Wake Up

~ ZARA ~

Ash was sitting at my bedside, hovering and stern, when I woke up, and I had to be careful not to let him see my disappointment that David had had to leave. I understood that he was King and couldn't just sit endlessly waiting for me to wake up. But there was a niggling anxiety in my stomach from the moment I awoke.

I think I was past the confusion of everything that had happened, and it was coming home to me that I had almost died. That there were very real assassins in this very real world. And even apart from men and feelings and all those complications, there was danger. Danger to me. To David. And to Ash, because he was protecting me.

It felt... dark.

I wanted David close. To soothe me. But also to reassure myself that he was safe.

A few minutes after I woke, Abigail bustled in.

"Oh good. I'll make sure the King is notified. He was to be told the moment you were awake again."

My smile bloomed at the same moment Ash frowned.