Evangeline's mind was racing when a hoarse whisper suddenly came from the bed. "The Swarm... a habitat?"
She turned abruptly, her gaze meeting Loras's as he slowly opened his eyes.
He struggled to sit up. The movement pulled at his wounds, and his brow furrowed in pain. But his expression smoothed the instant he clearly saw the slender figure standing by his bed. 'What I saw before I passed out... it wasn't a dream. She's really here.'
"Loras!" Thorne strode forward, his voice grave. "What in the world happened at Blackwater Swamp? Caden and Lachlan, did they really go beyond the Triangle Sea? Why?"
At these words, Loras's shoulders, which had relaxed slightly, tensed up again. The smooth lines of his back instantly hardened into sharp angles.
Thorne's brows snapped low, his voice laced with faint anxiety. "Say something! What the hell happened?"
Cold sweat trickled down Loras's temples, but he remained silent.
