He handled the news better than she’d expected. It took a few seconds as he digested it, then he sighed. “Is it morning?”

“Yes.”

Darling ran through his mind the fact that he’d been out for two days. While it didn’t thrill him, there wasn’t anything he could do about it… other than shoot Syn.

Maybe later.

Right now, he wanted to focus on the soft body pressed against his and on other matters he needed to attend to. “What have I missed?”

She wrinkled her nose and gave a playful cringe. “Mostly family tantrums.”

His stomach tightened with dread. Please tell me they’re not here. Please… “Pardon?”

As always, his luck fled out the door faster than a thief who’d just tripped an alarm.

“Your siblings are all here. Under one roof. Now I know why you chose not to have them around you while you healed. They can be… interesting, as I’m sure you know.”

That he did. A multitude of adjectives went through his head for all three of them, and he was grateful she was being judicious and kind with her choice of words where they were concerned. Seldom was he so considerate. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with them.”

“Don’t be. Sorche’s here, too. I’d much rather deal with your family drama than mine.”

The catch in her voice concerned him. “Why is she here? Did something happen?”

Zarya shook her head. “She heard the same news report your sibs did and flipped out, thinking you were holding me here against my will. But I’ve got her calmed down and Gera gave her a room not far from Lise’s. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Your sister’s always welcome here.” Even though he’d never met Sorche, he felt like he knew her as much as he knew his own family. Most of all, since she was one of Zarya’s favorite topics, he knew how much Sorche meant to her. For that reason alone, he’d be more than happy to set her up with a permanent residence here in the palace.

He rubbed his hand over his brow as he heard a dull roar through the walls. “What’s that sound?” He would think it was his brothers and sister fighting, but there were too many voices for it to be the three of them.

And it wasn’t loud enough to be Lise.

“What sound?”

He squinted as he listened again, trying to decipher it. “It sounds like people shouting.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip before she answered. “It is people shouting.”

“And they’re shouting… why?”

He saw the reluctance in her eyes. “You know the old adage, a single drop starts the deluge?”

“Yeah.”

Zarya propped herself up on her elbow to look at him as she traced a small circle on his chest… one that was slowly making him crazy with lust as he wished she’d dip that hand lower and cup him. “Once word spread that you’d been attacked and were down, the people started rioting for every grievance they’ve ever had against you, your family, and their lives. Your gerents have no idea how to handle it, and Ryn is about ready to rally Tavali forces to put them down and shut them up—my paraphrasing, mind you. Ryn’s language was much more… colorful and descriptive.”