I laid her down. I didn’t need to remove her leggings, her legs were uninjured, just fatigued. Yet, her upper half was naked to me so I’d be able to see the results of my healing.
As much as a part of me wished to see her unclothed, this wasnotwhat I’d had in mind. At least I handled the sight better this time than the last.
I grimaced at that remembrance as I moved my hands over her slowly, just above her skin, doing one final assessment of her condition.
Her right arm was my primary concern now. The bone was fractured, nerves pinched and crushed. A long cut marred her biceps muscle, and under that the skin was a livid purple. Her forearm and hand were nearly white, blood wasn’t flowing to them.
I set to healing it. This took deeper work, feeling the colors of the tissue itself and mending it slowly and carefully. I set the bone and knit together the muscles, nerves, and skin.
Once the arm was healed, I tended to the small bump on the back of her head and the bruising on her stomach.
After that, I laid a blanket of green and aqua Phora over Dizzy to help reduce the fever and let her rest.
I finished and sighed. I’d been kneeling next to the bed, so I slumped over, laying my head on the mattress and rested.
My exhaustion swelled. I’d worn myself out, not only from the healing, but from the extremity of emotion I’d felt when I’d thought her to be dying.
“How is she doing?” Avela asked tentatively from the doorway.
“She’d have lasted for some time still. She’s tough enough to withstand more than this, but… thank you for getting me. She’s resting now. And I… I’m going to rest too.”
Avela nodded with a smile.
I turned away and set my head down again on the soft mattress.
“Daz?”
I started awake.
It was dark outside. A lantern had been lit, flickering low, and a pitcher of water and a tray with food sat on the table next to Dizzy’s bed.
It took me a moment to realize who’d spoken my name. I looked up at Dizzy. She lay on her side on the bed. She hadn’t bothered covering up. Smiling down at me, she whispered, “Thank you. For… patching me up. I… don’t remember much.”
I met her gaze in the dim light. “I love you,” I said, and instantly realized I’d saidthosewords. I froze.
I’d said it now.
She smiled and laughed. “I love you too.” She reached over and ruffled my hair. I took her meaning instantly. She loved me like a brother. Slightly more seriously she said. “You’re always there for me.”
I couldn’t go back on my words now. Leo had said I needed to tell her soon, because she was in a dangerous line of work and I’d not heeded him. But I’d just seen how dangerous her work could be. I couldn’t hold back any longer.
“No, Dizzy. I love you. Not like a sister, but… but like the fields love the rain, like trees love the sun, like…” These metaphors were nice, but she was a direct woman. I should be direct. “Like a husband loves his bride. Like a lover loves his beloved.”
Her eyes grew wide.
I pushed on. I couldn’t stop now. “I know we were raised like brother and sister, but we are not blood. I’m Dathi and you’re Aestrian. I know our paths have taken us apart more than they’ve brought us together, but… but that’s just it, Dizzy… Tisi… Tisera.” I sighed.
“I can’t lose you like I almost did today. I… I need you to know how I feel… even if that makes things awkward between us. I’d rather be awkward than live a lie.”
“Daz,” she whispered. I could tell by her colors she was stunned and confused, my revelation had thrown her. Her aura danced around her, wild and discordant.
She looked away, still not covering herself.
After a heavy sigh, she gave a bit of a laugh. “That… explains a lot. Like the look on your face when you came in on me dressing. Gods, you looked like you’d swallowed a squirrel.” She sobered. “Wow… ah… this is a lot.”
It was. I rose.
“If you need some time, I can leave and come back.” I got as far as the door before she called to me.
