29. Chapter 29

Chapter twenty-nine

Drew

T his feels like my bed. The sheets are soft and the mattress plump. It smells like home. I must be hallucinating. They've finally broken me.

Though surely I wouldn't fantasize about being in this much pain? Unless it is too intense to ignore. Guess it means I'm still alive. Which is a good thing. I can't leave Luci. If they are going to do this to me, what are they going to do to him?

I need to wake up. I need to escape. I need to protect Luci.

Vague echoes float through my mind. Luci holding my hand. Luci wiping my brow. Luci whispering soothing words.

Are those memories or more hallucinations? Could I really be home?

Only one way to find out.

I claw my way to full consciousness and tentatively open one eye. My bedroom window swims into view. So far, so good. It even looks like a nice sunny day. I open both eyes. It's still my bedroom.

I'm really here. I'm no longer in that dank basement getting the shit kicked out of me. It's over and done and I'm safe. And that can only mean one thing.

Luci saved me.

My consort can kick-ass.

The bedroom door opens and I whip my head over to face it. Luci is walking in with a tray holding what looks like a bowl of soup. He looks gorgeous in his dress with daisies on it. But there are dark circles under his eyes.

He is staring at me with a strange expression. Almost as if he is both utterly delighted to see me awake and also utterly terrified.

"How do you feel?" he asks softly.

"Like I've been hit by a bus," I say truthfully.

He winces in sympathy. I watch as he carefully puts the tray on the dresser. He helps me sit up and stuffs a ton of pillows behind me. Then he places the tray over my lap and perches on the edge of the bed.

He hands me a glass of water with a straw in it. I open my mouth to say something about the straw, but actually, my jaw does hurt like hell. So I sip on the water complacently instead.

Luci's green eyes are on me like a hawk.

As soon as I'm finished drinking, he lifts a spoonful of soup to my mouth. I'm being fed like a baby, but strangely, I don't hate it.

Being nurtured and cared for by Luci is actually quite lovely. I bask in it for a little while. But questions are crowding my mind.

"How did you get me out of there?" I ask.

A dark shadow fills Luci's eyes. He puts down the spoon and carefully dabs around my mouth with a napkin.

His touch is wonderful. It is so good to see him. To be near him. I thought I was going to die and leave him behind. I was so scared. And the pain was awful.

I'm such a wimp. Luci endured being beaten by his own father. Several times, by the sounds of it. When he was only a child. Gods. Luci is a million times stronger than I will ever be.

But he still hasn't answered my question.

"Luci? "

His gaze is fixed firmly down on the bedspread. "I gave them what they wanted."

A cold wave of unease and dread is clawing at my gut. My skin is prickling with it, but my mind is balking. It's refusing to think. It's gone blank in protest.

"What did they want?" I ask, and my voice sounds strained. Hoarse.

Luci shrinks in on himself. "They wanted the portal opened."

The words bounce around and around. They rattle. They don't make any sense. They are just words. Mere sounds that humans gave meaning to long ago. In reality, words are as nonsensical as the twittering of birds.

Luci is trembling. His head is down. It's like the first days of our marriage and I can't have that. He can't be scared of me. I need to reassure him and that means making sense of what he just said.

The Revivalists wanted the portal open. Luci wanted me.

Here I am.

Therefore, he must have given them what they wanted.

Luci opened the portal and let the fey back into our world. He had a choice between the world, or me. He chose me. My Luci chose me.

"It worked? The portal worked?" I babble.

Luci nods.

And then scurries out of the way with the tray as I throw the covers back. I hobble to the window and lean heavily on the sill.

"Everything looks the same," I say after a few long moments.

Luci clears his throat. "The fey were calm. Regal even. They've simply walked into places of government and announced they are in charge now. It's been relatively peaceful."

"Fucking hell!" I gasp.

It's too much to take in. I'm floundering. Even though it's much better than the bloodshed and massacre and forever altered sky I was imagining.

"Please get back into bed."

My body throbs in agreement with my consort's request. Dazedly, I let Luci help me over to the bed. He tucks me in and my body sighs in relief.

"How long?" I ask .

"Two days," says Luci, but he still won't look at me. "The fey offered to heal you, but I didn't think you'd want their magic knitting your bones."

I shake my head but it does nothing to clear my mind, it just awakens a thousand physical hurts and makes me wince. The idea of alien magic working on my flesh and bones is nauseating. Luci definitely made the right call. I'd rather suffer for a few weeks while I heal naturally.

So I'm fine, but what about everybody else?

"Katy. The staff. Is everyone okay?"

Luci nods. "They are fine." His hands twist in his dress. "But they are not here. They left. All apart from George."

I blink up at my consort. "They didn't like your decision?"

He shakes his head and a tear plops down onto his dress. My Luci. My sweet, crazy Luci who thinks I am worth the world.

"The fey have warded the house and grounds. Nobody can get in to mete out retribution," he says softly.

I guess that is supposed to be reassuring or some sort of comfort. And it is. I don't exactly want angry hordes of people with pitchforks storming the place, looking for the man who handed their world to conquerors. I'm just sad it has come to this. I don't want the world to hate Luci. Especially not when his only crime is loving me.

Luci sniffs softly.

"Come here," I say.

Green eyes, full of fear, flash at me briefly before he lowers his gaze once more. He thinks I'm going to be furious. He believes I hate him. But I could never hate him. It's not possible.

He shuffles up to me. Even though he is expecting me to vent my rage. My poor Luci, obedience is so ingrained in him. And really, that does make none of this his fault. He was told to open the portal. Of course he was going to do it. He didn't have the same choices someone else might have had .

That doesn't make it any less romantic. He chose me over the world and that is something I will cherish forever.

And the fey don't even sound that bad. Luci is safe. I'm safe. We get to be together. And as that knowledge fizzes around my heart, I realize the truth. Being with Luci is the only thing I need.

I take his hand.

"Luci, please look at me."

His head tilts up slightly. His eyes meet mine. Tears are streaking down his cheeks.

"Thank you for saving me," I say.

He blinks.

"I'm not sure I'm worth the world, but I'm so very happy that you think I am."

Luci sniffs. An unsure expression creeps across his face.

"I take it you are quite popular with the fey?"

He nods. "Any boons I want. For the rest of my natural life."

Well, that's quite something. I'm sure that will come in very useful. Having powerful friends is a good thing. Especially when the rest of the world is now your enemy.

"And the house is protected? They'll keep you safe?"

Luci nods.

"Will they fix the blasted chandelier?"

A surprised laugh hiccups out of Luci and he clamps his hand over his mouth as if he can somehow catch it and shove it back in. But it's too late for that. His laugh escaped and I got to hear it. Just like I hope to hear many, many more.

We stare at one another for several heartbeats. Slowly, ever so slowly, the fear and trepidation drain from his face.

"You're not mad?" he whispers.

I smile and shake my head, carefully this time. "How can I be mad with the love of my life?" I say and I've never said anything more true in my entire life .

Luci's green eyes grow enormous, and then all of a sudden he is in my arms. Wrapped around me and clinging to me with a fierce embrace.

I laugh and hug him back tightly. I can't wait until my face is healed and I can kiss him. Kiss him and never, ever stop.

My Luci. My light. My love.

The only part of the world that I need.