To Claim A Crown Book One: The Half-Blood King (Complete)

36.

Sarah sits up in the bed gasping for air. Naomi rushes over to her and as she reaches out for Sarah she's sent flying over the chair at the foot of the bed. Naomi lands clumsily and painfully on the floor. She pushes herself up despite the pain she feels and she approaches Sarah slower this time.

"Sarah? It's me, it's Naomi. It's okay. You're safe. Just take a deep breath."

Naomi's voice slowly settles into Sarah's mind and she begins breathing slowly. Her eyes flutter open and she looks at Naomi who is cradling her arm. Naomi sits on the bed in front of Sarah.

"Hey. I'm sorry if I scared you, I just wanted to come check on you. We haven't seen you the whole day."

Naomi can't help but feel nervous being around Sarah. It seems her magick is seeping right through her and Naomi can taste it. She swallows down and tries to steady her breathing. Sarah clears her throat, her mouth dry.

"Where's Jackson?" She croaks.

Naomi smiles at Sarah with a wink. "He's around here somewhere. Probably at the dinner table with Raurlin. How are you feeling? I've been worried about you."

Sarah swings her feet off the bed and she stands up and stretches. She turns to Naomi who is watching on with a small smile. Her hair is messy and she has bags under her eyes but the colour has returned to her face and Naomi sighs a sigh of relief.

"What have I missed?" Sarah asks as she walks into the bathroom.

"Not much actually. Today has been a slow day. We did find out that Raurlin has to accept Mikain as his alpha to complete the awakening."

Sarah walks back into the room, her hair brushed and face washed. She walks over to the cupboard and pulls it open.

"It's just a formality" she states as she changes into a tracksuit "Raurlin is an anomaly. He doesn't need to do anything."

"And you know this how?"

Sarah grins at Naomi "I'm the balancing witch."

The two trot downstairs to find Jackson and Raurlin sitting at the table. Mikain is in his usual spot but Armon is beside him instead of Sandy. Naomi frowns as she sits beside Raurlin. Raurlin drops a hand onto her thigh and gives it a small squeeze. He looks at Naomi and frowns and Naomi shakes her head quickly as Sarah settles across the table beside Jackson. Jackson smiles warmly at Sarah.

"Sarah, I'm glad to see you're doing better. I would like to thank you for your help with the little situation."

"You're welcome, Mikain, however it's hardly a little situation and perhaps it's something that warrants a conversation. Perhaps after dinner?"

Mikain only nods and watches as Sarah and Jackson walk to the stove and dish up. Once they're at a safe distance Naomi leans towards Raurlin.

"She woke up from a nightmare as soon as I walked in the room and I rushed to the bed to check on her. Her magick is overflowing. I touched her and her magick propelled me away from her. I could taste it, Raur."

Raurlin nods slowly and then squeezes her thigh as Sarah and Jackson walk back to the table. They settle down in front of Raurlin and Naomi and dig into their supper.

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The group settle in Mikain's office and surprisingly Armon isn't among them. Jackson settles into a chair and Sarah settles onto the armrest of his chair. Naomi sits on a chair and Raurlin remains standing beside her with his arms crossed.