Thom was dead asleep when I slipped into our room and stayed that way as I quietly changed into something to sleep in, but woke as I eased into bed with him.
“Any change?” he mumbled as he rolled over to make room for me to tuck myself against him.
“No,” I told him as I slid beneath the covers and cuddled against his chest. “Leinth says he sleeps, but there’s no real change.”
“I guess that’s the best news we can hope for,” Thom murmured into my hair, his arms sliding around me and drawing me close. I sighed and buried my face in his shoulder.
“He can’t die, Thom,” I whispered.
“Because we need him?”
“Because I don’t want him to.” I sighed, sagging and biting my lip. “Because it would be senseless, because goddammit anyway, it was stupid and he shouldn’t have tried to go alone and he shouldn’t have tried to deal with it without Sif with him.”
“What does she—”
“She needs him,” I interrupted. “And he needs her and they’re both too damned stubborn to see it. At least they were. Maybe she’s not anymore. Maybe he still is. Damn them both anyway.” I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling in the darkness. Thom reached up and ran his fingers through my hair.
“Marin.”
I drew a shuddering breath and exhaled it in a sigh. “I’m sorry, Thom.”
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” he said, sitting up, the blankets falling away from his bare chest. “You’re upset and that’s fine. We can’t solve their problems for them, though. That’s something they need to do.”
“He needs to live if they’re going to do that, Thom.”
“I agree.” He leaned down, kissing me gently. “You know that they’re doing everything they can.”
“I know,” I whispered. “The waiting doesn’t get easier, though.”
“I know, Mar. I know.”
