“I ran into Rose by accident,” I said stiffly.
Rose quirked an eyebrow. “Why don’t you tell herwhereyou ran into me?”
I glared at her. Rissa, however, beamed. “Oh, I like this one,” she purred.
This new development between the two of them did not bode well for me. “I was at the palace. Is that what you wanted to hear, Rissa?”
Her playfulness swiftly fell. “No,brother, it’s not. What were you doing there? You know Iexplicitlytold you to stay out of this. If either of us are seen?—”
“I know, I know,” I said through my teeth, cutting her off. “Can we have this conversation later?”
She glowered. “Fine. We’ll talk when I get back. I’m going to get a message to Lark, tell her we have Rose safe here. You,” she pointed to me, her finger like a vicious dagger at my chest, “take care of this.” She gestured to Rose’s broken ribs. When I nodded tightly, she grabbed her cloak off the couch, leaving us alone once more.
The seconds draggedin awkward silence. I took a seat on the short table across from Rose, wanting to get this over with.
She eyed the glass of lavender tonic warily when I held it out. “It’s bay leaf, elderberry oil, and crushed lavender with bergamot to strengthen it,” I explained. “After what Rissa said, you should know we’re not trying to kill you.”
She twisted her lips but relented, taking the vial and throwing the contents back in one go. When she straightened, a lock of raven hair swept across her cheek. My eyes followed her fingers as she pushed it behind her ear. “How long will it take to start working?” she asked, already getting to her feet. “I need to finish the trial before I become even more of ajoke, as you’ve so kindly pointed out.”
I rubbed my chin in exasperation. I was never going to live that down. She was perhaps more impatient and stubborn than even myself. “That’s not what I meant, Rose.” When she didn’t respond, I sighed. “It will take all night to heal completely, but you’ll be able to move with minimal pain after the next couple of hours. I can apply a topical potion as well, see if that helps speed it along.”
“Fine.”
Another moment of uncomfortable tension swelled. She peered down at me. “Well? Where’s the topical one?”
I cleared my throat. “I need to see the injury first to know what tincture to use. If that’s alright with you.”
She pursed her lips but nodded, turning so her wounded side faced me.
“May I?” I asked, looking up at her. When she nodded again, I slipped my fingers beneath her black shirt, slowly pulling the fabric up, exposing smooth skin inch by inch. She sucked in a breath when my thumb brushed against her waist, and I paused.
“Is this alright?”
She swallowed. “Yes. It’s just—your hands are cold.” A flush crept up her cheeks.
I was unable to stop the myriad of ways I could keep my hands warm from flashing through my mind. But the sight that greeted me as I continued pushing her shirt above her ribcage cleared away any stray thought.
The patch of skin on her side was deeply bruised, with blotches of dark purple and red curving down to her waist and the underside of her breast. Small pockets of even darker red, almost black, dotted her olive skin where blood vessels had broken beneath the surface.
“Fates, what happened to you?” I asked on an exhale.
“Fell from my horse. Or rather, she threw me off. Probably stepped on my side too, if this is any indication.” She lowered her shirt. “I was fighting the Illusionist challenger and tried to get away when he did something to spook her. That’s the last thing I remember.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, cringing slightly at the image of a horse trampling her. “That sounds painful.”
“There are worse kinds of pain.”
A different image came to the surface, one of her from earlier this morning when she stumbled into my path. The terror, exhaustion, and panic I’d seen.
Needing a reprieve from the heaviness that had set over us, I rose from the small table and paced to the kitchen, gathering ingredients for the topical charm. I supposed her conviction was admirable—I don’t know how many would be willing to return to the trial after what she’d already endured. No matter what vitriolhad spewed from my mouth earlier, Iwantedto believe she’d be able to find Gayl’s Grimoire. But my sister knew me and my prideful distrust well; it was difficult to relinquish the part of me that knew I could do this, that was so convinced I was our best chance at ending things.
“Where did you learn how to make all these tonics?” she asked from the couch, breaking my thoughts.
The side of my mouth lifted as I worked. “My sister and I weren’t particularly careful as children. Especially after Rissa learned how to shift.”
“And what about you? You’re half Shifter, so can’t you shift, as well?”
I glanced over my shoulder. “What makes you think I’m half anything?
