The large vampire curled his long body around me, fitting his hips against mine and curving his chest against my back. Gently, he pressed a light kiss to my temple before he settled his head onto the pillow behind me.
Strangely, the gesture seemed to lessen the agony somewhat. Just enough that I could think.
We lay in silence, waiting for Kerry to return. I could have asked him to go back into the attic and grab a healing tonic out of the cabinet, but I didn’t. I didn’t want him to move. The heat of his body soaking into me, easing me even more.
As I let my body melt, I noticed that his chest expanded in unison with mine. He was matching his breaths with mine and then taking slower, deeper inhalations and releasing them gradually. It was a relaxation technique I often used to control my temper and my magic, but it surprised me that he was so attuned to me.
“Okay,” Kerry murmured as she returned to the room. “I made you an herbal tea of my own concoction. Once you drink it, the pain should leave. If it doesn’t, we’ll try a spell, okay?”
I opened my eyes and slowly lifted up onto my elbow. Before I could heave myself into a sitting position, Macgrath was there, pulling me back so that I was half-reclined with my shoulders against his chest.
Kerry sat on the other side of my bed and lifted the cup to my lips. I let her tend to me, not trusting my shaky hands.
The tea was actually pleasant and tasted floral. While I recognized several of the flavors, there were a few that I couldn’t place, which was odd. I frowned at her as I sipped.
“What is it?” she asked, taking the cup away from my lips so I could answer.
“What’s in this tea?”
Her face fell. “I wouldn’t harm you, Ava,” she began.
I lifted a hand and patted her leg. “That’s not what I mean. I can’t place a few of the herbs I’m tasting and I’m curious.” I didn’t mention that it had been several centuries since a potion or tea had stumped me. I had hundreds, if not thousands, of potion, tincture, and tea recipes in my head. This one was new.
“Oh,” she replied, her cheeks flushing. “I’ll write it down for you,” she offered.
“Thank you,” I said, bringing my hand up to hers and urging the cup back to my mouth. I wanted to finish the tea as quickly as possible so the headache would begin to fade.
I swallowed the rest of the hot brew within a few minutes and relaxed back into Macgrath. Already I could feel the pain receding and a delicious lassitude sweeping through my body. I wasn’t tired exactly, more like exceedingly content. In fact, I felt like I was floating.
My body felt boneless as I leaned against Macgrath and my head fell back onto his shoulder. My eyes closed and I sighed when his fingers combed through my hair in slow, even strokes. The gentle, rhythmic tugging chased away the last of the pain.
My head still felt hollow and tender, as though I’d injured myself and I was still healing, but I was no longer in agony.
“Thank you,” I repeated to Kerry.
“You’re welcome,” she answered. “Sleep now. We’ll talk when you wake up.”
I nodded briefly, sinking deeper into Macgrath’s embrace and letting the soft brush of his hand in my hair lull me to sleep.
