Chance of Stardust

Stardust (ch 19)

Cassie roused in slow increments. She was warm and the pain was gone. Fear jolted through her again at the memory of seeing that dark, dark blood on her hands and realizing that she was going to die. Revelin must have gotten her to the tube in time. She felt too lousy to be dead. Her mouth was dry and a dull ache pounded behind her eyes.


She shifted, trying to regain her bearings. Cloth moved against her skin. Not her t-shirt, she thought. But she didn’t have any other clothes and it didn’t feel tight enough to be the black suit. Her fingers moved over the fabric, testing the rough and still unfamiliar surface.


She forced her eyes open.


She lay on a narrow bed in a small, unfamiliar room, the lights dim. Davi lay on a bed against the opposite wall, his breathing soft and steady. Cassie lifted her head, but a dizzying wave warned her not to try much more.


She blinked at the thin blanket that covered her and then at the white shirt she wore. Revelin’s pajamas? Was this his bed, then? It certainly wasn’t the tube where she’d been sleeping lately.


“Cassie?”


She turned her head to find Davi watching her.  His voice was a harsh rasp, a painful rattle instead of smooth, growly tones of the others.


“I didn’t think you could talk.”


He shrugged that away. “How are you feeling?”


“Alive.” She took a deep breath and tried to sit up. It took three tries before she made it and she turned to lean back against the wall, dizzy and nauseas. Someone had twisted her hair into an awkward plait and wrapped the tie around it. She would have to fix that, she decided. Later. When her head wasn’t spinning. She adjusted the shirt that was trying to fall off her shoulder, the neck gaping. The pants were far too long, but at the moment they were keeping her feet warm. “Are you still hurting?”


“I’ll live.” A faint smile lit his face. “Thanks to you.”


“I didn’t do all that much.”


Davi eased upright, pain etching lines beside his mouth. “You didn’t give up.”


They breathed, watching each other. She sighed, leaning her head back against the wall.


“Why don’t you talk much?”


“My voice.”


She cracked a lid to peer at him. “It hurts?”


“No.”


If it wasn’t physically painful, there must be another reason. Her eyes drifted closed again.


“It bothers other people,” she guessed. “Well, it doesn’t bother me so if you feel a conversation coming on, let her rip.  I like to talk.”


He chuckled but remained silent. So much for passing the time that way.


“Where is Revelin?”


“Don’t know.”


She forced her eyes open and slid to the edge of the bed. Davi watched her, his eyes narrowing.


“Stay.”


“I need to talk to him.” He’d been hurt and bleeding the last time she’d seen him. She needed to make sure he was all right.


“You’re hurt.”


Nausea tangled an ugly knot in the pit of her stomach, but she persevered and managed to stand, wobbling on unsteady legs. Davi tried to stand but went white and sank back on the bed, holding his stomach.


“Be careful!”


Cassie took step and her legs gave out, dropping her to her knees. She caught the edge of his bed to steady herself, the blood in her head a swirling roar. They stared at each other for a long moment.  A chuckle bubbled up and Davi’s mouth twitched in answer. She leaned her head on the edge of the bed, feeling foolish and exhausted, but alive.


“We’re a pair, aren’t we, Davi?” A rough chuckle and the brush of his fingers on her hair and she sighed. “I’m being an idiot, aren’t I?”


A rumble of agreement that made her smile.


“Do you remember your world?”


“Some.” Another gentle stroke of his fingers. “Cold. White. Not green like the others remember.”


“Snow,” she murmured, wondering if she were going to fall asleep sitting on the floor. “Arctic climate. Makes sense, I suppose.”


“You know snow?”


A smile curved her mouth as her lashes brushed her cheeks. “Yeah. It snows where I live during the winter but not as much as some places. I like the snow.”


The door slid open and Leiv looked down at her.


“We’re having a deep, philosophical discussion, Leiv,” she quipped. “Want to join us?”


He didn’t smile but crouched, coming down to eye level. “How are you feeling?”


She made a quick assessment and shrugged. “I’m thirsty, hungry, and nauseous, and I don’t have the wherewithal to get off the floor and do something about any of it. How are you?”


He ignored the facetious question but glanced at Davi who only shook his head, sliding to lie down again and close his eyes. Leiv turned his attention back to Cassie.


“Would you like some help?”


“I hate laying around in bed.”


