with concern, even though she herself had dark circles under her eyes. Clearly, it wasn’t just Darius who’d had a rough night.
‘If Draco sees you like this, I guarantee you’ll be the one causing him worry.’ The elf’s flirtatious voice snapped the earl out of some indescribable lethargy and limbo, pulling him back to reality.
‘As long as he feels better, I don’t have the slightest problem with that.’ He sighed heavily, trying to sort out his own thoughts and feelings. ‘Oscar didn’t… wake me up, so everything should be fine.’
‘Looking at you, I’m sure there’d be no need to wake you at all.’ Gizel shook her head in resignation. ‘If anything, you should have been sent back to bed, which I’m sure the old man did several times.’
‘Are you surprised?’ The question wasn’t meant to sound blunt, but it was hard to tell if he’d actually managed to avoid that.
‘No, not at all.’ The elf lowered her gaze, as if she didn’t want him to see the look in her eyes. She focused on the now-cold cup standing before her. ‘I think I understand how you feel.’ she whispered.
Darius blinked in surprise and was just about to say something when the dining room door swung wide open and Draco walked in. His springy stride, faint smile and energetic movements gave no indication whatsoever that, late into the evening, he’d been staggering about in bed. The young dragon beamed even more broadly when he saw the two of them at the table.
‘Good morning, Gizel, Master.’ His warm smile made Bleist’s tiredness vanish into thin air. ‘How are you both today?’ The reptile belatedly noticed the state the elf and Bleist were currently in, and that was what concerned him.
‘As soon as I saw you, I felt much better.’ The mage tried to play down his tiredness a little. ‘More importantly, how are you feeling?’
‘Quite well, thank you.’ Draco flashed a wide grin to emphasise this. ‘It was a bit unpleasant this morning, but once I’d got moving, it all went away.’ He
