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Twig resisted the urge to groan. His mother had been readily bringing food from the kitchens, but it was always something easily digested. Initially, it had been because he had trouble eating, but now he dreamed of something more substantial. “You shouldn’t have,” he told his mother.
“You have to eat.”
“I know, but I’m tired of soup.”
She put the tray she was carrying down and reached over to pat his shoulder. “Good thing it’s not soup, then.”
His stomach growled the second the smell hit his nose. When his mother lifted the cover of the plate, he saw that indeed, she hadn’t brought him soup. Instead, he found a steak waiting for him, with roasted broccoli next to it instead of fries, but still, it was better than what he’d been able to eat over the past few weeks.
He was suddenly ravenous. He barely looked at his mother as he tucked in, eager, perhaps a little too much. Thankfully, she didn’t say anything. She just watched him, smiling, as if he was doing something incredible. He supposed that for her, he was. He’d been feeling too ill to really eat lately, and she’d been worried. Seeing him eat like this was probably a relief for her.
She didn’t try to get him to talk until his plate was almost empty and he’d slowed down. He felt a little nauseous, which wasn’t a surprise, but he wasn’t planning on vomiting, so he told himself to calm down. The food wasn’t going anywhere unless his mother took the plate away, and she wasn’t going to.
“It’s good to see you eat,” she commented.
“It’s good to be able to eat. Thank you. I didn’t expect this.”
“You should have. You know I always take care of you.”
A pang of guilt made Twig look down. It was true. She always took care of him, especially when he was sick. He wasn’t unkind to her, but these days, he often wished she would leave him alone. It had more to do with the forced proximity than with her, but still. “Thank you for everything you’ve done these past few weeks. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” he told her.
She looked away. “It would have been fine,” she said, in a voice that was surprisingly calm. “And if not me, then Palmer.”
Twig blinked. “That sounds like you approve of him.”
“It’s not that I don’t approve of him. I’m just not sure he’s the best thing for you, or for the clan.” She hesitated. “And his brother, well.”
“What about his brother?”
“I just want you to be careful, Twig. Not only is he human, but he’s firmly on Killian’s side. Some dragons won’t like that.”
“Some dragons don’t like that I’m firmly on Killian’s side either. I’ve never made a secret of who I support. I don’t think that me talking to Taylor or Palmer is going to change anything.”
“Maybe not,” she agreed. “But promise me you’ll be careful.”
“Of course. I’m not planning on getting poisoned again.”
“That’s not what I meant, baby.”
“I’m not sure what you meant, then, but I will be careful.”
She looked at him as if waiting for him to say something else. When he didn’t, she shook her head. “That’s good. I don’t think my poor heart could withstand seeing you in the infirmary again. The only time I want you to be here is when you eventually lay eggs.”
Twig felt his face flame. “Why are we talking about that? I’m not planning on doing that anytime soon.”
“I know, but plans have a habit of changing when you least expect them to.”
“Mom, if you need to say something, just say it.” Twig hated it when she was all mysterious like that. He just didn’t understand why she couldn’t be honest.
But of course, she wasn’t going to tell him. She shook her head and leaned back in her chair, seemingly content to watch him. He would be more content if she would answer his question, but he knew her. He wouldn’t get anything else out of her. She’d said what she wanted to say, and not one more word. That was how she wanted things, and how things would go.
Chapter Five
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WHEN THE DOOR OF THE infirmary opened, Taylor almost groaned. Luckily, he was more professional than that, and he just gave Willa a curt nod.
The two of them hadn’t really talked. He saw her every day, since she spent most of her time with Twig, but she’d started being less present since Twig had gotten better. From what Taylor understood, she’d gone back to work somewhat, although not at full capacity. She still took care of Twig, but it wouldn’t be long until he left the infirmary.