He tilted his head, considering the idea. “I can bring you food and drink.”


“I’d rather go and eat like a big girl, if it’s all the same to you.”


“You can’t walk,” he pointed out. “You can hardly sit upright without support and you want to eat in the dining hall?”


“Yes.”


His long suffering sigh made her want to laugh. She shouldn’t tease him, but it was too much fun poking the snarly, grumpy beast. But she didn’t want to get back in bed. She hated being sick and now she felt guilty about bugging poor Davi when it was obvious he needed to sleep.


“You will tell Revelin this was your idea, correct?”


“Absolutely.”


He thought about that for a long moment and then jerked a curt nod. “Then let us get you fed.”


He scooped her up, carting her out of the room like abandoned luggage, the scowl on his face one she had gotten used to.


“Thank you.”


He growled low in his throat. It didn’t sound like you’re welcome, but she chose to take it that way. He carried her into the mess hall and placed her with care on one of the seats. She’d expended no effort getting here, but her hands were shaking just from sitting upright.


“What would you like to eat?” Leiv settled into Revelin’s usual place at the head of the table.


“Something sweet first,” she decided, just to help with the shakes. “I probably should have protein to help replace the blood I lost.”


Leiv didn’t argue but entered the request and, when it arrived, he slid the tray in front of her without a word.


The first smell of food touched her nose and her stomach tangled in a knot of indecision, part ravenous hunger and part gut wrenching revolt. She reached for the drink first, sipping at the liquid to give her stomach time to settle. The first taste hit her mouth and the decision was made. She was hungry.


Leiv watched her eat, making no comment on her appetite. When her glass was empty, he got her another. The sugary dessert he’d selected helped settle shaky nerves and the meat filled her up faster than her taste buds thought fair. She settled to nibbling, the nausea gone now and exhaustion creeping back in.


“Thank you.”


Leiv eyed her, not wary or angry, but considering. “I won’t apologize for taking you.”


She nibbled at another piece of meat and washed it down, trying not to look surprised. He’d never broached the subject of her abduction before.


“I don’t expect you to.” She set the glass down, not sure where this conversation would go. “But, then, I’m not apologizing either. We both did what we felt we had to do.”


She took a few more bites and then pushed the tray away, her appetite satisfied for now.


“Where is Revelin?”


“Talking with Kyall, trying to figure out how the Gurot keep finding us.”


“I thought they tracked my Universal.”


“Neither you nor Llyr were outside the ship’s shielding the first time they found us. Today, you and Revelin were not outside the shielding long enough for the Gurot to track you, follow us and find you.”


“Leiv.” Revelin stepped into the room, anger a simmer under his skin when he spotted her. He was wearing another set of the loose pajamas, no blood on his shoulder where he’d been bitten so someone had patched him up.


“I asked him to bring me,” Cassie broke in. Leiv shot her an amused look. “I was hungry.”


A growl that ended in a sigh. “You should be in bed. Healing.”


“Can’t heal without fuel,” she shot back. There was no missing that he was angry, though at what or whom she couldn’t say. “Revelin? Is everything all right?”


“Leiv. Go.”


The big hirrient rose at the command. Leaning over, he brushed his knuckles against her cheek and gave her a nod before leaving. She blinked after him. Where had that come from?


She didn’t have time to worry about Leiv’s uncharacteristic gesture of affection. Revelin crouched in front of her, his expression stern. This didn’t look good. The gentle lover she’d shared time with in the meadow was gone.


“Leiv, too?” The snarl flashed the tips of his canines. “Are there any of my men you haven’t charmed?”


“Charmed?” Her temper bristled. “Just what are you accusing me of?”


He didn’t answer directly but stroked her cheek, his gaze still molten. “You don’t even realize you’re doing it. Even Llyr.” He sighed and curled his hand under her hair to hold her still as he leaned in and stole a hard kiss. “You should be in bed.”


Stuck between surprise at his kiss and her pricked temper, Cassie could only blink at him. “I don’t want to be in bed.”


“You nearly died today.”


There was enough of a snarl in the quiet tone to break through the veil of temper. He was angry she got hurt. She leaned closer and rubbed her nose against his.


“I’ve been trying very hard not to think about that,” she admitted in a small voice.


“I can’t stop thinking about it.” And he was angry about it, all right. The snarl was more pronounced now. “I can’t keep my promise to you if you die.”


