-Chapter 13-

I shucked off my wet clothes, and I watched as Reaver sat in the wingback chair, already dressed in dry, warm clothes, and holding tightly to Amelia. She loved his attention, as always, and she giggled endlessly at his touches and tickles. It was as if the day hadn't even affected her, and I was thankful for that. The events that had come to pass were something I never wanted to encounter again.

I sighed. Amelia was safe, but Ben's life still hung in the balance. Kalin had promised to keep us updated, but even with my healing magic, his condition was critical. If he didn't wake, Kalin wasn't sure if his life truly had been saved. I wished I could have done more for him.

I exhaled, and I slid my dressing gown over my head. I still needed to bathe, but for now, I would spend time with Reaver and Amelia. I had almost lost both of them in the span of twenty-four hours. I couldn't see myself doing anything else with the day besides dropping in to check on Ben. I desperately needed to sleep, but that would have to wait.

I dropped down onto the bed, and Reaver was up to join me with Amelia in tow. He lay her between us, and he leaned over to kiss my lips briefly. Amelia reached out toward me, and I lifted her to lay across my chest. Her little eyes inspected my chest, and Reaver laughed.

"I think she is trying to tell you that she is hungry," Reaver informed me, pushing some hair out of my face. "It has been a great while since she's had a proper meal, I am sure."

I didn't even want to think of what she may or may not have been fed while she was in The Dark Sanctum. I obliged Amelia, and she suckled happily away as I looked up to Reaver. I offered him a soft smile, but I sighed, "I almost lost you today."

"Ah, but you didn't," He said. "And I am not sure if I would have truly died. Once I got air in my lungs, I was fine."

"But for a few horrible moments..."

"Darling, I know how you feel," He reminded me, closing his eyes and leaning closer to kiss my temple. He drew away, and I found that his eyes were fixed on mine. "You look so very tired, love."

I sighed, and I nodded. "I can wait to sleep." I looked down to her. "I-I can't bring myself to put her down."

"Then I will hold her, and you can sleep," Reaver said, and he stroked my hair. "I promise nothing will happen to her while she is in my arms." He chuckled softly.

After Amelia had her fill, she was sleepy, and she reached immediately for Reaver, who took her and climbed out of bed. He cradled her gently against him, and he smiled warmly. "Now, what story shall it be tonight, hmmm, my love?"

She of course, did not answer, but she looked up to him, a sleepy smile spreading across her lips. She grabbed a hold of Reaver's finger as he traced her lips, and she clutched it, closing her eyes softly.

"How about the story of how I saved your mother from a group of bandits?"

I cocked a brow, the subject of the story piquing my interest. I rolled over onto my side, sneaking a better peak at the pair. His eyes, found mine, but he returned his attention to Amelia. "You aren't going to tell her the whole story, are you?" The end of that little scuffle was probably a tad too mature for a bedtime story for our daughter.

"Oh, Lilyana, what do you take me for?" He said, rolling his eyes, but then his sour face melted away and turned into a grin. "Though, I would not mind rehashing the details with you some time very soon."

"I am going to sleep now, and when I wake, I hope to find our daughter wholly uncorrupted," I said playfully.

"Oh?" Reaver asked. "Then, go to sleep, dear. Hopefully our daughter is not smoking cigarettes and sipping at whiskey when you wake."

I laughed a little before yawning and closing my eyes.

There was a swift, yet quiet knock at the door, and I sat up sharply. I glanced over, and I saw that Reaver and Amelia had joined me in bed, though Amelia slept curled against her father. Reaver's eyes cracked open, and I assured him that I would go to the door. I grabbed my robe quickly from its place, and I shrugged it on. Wrapping it around myself, I padded toward the door, and I pulled it open.

Kalin stood, her face worn and tired, but looking hopeful. "Ben is awake, but still not quite recovered. He is fevered, but he asks only for you."

