Page 200 of Infernal Secrets

I studied him, taking in his sweaty skin and how his white T-shirt clung to his torso. “Have you seen the palace’s physician?”

“No.” He lowered the bottle. “It’s just my nerves.”

I wasn’t so sure about that.

Zeke struggled with stressful situations, sure, but I suspected something more than anxiety. The nagging feeling that Rae was our destined mate—and that she hadn’t manipulated us—stirred in my gut again.

Was Zeke experiencing Bondrot?

Cyn headed straight for Zeke as he entered the living room. He stood behind the sofa and placed a hand on Zeke’s forehead.

Zeke blinked up at him. “I don’t have a fever. Too hot.”

“Not anymore, but you had one last night.” Cyn circled the sofa and sat down beside Zeke. “You’re soaked.” He tugged his shirt over his head and tossed it onto Zeke’s lap. “Put this on.”

“I’m fine.”

“Put it on.”

“I can go get my own,” Zeke said, toying with the fabric in his lap.

“Don’t make me put it on you myself.”

I resisted the urge to chuckle as Zeke groaned.

“Fiiine.” He whipped his shirt off, wiped his sweaty skin with the damp fabric, and pulled on the new one. “Happy?” He pinched the front of the black T-shirt and lifted it to his nose, sniffing.

“It’s clean,” Cyn said, rolling his eyes.

“I know. I like your cologne.”

“It’s on my dresser.” He shrugged, leaning on the arm of the sofa. “You can use it if you want.” He glanced at me. “Is Ezra back yet?”

“Came in about fifteen minutes ago and went to shower. Maelia put him through it during training today.”

Zeke finished the last of his water and placed the empty bottle on the table. “Why?”

“Same reason she’s going to kick my ass in a few days.” I waved a hand, recalling what Maelia said this morning when Ezra left for training. “We’ve been gone too long and eating ‘Earth junk’. She thinks we’ll fall behind the guard and embarrass her.”

Cyn scratched his chest. “She’s not even over us anymore. What’s to be embarrassed about?”

“She still sees us as her kids.” I shrugged. “I mean, she’s not wrong. We didn’t train while on Earth. Ezra looked exhausted when he came in.”

Maelia took us under her wing when we joined the Elyrdin Guard and refused to give us preferential treatment.

When other soldiers feared Ezra’s shadow powers and refused to train with him, Maelia didn’t hesitate to plant her boot in his chest and send him flying across the yard on day one. She was the only soldier besides my brothers I trusted to have my back, no matter what.

“It’s not like we could train where humans might catch us,” Ezra said, drawing my attention to the balcony that wrapped around the living room. From below, the upper landing gave a clear view of the bedroom doors lining the second floor. He descended the stairs in a fitted T-shirt and loose lounge pants, joining us.

“You look like shit,” Cyn said, grabbing a sandwich.

Ezra let out a weary sigh, collapsing onto the left side of the sofa, facing the other guys. “Good to know.” He put his bare feet on the table and crossed his ankles.

The only time Ezra ever relaxed was here, at home. Everywhere else—inside the palace or walking through Elyrdin—he kept his guard up. Cornaith never missed a chance to scorn even the smallest action he deemed unworthy of his heir.

Only here did he allow his feelings to show—if only a little bit.

I sat forward, grabbed a water bottle, and passed it to him. “How you feeling?”