“Do you want another pair of hands?” she asked.
“What I need is a larger space,” Deena answered. “The men are too close together, and none can heal with these conditions.”
“Should we move some of them?”
“After I’ve treated those with minor wounds. They can return to their homes and we’ll see what we have left.”
“How is Kieran?” Iseult asked gravely.
Deena shook her head. “If he makes it through the night, it will be a miracle. The sword cut him across the ribs. I’ve stitched him up, but if the wound becomes poisoned, he’ll die.”
Iseult’s heartbeat quickened with fear. She stepped across the wounded and knelt beside Kieran. She took his hand, and as soon as she touched his cold flesh, she sensed the danger.
“You saved us,” she murmured beneath her breath, knowing he could not hear her. “I’ll always be grateful for it.” Her thumb traced small circles over the back of his hand. “Davin granted you your freedom. You saved his life.”
She swallowed hard, bitter tears drowning her eyes. Leaning down, she saw a flicker of movement on his face. Then, she whispered one last truth.
“And you should know that I’m not going to marry him.”
Chapter Thirteen
ThepainrippedthroughKieran so badly, he wished the sword had ended his life. He wanted to let go, to sink into the nothingness that beckoned. But he felt a woman’s hand touching his, her fingers interlaced with his own. Sweet and fragrant, he recognized Iseult’s unique scent immediately. And somehow it gave him strength, having her near. He kept his eyes closed, fighting against the brutal agony that threatened to drag him under.
“Davin is looking for you,” he heard Deena say.
“I know. I’ll come soon.” A cool compress settled upon his forehead. He smelled pungent herbs, and a wooden cup touched his mouth.
“Drink. It will help you sleep,” Iseult urged. He choked down the bitter brew, forcing his eyes open. If he was going to die this night, he wanted to remember her face.
“I’ll return later,” she murmured. Deep blue eyes held worry, her mouth unsmiling. She had bound her hair in a long braid, but a few sunny strands escaped, framing her face. God, she was beautiful.
And she wasn’t his. Never would be, despite what she’d said. She’d been speaking foolishness when she’d said earlier that she wasn’t going to marry Davin. The chieftain’s son would make a good husband for her. Davin would take care of her and protect her the way Kieran couldn’t.
His head felt as heavy as a stone. Although he had his freedom now, it meant less than he’d thought it would. Like a hollow shell, he had no one to share it with. The thought of returning home was an impossible vision.
A gnarled hand touched him, and he managed to raise his eyelids. Deena spread a cooling herbal mixture upon his wounds, and it made it easier to give in to the sleeping draught.
“She cares for you,” Deena said. “You’d best watch yourself.”
“She belongs with Davin.” He winced when she touched the sword wound, wrapping a bandage around his ribs.
“Aye, she is betrothed to him. But why didshecome to tend you?“ The healer’s knowing glance pierced him.
Kieran struggled to breathe, pain lancing his side. “I don’t know.”
The lie fell from his mouth, but he suspected that Iseult’s feelings were as tangled as his own.
Deena sat back to regard him. “Do you love her?”
He said nothing, closing his eyes as if he hadn’t heard the words. Though he wanted Iseult for himself, she was fully out of his reach.
“Well?” she prompted again.
“Stop your prying, woman.”
Deena laughed and leaned forward, lowering her voice. “If you want to win her heart, find out what happened to her son. A man who loved her would seek the answers she cannot find.”
Kieran turned his face away from the healer, sinking into sleep. And in his dreams, the face of his brother haunted him.
