Chapter 42

“It’s a good thing he’s pretty,” Lemuel said, his voice now behind me. Those were his hands that now prodded at my head, testing its heat, peeling back a single eyelid to blind me with the shift in light. “I just hope he’s worth it.”

“He is.” When he let go of my eye, I blinked to try and adjust my vision so I could keep them open this time. “You know what’s going on?”

He sat back on his heels. “It’s the same thing that’s been going on since Jamaica. Only this time, you went a little heavy with the magic.”

Leandro rested a hand on my abdomen, light but possessive. “What’s been going on since Jamaica?”

“My frailties.” I kept my gaze fixed on Lem. Concentrating on him helped focus my thoughts, putting everything I had learned into proper perspective.

“You’re not frail,” Leandro protested. “You’re just—”

“Becoming more mortal.” I saw the corner of Lemuel’s mouth twitch in approval at my conclusion. “That’s it, isn’t it? It all started when I met Leandro.”