Concealed (Unbound, Book 4)

Chapter Thirty-Five

When we returned to the Manor and I fell asleep, Onyx was at my side, keeping me warm as dreams filled with being stuck at the depths of a large body of water made my veins feel as though they ran with cold blood. Through half-awake moments, I felt myself shivering and sought warmth by hugging her fur. It barely helped, though the uprooted turmoil of what happened was offset by snippets of being sick in a bathroom and laughing with Calin.

Inevitably, the cold returned, dark and endless.

Blues mixed with purples until it felt like I was in a hallucinogenic nightmare.

What felt like eons later but could have only been a couple of hours, I woke, becoming fully aware enough to finally feel warmth. I snuggled into Onyx's embrace, seeking the comfort of heat. After a minute, I blinked, my eyes widening. Onyx doesn't have arms. I slid to the edge of the bed and felt the weight around my shoulders lessen.

I moved to the side of the bed and sat up so that my legs hung over the edge. Looking over my shoulder, I sighed in relief as Calin watched me with amusement from beneath hooded eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I groaned, pushing my hair out of my face.

He shrugged, one shoulder rising as the action caused his cheek to smush against the pillow. "Watching you sleep."

"That's creepy."

"Or... Incredibly sweet."

I rolled my eyes and Calin scooted closer to me, his arm coming around to rest around my waist. His face was against my side as he looked up at me and said, "I was worried when you left school. How did you get home?"

"Mrs. Renaldi came and picked me up."

"You said you had a headache."

"I still do." I nodded. "I need some ibuprofen or something, a bathroom break, and then another twenty hours of sleep."

Calin rolled onto his back in the middle of the bed and crossed his arms behind his head. "I'll wait."

"You think I'm sleeping with you?" I laughed and shook my head, and Calin grinned wider.

"Eventually," he said, nodding.

"You—Argh!" I threw my pillow at him and stood, casting another look at him as I shook my head and walked into the bathroom. When the door closed, I yelled through the wood, "You can stay but only because you're comfy!"

I heard Calin laugh as I did exactly as I said and got headache medicine, used the washroom, and returned to the bedroom. Crawling under the covers, I snuggled against Calin, resting my head in the crook of his arm as he pulled me close. Knowing that my barrier had been strengthened and Miss Rose wouldn't be able to walk in to catch us 'canoodling' again, I let the comfort of his touch sooth me.

My eyes drifted closed, only this time, I didn't dream.

*****

An arm slid around my neck, hugging me from behind in a chokehold for a moment, and then loosened. "Hey," Calin whispered into my ear and then set his lunch tray on the table beside me, pulling up the chair to my right as his hand dropped to my back. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." I nodded and a blush crept into my cheeks as I looked down. "Thanks."

Calin had stayed over. We woke early and talked. He left around four to go home, shower and change, and return in time for breakfast before anyone realized he'd been there all night, though Mrs. Renaldi kept throwing us knowing glances as we ate.

"What's wrong?" Maible asked as she kept her head down, focusing on her lunch.

"Nora had a headache yesterday," Calin said. "Remember? That's why I left in the afternoon."