“Did it work? Did he get some of the god’s power as well?”
“We think so, but he hasn’t tried anything yet,” Rayne confirmed. “Like you, he reports feeling something. The air is heavier to him.”
“He said he’s feeling tingly like you were,” Drayce teased, earning him the eye roll he’d been angling for.
“I believe Prince Shey is waiting to confer with you on exactly what he can do with this new gift before he attempts anything,” Rayne continued.
Caelan snorted, falling back on his pillows again. “Yeah, there isn’t going to be too much I can tell him. I got even less instruction about these powers than I got in regard to my gift from Tula.” Which, if Drayce was remembering what Caelan had told him, was a two-minute conversation with his mother and Hagen about using fire to guide a protective bubble.
“Tula, huh? You’re on a first-name basis with the gods now?” Eno teased.
A wide grin spread across Caelan’s lips. “Apparently Tula told Kaes about me.”
Rayne just sort of blinked at Caelan. “Tula and Kaes,” he whispered in stunned wonder. “I don’t know that I’ve ever heard the names of the gods.”
Eno snorted. “No one has had reason to talk about them in centuries. We all thought they were dead and the Godstone was all that was left of their power.”
“Astounding,” Rayne murmured and rubbed his eyes.
“You guys are exhausted,” Caelan observed.
Drayce couldn’t help it. A loud bubble of laughter erupted from his throat, and he dropped against the pillows. The sky had grown lighter as they spoke. The sun had just risen on a new day, and he hadn’t slept a second during the night.
“We didn’t sleep last night,” Eno murmured and yawned as if just stating it made him sleepy.
“Go,” Caelan ordered with a wave of his hand. “Go. Sleep. We can meet up later this afternoon. Borrow that car and check out these new powers.”
“Are you sure?” Rayne hesitated, though he looked as if he could stretch out in that stiff and uncomfortable chair and sleep with no problem. Drayce could vouch that it would not be a wise decision. His ass had fallen asleep numerous times in that chair and his back was still aching.
“Definitely. I’m not going anywhere other than to possibly check on Shey. I need to think about my meeting with Kaes as well as our next steps. We’ll meet and talk later today.”
It didn’t take any more goading or prodding from Caelan for Eno and Rayne to turn and leave the room. At the same time, Drayce rearranged the pillows, fluffing them slightly before sinking down.
He glanced up to find Caelan smiling at him, laughter shining in his pale-blue eyes. “You’re staying, I presume?”
“Please,” Drayce begged in his best pathetic voice. “My bed is soooo far away and I’m so comfortable right here. And you know I don’t snore.”
Caelan’s laugh was the best sound he’d heard in the past day. “Oh, my God, you totally snore, and you know it.”
“But little, cute snores. Like kitten snores.”
Caelan laughed and Drayce could almost convince himself that he didn’t need to sleep if he could just keep Caelan laughing. But his eyes were burning, and his body felt way too heavy to move. If he could just catch a couple of hours, he’d be ready to go again.
“Go to sleep, Drayce. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Are you sure you feel okay?”
The bed shifted and Drayce opened his eyes. He hadn’t even realized he’d closed them, but now Caelan was lying in the bed with him. He’d turned on his side so that they were facing each other as their heads rested on separate pillows. Caelan’s black hair was mussed and standing up against the white pillowcases. His cheeks had a healthy flush to them, but there was something about his eyes. They seemed brighter, somehow more, but Drayce couldn’t even begin to explain it.
“I’m good, I swear.” His smile was soft and warm like a pair of fuzzy feet pajamas.
“Do you worry about taking on this power? Is the Goddess of Life still going to let you bond with the Life Stone now that you’ve struck this deal with Kaes?”
“I honestly don’t know.” Caelan sighed heavily. “I did this because I believe that we won’t be able to defeat the Empire without it. They’ve got a weapon we don’t understand yet. We need something to hopefully equal it. And when it’s over,” he paused and shrugged one shoulder, “yeah, I’m hoping that she’ll let me bond with the Godstone just to keep it out of the Empire’s hands along with anyone else’s.”
Drayce wasn’t fond of the idea of Caelan standing against the Empire, no matter what powers he had. But it was a fight that he knew had been brewing since the Empire had started its campaign of acquisition. The fight was made only a little more tolerable because he knew that he’d be right there with Caelan along with Eno and Rayne. They weren’t going to let Caelan face any kind of trouble without them right there protecting his back.