“Can you stand?”
I nod, then promptly demonstrate that I cannot. I don’t even make it all the way to my feet before I’m back on my knees.
“Hold still. The healer Nani was right behind me; she’ll be here soon to check you out.”
As long as she doesn’t bring that blasted cart, I should be okay.
Flame-haired Nani inspects the cut on my forehead and checks my eyes before declaring me concussed. Cara lends me her shoulder as we walk back to the temple, and she makes me sit down on a cot inside. I try to summon my flames to heal myself, but they only flicker for a second before fizzling out. The blow to my head when I fell must have done something to my abilities. I hope it’s only temporary; I’d hate to think I might end up at the palace surrounded by strangers with no means of defending myself. Cara is kind, but if there are other wolves like Corvin who mistrust me, I might have a hard time of things once we get there.
With our trip to the palace delayed, Cara sends a temple servant to the tavern to fetch us some food. I am to stay put, apparently, and rest for a day before we leave. I’m tired of resting, but I suppose I’ve only myself to blame. That’s what I get for running off instead of facing my anxiety.
Nani fusses over me for uncomfortably long, cleaning my forehead and applying a poultice before bandaging the cut. She also cleans and bandages some minor cuts and scrapes I sustained when I fell, though I don’t remember getting them. As soon as she leaves us, Cara hands me a cup of spiced cider and sits next to me. “What happened? You seemed to be fine until we started loading the cart. Are you nervous about going to the palace?”
I lower my eyes and stare into the steaming cup. “I panicked.”
“About the palace? I promise it’s not that scary.”
Shaking my head, I heave a sigh. “No. The cart.”
I sound insane. Poor Cara probably wishes she hadn’t saved me now. I wrack my brain for an explanation that makes more sense.
“As soon as I smelled the cleaner, it all came back to me. The pain, the terror. Shocks of agony with every jolt of the cart. The scent of fear and blood and death. It was too much.” I look back up, expecting to be met with derision, but her face shows only sympathy. “I’m sorry. I delayed us with my foolishness.”
“Nonsense. The fault is mine, not yours. I should have arranged for a different transport.” She tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and smiles. “It’s not foolish to want to feel safe while we travel. I’ll hire another cart while you eat, and in the morning we’ll set out.”
“Won’t you get in trouble for being late?”
Cara winks and stands. “It’s not a proper week until I’ve gotten myself into trouble at least once.”
With that she leaves, just as the food arrives. The tavern cooks have outdone themselves this time, sending an aromatic plate of braised duck with hot buttered biscuits. I suspect this wasn’t on the menu that the tavern patrons ate from today, and I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to make.
The duck tastes divine, and the garlic butter on the biscuits pairs nicely. I almost can't believe it: full for the second time in my recollection, two days in a row no less, and I didn't have to sneak or steal any of it.
My dreams that night are full of flames and blood, though I wake oddly refreshed. I stretch my back and arms to ease some of the stiffness. A low whistle greets me from across the room, and I catch Cara watching me.
“Good morrow, mistress. Have you been waiting long?”
Cara flashes a sparkling grin and strides over carrying a tray of biscuits. From the smell, they're leftover from last night's meals. I take one and nibble, but I notice she’s not eating.
“Have you had breakfast yet?” I ask around a bite.
She shakes her head. “I don’t know about you, but I hate shifting on a full stomach. It makes me queasy, so I'll wait until we get to the palace.”
What does she mean by shifting on a full stomach? My heart thunders in my chest, and I almost choke on a crumb. “We’re not taking a cart?”
“Of course not. The cart upset you, so I sent it on ahead. We’ll just run it as wolves. We can save time that way, and it's a good workout.” She pats her flat stomach. “I could use it! All that decadent food from the tavern is starting to add up.”
I can't shift in front of Cara! I scramble to come up with a reasonable excuse to rent a horse, purchase a new cart,anythingthat doesn’t involve shifting. “I—I don’t think that's a good idea. I still can’t heal myself this morning, and I’m not sure if I should be running clear across the country with my head injury.”
“Aw, come on! You're not bashful about changing into your wolf, are you? If you’re concerned about stripping out of your clothes to shift, I promise to look the other way.”
I shake my head violently, then feign a sudden burst of dizziness. “No, it's not that. My head still doesn’t feel right. I'm afraid a shift could make it worse.”
“Oh.” Her face falls in disappointment, but she recovers seconds later. “Well, then, I guess I'll have to find a horse that we can use. After a long march from the palace two days ago followed by the fight with the panthers, I don’t want to have to two-leg it. The blisters these human feet get are awful!”
I feel bad for upsetting her, but I don’t have many options. “Sorry. It's a horse or two feet, I'm afraid.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a bit. It shouldn’t take long to find a horse to buy or rent.”
