He studied their clasped hands. "While I appreciate you wanting to comfort me, what about you?" He met her gaze again. "What do you want, Brenna? My part in the whole thing is brief. You'll have nine months of suffering, plus the rest of your life to deal with a child if I die or go insane."
Forcing a smile, she squeezed his hand. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
"But it could. My mother had a difficult time when she was pregnant with me."
He may not realize it, but Killian had remembered something.
Careful to keep the surprise from her voice, Brenna asked slowly, "How so?"
For a second, she thought his temporary memory had left. But he finally spoke again. "She had extreme morning sickness the entire time and spent more days than not in bed. Once I was born, my father said they shouldn't have any more children because he couldn't stand to see her suffer."
Somehow, some way, some of Killian's memories were trickling back.
She wanted to yell for Dr. Sid and see what she had to say on the subject, but decided it was better to keep Killian talking for the moment. "What about when she carried your sister?"
"She was fine. My mother always joked that I was the troublemaker from the start. I think part of the reason I became a Protector was to prove her wrong."
Her heart beating double-time, she decided to ask him a little more. "Was that the only reason you became a Protector?"
He shook his head. "No. I wanted to protect my family after my father died." He frowned. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Because you just told me something about your past, something I don't think anyone has mentioned to you."
"That's impossible."
"But it's true."
An undefined emotion flashed in his eyes. "Ask me something else."
"I'm not sure what to ask. How about your earliest memory?"
He answered without missing a beat. "Something about a toy sword and shield. Maybe for my birthday?"
"And what about your adult life? What do you remember?"
"I-I don't know. It seems only specifics work.”
She leaned forward a fraction. "Do you remember when you first met me, before the amnesia?"
He shook his head. "No. I can't remember anything about you before I woke up with the tattoo on my arm gone."
"I'm not sure if I should be excited or worried about some of your memories coming back. It could mean you're recovering, but there's still a lot of unknown variables. What does your dragon say?"
Killian's pupils turned to slits. Each second that passed only made her heart thump harder.
She wasn't sure if she wanted all his memories to return or not. But she wasn't a selfish person and would do whatever she could to help him test the new boundaries of his mind.
However, when Killian gripped his head and grunted, she quickly pushed the call button just in case. "What's happening? Tell me how to help."
As he said nothing and continued to hold his head, fear filled her belly. The last time Killian had fallen unconscious, blood had dripped out of his ear. She had no idea what could happen next.
After coming so far, he might still die.
And that scared her more than anything.
~~~
Inside his mind, a dark, shadowlike swirl churned around Killian's human form. Each pass of the darkness sent another shot of pain through his body.