Her temper edged up again. “Wait. Are you saying that breaking your promise would be the bad part of that scenario? Personally, I’m thinking something a little different.”


He scooped her up without warning and headed for the door. She shoved against him, wriggling to be put down even though the logical part of her brain was shaking its head at the stupidity of the move.


“I didn’t ask for your help.”


“You never do.” He strode down the short hall and triggered the door to a bedroom. Not the room she had been in before, she noted. At least Davi would get some sleep while she and Revelin hashed this out. “You insist on arguing with me when it would be wiser and simpler to obey.”


“Obedience isn’t one of my talents,” she shot back as he stepped inside and deposited her on one of the beds. The second bed was empty, the blanket neatly folded at the foot. “Revelin, you can’t just decide what’s best for me and expect me to fall in line with it. This is my life we’re talking about.”


“Yes. Your life.” He nudged her flat and tugged the blanket up, tucking it around her. “I worry about my honor, Cassie, because my honor I keep.”


That confused her long enough for him to make good his escape and the door closed behind him, leaving her in silence.


Her life was only important because he might break his promise otherwise? That didn’t sit right with what she knew of him. Revelin cared about lives. It was what made him the man he was.


She tried to wriggle an arm free of the blanket but was forced to give up. The man was also talented at tucking in blankets. She’d never been tucked in so securely and she doubted it was by accident.


Before she could decide if she were angry about that or amused, he was back, a tray of food in one hand and a wad of cloth in the other.


“Can you untuck me a little? I can’t even wiggle a finger in here.”


“That was the idea.” He didn’t sound the least bit apologetic, either. “Give you wiggle room and you take over my ship.”


“I haven’t tried to take over your ship,” she protested only to be ignored.


“Every one of my men have come to me to make sure you are being taken care of properly, to assure me that they are willing to take on the duty if I wish. Even Llyr. The boy offered to sit with you and fetch and carry for you.”


“They’re friends.” She tried to free her leg from the restricting blanket. “Revelin, untuck me some. You can’t just tie me up in a blanket and leave me here.”


“I can’t?” No apology in his tone as he settled at the head of the bed and set the tray of food aside.


Cassie tilted her head back to peer up at him. He still looked stern as he unrolled whatever he had in the cloth and began to lay items aside. She couldn’t get a good look at them from this angle and she wriggled against the blankets again, trying to get some part of her body free. She gave up after a few moments, her heart beat unsteady and spots dancing in front of her eyes.


“This isn’t funny, Revelin.”


“I’m not amused, either.” He tugged her hair from under her and pulled the tie free. She winced as he began to untangle the wadded plait. “I find nothing amusing about your being hurt.”


“So you’re going to tie me up and leave me in bed so I won’t get hurt again? Is that the plan?” It might have been funny if she didn’t have the feeling that he was serious about this.


He didn’t answer but dug a brush from the pile of things he’d brought with him and began to brush the tangles out of her hair.  The care with which he handled the long strands belied his stern expression. Cassie held her peace as he worked through the knots, wondering what was going on in his head.


He ran the brush through her hair in long, slow strokes and the tension in her body eased a bit. She was being petted. Her lashes were drooping by the time he set the brush aside and picked a small bottle from the pile and removed the stopper. A faint floral scent filled the air, clean and fresh. Taking a few drops from the bottle, he rubbed them between his fingers and then began a gentle massage at her temples.


Okay…


Between the feel of his fingers on her skin and the sweet scent of the oil as he massaged along line of her jaw and beneath to the nape of her neck, Cassie didn’t stand a chance. She relaxed into his hands, no longer caring that she was effectively tied to the bed or that he was being bossy about the whole thing. He worked at muscles she hadn’t realized were tense until she was little more than a limp pile of exhausted happy.


She roused a little when he shuffled the items he’d brought with him off the bed and onto the floor. He shifted, untucking the blanket enough that he could slide behid her and wrap his body around her. She smiled, her lashes drifting down to brush her cheeks again. One big hand slid under her shirt to rest against her stomach. The touch made her stomach muscles clench in a rush of heat but she was feeling too content to do anything about it.


“Revelin?” she whispered.


“Yes?”


“I’m sorry I scared you.”


He nuzzled into her hair, holding her close. “Not forgiven.”


Her smile widened. “I know.”


Sleep chased down and she gave in.