I glanced back to Reaver, and he said, "Go, darling. We will be here when you return."

I hesitantly nodded, and I moved to find my slippers, and I combed my fingers through my hair. I wanted to look somewhat regal in front of whatever guards were down the hall, despite the hour. I moved with Kalin toward the room where Ben stayed.

"I will give you privacy, Your Majesty," Kalin said, nodding to me, and she closed the door behind me as I entered.

I moved to the chair that sat at Ben's bedside. His eyes found me, and he exhaled, looking away quickly. "Lily..." He exhaled, and he closed his eyes. "You came."

I took a seat beside him, and I tilted my head to the side. "Why wouldn't I come, Ben?"

"This is all my fault," He said. "I'm responsible for what happened."

"From what Kalin had told me, you had been poisoned over a long period of time," I told him. "You weren't sick. You were dying, and you were not at your best. You were being manipulated." I put my hand over his. "None of this is your fault."

"I let her into the bleedin' castle," He grunted, gulping softly. "If not for me..."

"She would have found another way if not through you," I said. "You nearly died yesterday." I stroked his face gently, and he brought a hand up to cover mine.

"You're too forgiving, Lilyana," He said. "You could at least hit me once or twice. It might make me feel better." He laughed weakly.

"If you want to be hit, I am sure Reaver is still dying to get some of his frustration out," I told him with a warm smile. "But I doubt he'd find any fun in it. You are basically an invalid."

He shrugged. "Nah. I've never known Reaver to turn down the opportunity for random acts of violence."

I sighed. "We almost lost you. I don't think I could handle losing another friend."

"It was my fault, though, Lilyana," He said. "I put Amelia in danger."

"Then you just won't bring any more women to the castle," I chuckled. I pushed some of the moist hair away from his face.

"I think I'm off women...for a while at least," He said with a small cough.

"You should rest." I smiled, and I leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Well, if you keep kissing me, Lily, I may not take a break from women, after all," He said with one of his signature lop-sided grins. "I may just make a full recovery and-"
"And my husband would most likely object," I said, smoothing the blanket down on top of him. "Go back to sleep. You're mad with fever."

"Yeah," He said, chuckling softly. "That's it. It's the fever."

I stood, and I moved toward the door. Glancing back over my shoulder, I said, "She would have found a way into the castle no matter what, Ben. It isn't your fault."

"It is," he said. "But thanks for trying to make me feel better about it."

"I will be back to see you tomorrow, Ben," I assured him.

He closed his eyes, nodding softly.

I opened the door quietly, and I slipped through. Kalin nodded silently, and she reentered the room. She closed the door silently behind her, and I walked down the hallway. The guards straightened their backs, and saluted as I passed, and I merely nodded. The hallway was very quiet, even Julian's usual cries were silenced. It was a restful silence, though. I found myself wishing for a little more noise, hoping that someone else was just as restless as I felt.

I entered my bedroom, and I saw that the bed was empty, for a moment, I panicked, but I heard Reaver's voice coming softly from Amelia's adjoining room. I exhaled, and I slipped my robe off, letting it stay where it fell onto the floor. I spread out across the bed, pulling the sheets and blankets over me. I was still exhausted, and sleep found me easily once again.

I woke, my heart pounding in my throat, and fighting for breath. I was sitting straight up in bed, and I felt Reaver's hand on the small of my back. I had been dreaming of the most dreadful things, and most of them involved the events in The Dark Sanctum. I wiped a dew of sweat from my brow, and I exhaled shakily.

"It was just a dream, darling," Reaver whispered, sitting up and pulling me against his chest. "I will not leave you." He brushed a stray tear from my face, and he placed a kiss against my shoulder.

My eyes slashed back to him. Had I been talking in my sleep, or did he just know what troubled me so easily? It didn't matter. I leaned against him, and his arms locked around me, bringing the most warming comfort imaginable. I stared out the window. The night seemed to be endless, or perhaps I just hadn't slept for very long. I rubbed my eyes, trying not to let anymore tears pass.

