“As I’ll ever be.”
“I’ll go easy on you.” I cleaned his hands quickly, removing all traces of dried blood, dirt, and cider. He held dutifully still, his muscles strung tight as a bowstring. He hardly even breathed.
This close, I could smell the gentle musk drifting from his skin. It was surprisingly pleasant. Like rain, but warmer. A soothing rain. The rain during the mild season. And a hint of something spicy that I couldn’t put my finger on.
“How are you doing over there?” I asked, peeking up at his face. His expression was strained, his cheeks a paler green than usual.
“Great,” he gritted out between clenched teeth. “Thank you.”
“It’ll be over soon,” I promised.
He nodded hastily.
“Just the salve, then I’ll wrap them up again, and then we’re done. Think you can handle that?”
He kept nodding, his head continuously bobbing.I think he’s broken.Poor guy.
“You’re tough. You got this,” I insisted. The nodding continued.
I tossed the blood-spotted cloth into the wash basin and grabbed the salve mixture, holding the pestle out for him to examine. “Okay?”
“Do I want to know what’s in it?” he asked.
“Probably not. But I swear, it’ll help.”
“Go ahead, then.” He refused to watch while I gently slathered the mixture onto his palms, instead examining my face. When the salve touched his skin, he let out a deep, relieved breath. I worked carefully, one finger at a time, taking care to coat every bit of damaged skin. I layered extra onto the bleeding bits.
“Better?” I asked.
“So much better,” he sighed. His strained posture finally relaxed, and he slumped on his stool. His knees drifted open slightly, one of them bumped into my hip. I pretended I didn’t notice. It was probably an accident.
Tandor was completely relaxed by the time I finished applying the salve, looking as comfortable and at ease as he usually did. It was a relief to see—tense Tandor was unnerving.
“Let me grab some clean bandages. I have a stack around here somewhere. I hate to break it to you, but I’m going to burn those shirt strips.”
“I think I’ll live. Are you going to perform a witchy ritual with them?”
I snorted. “Maybe I will. Mind your business.”
I found the bandages tucked in a basket next to my collection of plucked flower petals.
“Almost done. Ready?” I held up the bandages. Obediently, he raised his paste-smeared hands, his elbows propped againsthis knees. To see such a huge, intimidating orc curled over on a stool with his wounded hands propped up was certainly… something. I fought the smile that threatened to lift my cheeks.
I stepped into his space again, grabbed a bandage, and got to work. I grasped his wrist for stability with one hand while I gently wound the fabric with the other. I started the wrap around his thumb, on the meaty flesh there, where the burns were the deepest. I wrapped it twice. Then around the palm, again, and the fingers. One at a time. Tandor’s warm breath tickled my face as it drifted past me. I tied the bandage into a neat knot. Not beautiful, but it would do.
Next hand.
I picked up another bandage. I started with his thumb, again. This hand was burnt a little worse. I added an extra layer to his palm before moving onto his fingers. Pinky first. Then the third finger. Middle finger. Pointer.
“Kizzi.”
“Hmm?” I glanced up, and my gaze collided with liquid onyx. I was trapped like a fly in honey. His face was much, much closer than I expected it to be.
I was frozen. Our faces were mere inches apart.
His gaze flicked down to my mouth briefly before returning to my eyes. Heat traveled up my neck, over my cheeks, settled in the tips of my ears.
My hands were still hovering over his palm, gripping the tail of the bandage, and he slowly curled his fingers into the fabric.
