nodded automatically. But it took half a second for her words to fully register.
“For the–yes,” I said quickly, swallowing the sudden tightness in my throat. “Of course.”
She didn’t soften, but she did lower her clipboard. “Exhaustion and stress can affect the child. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard.”
I had no counterargument for that one. Because she was absolutely right.
Rest.
Something I had been treating like a luxury instead of a requirement… but I didn’t think I was doing anything too stressful though, just that I’d been feeling a bit weak for a reason I couldn’t say for
sure.
It couldn’t have been just because of the pregnancy alone, could it? Well…
She hovered for a few more seconds–like she was trying to decide whether to scold me again- before finally saying, “You can leave once the drip finishes.”
“Okay.”
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“And Luna?” she added, pausing at the door.
I looked up.
“Please, do not skip meals for any reason.”
The tone was a warning disguised as advice. “Your body is working for two now.”
25 Points
I rolled my lips inward to keep from smiling like a teenager caught doing something ridiculous. “I
won’t.”
She gave me a final nod and left.
The room fell quiet again. I leaned back and let my eyes close for a moment. My body felt better- lighter, clearer–but there was still a softness behind my eyelids that begged for more sleep.
But I wasn’t going to lie down again.
I’d already slept half the day away.
When the drip finally emptied, a nurse was already standing by, waiting to take it off.
As soon as the nurse did her thing and left, I carefully removed the blanket and slid off the bed. My feet touched the cool floor, and it felt… good. I stretched once, testing myself. No dizziness, no
fog.
Good.
I found my shoes beside the bed and slipped them on, then made my way out of the clinic, waving briefly at the nurse who wished me a good night.
Stepping outside, the air hit me instantly–cooler, darker. Nighttime. The entire compound felt quieter, like the world had taken a deep breath in my absence.
For a moment, I stood there just letting the fresh air settle around me.
But the exhaustion was still there, tucked low in my bones like a stubborn ache. Maybe Dr. Adams was right. I had pushed too much today–mentally, physically, emotionally. The council meeting had drained what was left in me, and the tension from Patrick’s letter certainly hadn’t helped.
Still, I wasn’t going to think about Patrick or the High Circle right now.
Right now, all I wanted–desperately–was something warm to eat. And then sleep. Long, uninterrupted, peaceful sleep.
I rubbed a hand over my face and exhaled softly.
Dinner and bed.
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That was all my brain could handle.
Nothing else… absolutely nothing else.
+26 Points
ALEXANDER
I sat beside her on the bed, the room quiet except for the soft sound of the morning breeze slipping through the slightly open window.
Faye lay curled on her side, her hair spread across the pillow in loose waves. She looked so peaceful–too peaceful for me to even think about waking her.
I reached out and gently moved a few strands away from her face, letting my fingers trail lightly along her temple. Her skin felt warm, but not feverish. Thank the moons for that.
I’d barely returned when Cole told me she hadn’t been doing well–that she’d almost collapsed.” Exhaustion,” he’d said. “Just exhaustion.”
As if that made it any better.
If anything, it made the guilt in my chest heavier. Faye shouldn’t be exhausted to the point of collapsing. I should have been here. I should’ve been the one handling whatever meetings or stresses she felt obligated to push herself through. Instead, she’d taken everything onto herself until her body forced her to rest.
I sighed quietly and studied her face. She looked so beautiful like this though; I could watch her sleep all day. I brushed my thumb along her cheekbone–just barely–because I didn’t want to disturb her. She shifted a little, her lashes fluttering as though she sensed the movement. Then her eyes opened slowly–sleepy, hazy, soft.
For a moment, she just stared at me as if I wasn’t real.
It was in her eyes–the confusion, the softness, the way her breath caught slightly like she was wondering if she was still dreaming. It was adorable. And honestly? A little heartbreaking… and funny too.
“Hey,” I murmured, giving her a small smile.
The moment her eyes fully focused on me, something changed in her expression–like a light flicking on behind her gaze. Confusion melted into recognition, and then into something warm and bright.
Before I could say another word, she broke into the kind of smile that made everything inside me go still.
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Chapter 219
“Alexander…” she breathed.
And then she threw her arms around me.
She moved with that sudden burst of joy that didn’t care about anything else. She practically launched herself into my chest, and I barely had time to steady both of us before her arms wrapped tightly around my neck.
25 Pomits
I exhaled sharply, caught off guard–but I held her just as tightly, instinctively, my arms closing around her waist. Her face pressed into my shoulder, warm, and gods… I hadn’t realized how much
I needed this.
She clung to me like I’d been gone for months.
Months–not barely three days.
Her heartbeat was fast against mine, and her breath trembled a little, and the emotion in her grip told me more than any explanation ever could. She’d missed me… deeply. More than she’d ever admit out loud.
“Easy,” I murmured against her hair, but I didn’t actually want her to let go. If anything, I tightened my hold, sliding a hand up her back. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”
She shook her head lightly against my shoulder, and I felt the soft brush of her smile. I felt her
relief.
I hadn’t realized how much space her absence had carved into me during those three days–not until she filled it instantly just by being in my arms again.
She pulled back slightly. “How are you here already? I thought there was supposed to be some kind of ceremony or something,” she asked.
I shrugged. “Ceremonies can happen anytime, but I couldn’t wait to see you as soon as I could,” I said. “How do you feel?”
“I’m very well, thank you,” she said with a smile.
She was lying… she forgot I could hear her heartbeat.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
