54. The Prince

54

THE PRINCE

H e stirred, his eyelids fluttering open as he emerged from the depths of sleep. For a moment, his mind struggled to reconcile the strange surroundings with the fragmented memories that danced at the edges of his consciousness.

Slowly he turned his head, his gaze falling on the female curled up in the chair beside his bed, and a smile blossomed on his face.

Jasmine looked soft and relaxed in sleep, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders in soft waves.

Extending his arm, he tried to reach the strands with his fingers, but the bed was too high, too far away. He tried to move sideways and stretch his arm closer, but his arm was already trembling from the effort, and his muscles were still weak.

With a groan, he tried harder to force his body to obey his commands, but he'd reached his limit and had to give up. It was unsettling to be trapped within his own flesh and unable to control his most basic functions.

Perhaps he could rest a little and try again.

Yeah, he should rest and try to recall what he had learned from his visitors.

How long ago had they sat in his room and told him things he had already mostly forgotten?

While he'd slept, someone had removed the extra chairs, and Jasmine had returned, but that still did not tell him how long he had been asleep.

They had told him about his mother, who had made him vow to protect his sister. As if he needed to make a vow to do that. It was his honor and duty to protect her. Even his memory loss could not erase his devotion to his twin. She was his entire world.

Had been his entire world.

Now, there was also Jasmine, but his sister had to come first. They told him that she was in the next room over and doing fine, but he had to see her with his own eyes to believe it, to reassure himself that she indeed lived, that he hadn't failed.

So close, and yet so far.

How could he reach her if he could not reach Jasmine's hair? Rest. He needed to rest.

Closing his eyes, he let his mind drift off until sleep overtook him, and when he woke up again, he felt a little stronger.

Jasmine was still asleep on the chair, and he felt a pang of guilt about her discomfort. She was there for him, and he now knew why. She felt responsible because she helped find him and his sister, saved them from the grip of death.

He owed her a life debt, and he couldn't wait for her to wake up so he could make the vow to her.

Right now, his vow would be worthless because he couldn't protect her any more than he could protect his sister, but when he was back to full strength, he would protect them both with his life.

He had to get stronger fast, and he wasn't going to achieve that by lying in bed. With a sudden burst of determination, he gathered his strength and pushed his legs down the side of the bed. Now, if he could only force his torso to lift off the mattress and move him to a sitting position…

The door burst open, and Bridget came rushing in. "What do you think you're doing?" She crossed the room in a few quick strides and gently but firmly pushed him back onto the bed. "You could have torn out your IV feed, and you're in no condition to be moving."

"What's going on?" Jasmine rubbed her eyes. "What did I miss?"

"Your guy tried to get up."

Jasmine turned to look at him with a shocked expression on her face. "What were you thinking?"

"I have to see my sister."

Bridget's expression softened. "You will, but not today. She's in the room next to you, and she's doing fine. That's all you need to know for now."

She tilted her head. "I can show her to you if you want."

"How?"

The medic pulled out a device from her pocket. "We have cameras installed in each patient room, so I can take a look even if I'm away from the clinic." She cast a glance at Jasmine, who blushed for some reason.

He shook his head. "I need to see her with my own eyes. I need to touch her hand and feel the warmth of life under her skin."