Stella was still in shock, hardly able to pay attention to the words that Teddy said to the men because her full attention was focused on seeming fine.
Teddy guided her home, a hand on the small of her back. He was silent the whole way. As they stepped through the garden gates, Reever and Fionn came to a stop to offer them some privacy.
Teddy was trying to send comfort through the bond. Unfortunately, it just felt like he kept pushing on her chest, and that was enough to snap her out of her daze.
“I’m fine. You can stop prodding me. And don’t come into the house with me. If my parents find out what happened, they will just worry more and my mother doesn’t need the stress right now,” she whispered.
Teddy blew out a breath as they came to a stop in front of the back door. He waited for her to meet his gaze. “Just because you couldn’t do it then doesn’t mean you won’t be able to another time. Don’t make this mean more.”
“I know.” She didn’t, but she appreciated him saying so. His shift in mood was disorienting. “Thank you.”
The words seemed too small for saving someone’s life, but she didn’t know what else to say. Teddy nodded, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped the tacky blood from her arm.
The wound had already knitted itself perfectly back together.
“That’s very handy magic,” Teddy said. “Thank you for testing my drinks.”
“You’re welcome.” She gestured to the blood stain across her dress. “Hopefully, I can get in and up to my room before they notice the blood.” She touched her hair tentatively. “How do I look?”
Teddy smiled softly, a faltering sort of affection in his eyes. “A little wild, but no worse for the wear. Your hair always looks like that.”
She frowned at him, and he laughed.
“Just being honest,Minyha. It suits you.”
She frowned. The word sounded Novumi, and while she’d learned an abundance of curse words in the language thanks to Alexandra’s colorful vocabulary, she didn’t recognize this word. His tone was part-teasing, part-exasperated.
“What doesMinyhamean?”
Teddy clicked his tongue. “Not a scholar of languages, I see.”
Stella rolled her eyes. “Never mind.”
She made a mental note to look it up in the Olney Royal Library when she had a spare moment.
Stella glanced over his shoulder at Reever and Fionn, who were still waiting at the garden gates. “You trust them to see you back safely? It’s curious we were attacked when I was supposed to be delivering on Fionn’s favor.”
Teddy shook his head. “If he was involved, it would make more sense for him to wait until after he gets what he wants from you, notto mention that four competitors together made us an obvious target.”
Stella chewed her lower lip. “Are you sure you trust them to walk you back to the castle safely? You could stay in one of our guest rooms for the night.”
“It’s good to see you worried about me,” Teddy teased.
Stella laughed, and it snapped all the tension in her chest. “You’re an ass. Now will you please get them out of here? I’m going to use that trellis to climb in my bedroom window and change before my parents see the blood.”
Teddy gave her one last look and then nodded and stepped away. She watched him and the mercenaries retreat before climbing up the thorny trellis and into her bedroom window.
She was careful to step over the creakiest floorboards, but nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned and found Rosie staring at her wide-eyed from the bed.
“What are you doing in my room?” Stella asked.
Rosie looked her over, her eyes snagging on the blood spray on Stella’s dress. “I could ask you the same, though from the look of your dress and your creative entrance, it seems you’re trying to hide the signs of a scuffle from our parents.”
“I’m okay,” Stella said, half-believing the words.
“It would be understandable if you weren’t, though,” Rosie said.
Stella nodded and looked away from her little sister, a lump forming in her throat. “I was ready for opponents to come for me in the arena, but not on the streets.”