"It was one of the scariest moments of my life," I said, my voice cracking gently. "Amelia was safe, but you...I wasn't sure if you..." I closed my eyes, shaking my head. "I can't lose you, Reaver. Not to another person, not to death...not to anything."

"You will not lose me," He assured me, grabbing my hand and stroking the top gently. "I am yours for as long as you will have me." He unlooped an arm from around me to massage my shoulder tenderly as he feathered kisses up my neck. His touch stoked a desire that had been restrained for the past day. He released me to set me back among the pillows, and he offered me a smile.

I grasped his chin, hauling his lips down to mine. He leaned down further as our lips met, a bit of laughter rising in his chest. His hand found its way to the hem of my nightgown, pushing it up my leg, his fingers teasing and caressing all along the way to my waist. Our kiss ended, but his mouth didn't stop. He moved to tug at the lobe of my ear with his teeth and whisper, "I want you to forget all about what happened...if only for a little while." He brought his fingers to stroke me between my thighs, and he added, "You deserve a little release, my love."

I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of his fingers. It had felt like ages since he'd touched me. I still found it hard to believe barely a day had passed since Amelia had been taken from us. I arched my hips into his hand, and he took that as a full invitation to continue. He withdrew only to strip me of my dressing gown, and he pressed himself between my legs, his undergarments the only thing separating us, now. Soon enough, I was shoving his clothing off of his hips, and our bodies joined hastily.

His body moved almost desperately against me, as if he was also trying to erase the memories of the day from his mind, as well. He buried himself within me over and over, each movement more frenzied than the last, and I accepted him with equal enthusiasm. My mouth scraped his shoulder, and my fingers curled into his hair, tugging his face over toward mine. In return, he kissed me hungrily.

We reached our completion much faster than either of us had anticipated, but as we lay spent against each other, neither of us could do much else but smile. I kissed his chest softly, and I lay my ear against it to listen to the pounding of his heart. His fingers lazily traced a trail up and down my spine, sending a tingling sensation all the way to my toes.

I yawned, suddenly not worried about nightmares if I fell back asleep. I closed my eyes for a moment, but opened them once more.

"I am sure that if you wish to sleep until noon, no one will harbor any resentment," Reaver said softly.

"There is a lot to do," I sighed.

"Then, sleep, and when you wake, we will take it on," He said, pressing a soft kiss against the top of my head.

Angela seemed very upset with Logan the next day, and my brother seemed to be accepting his punishment for keeping her in the dark about the things that had been happening around the castle. I, for one, did not blame her at all. She ignored Logan in favor of spending her time fussing over Julian, whose mood and temperament had improved greatly since we had brought back that medicinal mixture from Aurora. Logan took a seat next to his wife, and she gave him a quick glance before looking back at Julian to wipe away a bit of dribble from his face.

I was sitting at my desk, pouring over the numerous reports from the guards that had been on duty the night of Amelia's abduction, double—triple-checking that Arianna had been the only intruder. The Dark Sanctum had been demolished professionally by an acquaintance of Reaver's, and the artifact found on the deceased nurse's body had been taken far away from the castle to be studied by scholars at Brightwall Academy. I had suggested that the thing be destroyed, but the scholars assured me that it was not dangerous as long as the person who controlled it was gone.

"You've no need to work so hard today," Logan said, standing once more to cross the room toward me. He put his hands into the pockets of his trousers, and his lips formed a tight line.

"I'm doing this for my own peace of mind," I told him, raising my eyes up to him. I needed to be sure that I would never have to endure that sort of turmoil again. I gathered up the papers, aligning them into a neat stack before raising to my feet. "It would make me feel better to know that all of the loose ends are tied up."

"I suppose I can understand," Logan said. "I have only the faintest idea of what you went through when Amelia was missing."

