Though there was an extra room where she could sleep, I told myself that it was best if I kept her nearby while she recovered. Just in case there was a problem.
There was also the fact that I’d vowed to protect her and had nearly failed that task completely, considering she’d been injured by Rhiannon’s creature and might have been killed if it hadn’t been for Savannah running out of the house.
I placed Ava on the bed, unsurprised when she didn’t do anything other than sigh in her sleep. I wanted to lift the edge of her shirt to check the wound on her stomach but the scorched material was stuck to her skin. I would need time and magic to remove it without causing her a great deal of pain.
Satisfied she would be comfortable enough for a couple of minutes while I gathered supplies, I left the bedroom and found Kerry in the hall, looking into Rhys and Savannah’s room.
“How is she?” she asked.
“She’s healing, but it’s slow.”
“I can help her,” she stated, shifting as though she intended to move past me. Then she suddenly swayed on her feet.
I reached out and steadied her, clasping her upper arms gently. “You’re already weak from the spell you cast to bind Rhys and Savannah. She’s already partially healed. I have enough experience with healing that I can help her,” I stated.
Kerry opened her mouth, likely to argue, but Finn appeared behind her. His expression was concerned, but his eyes held understanding as they met mine. He knew what it was like for a vampire with an injured mate. The drive to protect them, to keep everyone away from them while they were helpless, overrode everything.
“Macgrath will take excellent care of her, Kerry,” he said softly. “And I need to take care of you.”
Kerry eyed me for a moment. “Fine, but come get me if there are any issues.”
The corners of Finn’s mouth turned up and his eyes lit up with humor. In that moment, he looked a great deal like Ava and it threw me off balance. I’d noticed the similarities in their eyes, of course, but when he smiled like that, an expression so much like Ava’s, he looked as though he could be her brother.
Or perhaps her son.
My heart gave a hard thump against my sternum at the thought. Like me, Ava had lost her memories of the past. Had she also forgotten a child?
If she had a child, did she also have a husband? Someone long dead?
“Ewan?”
I jerked when Kerry said my name. “Yes?”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I cleared my throat. “Yes, fine.”
“Okay,” she drawled. “Um, could you tell me which room Finn and I will be taking?”
I pointed to the room next door. “If it’s acceptable, that room. Until Savannah regains consciousness, I thought it best if we were both close by in case there was a problem.”
Kerry nodded. “That’s an excellent plan.”
Finn cupped her shoulders and began guiding her away, giving me a sympathetic look as he walked with her. “I’m here if you need to talk,” he muttered.
“What?” Kerry asked, her words beginning to slur. Like Rhys, now that the adrenaline was wearing off, she was about to crash.
“Nothing,” he replied. Though his back was to me, I could hear the smile in his voice.
Once they were shut in their room, I walked into the living area to find Harrison standing by the kitchen island. He looked shell-shocked. Shit. I’d forgotten about him.
At least now I had a valid excuse for putting Ava in my room.
“How is she?” he asked, sinking down onto a barstool.
“Healing and unconscious,” I answered as I moved to the cabinet where I kept herbs and other magical supplies.
“Do you need my help?”