"But she is home," Angela put in, climbing to her feet. She crossed over to Logan, handing their son to him. "And she will be safe."

"I know," I said with a nod. "I just cannot let anything like this happen again. Ben nearly died, Amelia was nearly lost forever...It was a lot all at once."

"How is Ben?" Angela asked, raising her eyebrows.

"He's fine," I assured her. "He's still resting, but Kalin says that he should be fully recovered by the week's end."

"That's wonderful news," Angela said happily with a sigh of relief. "He's a good man."

"A very good man," I confirmed. "He didn't deserve all of this."

"Oh, stop talking about me," said a voice from the doorway. Ben stood there, wearing a robe and still looking very ill. His face was still pale and drawn, but his eyes were bright and full of good humor.

"What are you doing out of bed?" I asked.

"Got bored," He exhaled, plopping down into a chair. "Snuck off while Kalin was fetching me some supper. Broth...again." He rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out in distaste.

I gave him the dirtiest look I could muster. "You should be taking better care of yourself, Ben. You almost died."

"But I didn't," He said with a grin and a wink. "Where's Amelia? I haven't seen her since..."

"She is here," Reaver announced, entering the room with Amelia in tow. She was wearing the frilliest dress I had ever seen. She was nearly drowned by the fabric, but in all honesty, she was adorable. "As am I. I'm so glad to see that you are concerned with my whereabouts, Ben." He smirked.

"I didn't think Lily would be letting her out of her sight any time soon," Ben chuckled. "You're a big boy. You can take care of yourself."

"Except for all of the times where Lilyana is forced to go to his rescue," Logan put out. "I think I remember that she said something about having to dive in-"

"Bloody Will-users," Reaver sneered. "But yes. I suppose Lilyana did rescue me, and I am very grateful, though I believe I've given her plenty of thanks in private."

Logan's mouth tightened, and he patted Julian gently on the back as he moved across the room, deciding not to say anything in response.

"Well," Ben said. "I guess this is the part where we celebrate that all of us came out alive with whiskey and ..solid food."

"This is the part where you go back to bed," I corrected him. "And eat broth until Kalin says you can have something else."

"Maybe just a nip of whiskey?" He asked.

I scowled.

"Alright, alright," He sighed, pushing himself to his feet. His legs shook softly, and Reaver moved to offer his free arm to support him.

"Help him back to bed," I said, taking Amelia into my arms. I gave her a soft kiss on the head, and I glanced back over to Ben. "The world will still be here when you've recovered."

"Are you sure about that? Our little group does tend to gravitate toward disaster," Ben chuckled as Reaver led him toward the door.

"I'm sure," I said, smirking.

The rest of the day had been rather uneventful, and I was glad for it. I was rather done with excitement for the time being. I needed at least a year without one catastrophe or another popping up. Reaver shared the same sentiment, I was sure.

I glanced over to my husband, and I offered him a soft smile. He was dressing for bed, and I couldn't help but stop to admire the taut sinew of his back as he moved to unbutton his trousers. I snuck up behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist, and I pressed a kiss between the blades of his shoulders. I felt his hands on top of mine, and I sighed. "I want you to know that I love you."

"I do know that," He said, turning to face me. He cupped my face tenderly, and he pressed a gentle kiss against my lips. "And I love you."

"Let's go to bed, darling," I sighed.

"Go to bed?" He asked. "Or go to bed?"

I raised a brow at him. "Whichever you prefer. I believe I still owe you something especially naughty from the night of the balverine fight."

"Oh, that you do," He said, his voice taking on a more sultry tone. He pushed me gently toward the bed, and he caught my lips with his.

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone that's read the entire series so far! I'm really appreciative of your input and your kind words! I'm taking a wee little break from Lilyana's story to focus on something else for a while. So while this story is on hiatus, I will be working on my story called Outside The Lines. Please take a look at it because I think it's going to be interesting and exciting. Follow/Favorite me and you can see what else I'm up to!