When Brianna awoke,it took several minutes for her to remember where she was. Then, with the throbbing of her palm, it all came flooding back to her.
Jamie.
He’d come into the great hall and quite literally swept her off her feet. She assumed she was in his bed. Why did that give her warm fuzzies all over? It was silly. She was not the type of girl to swoon over something so simple.
Not only did her palm throb with a fierce pain, but her entire body hurt. She groaned as she rolled to her side and opened her eyes. Jamie stood at the hearth and turned to meet her gaze when he heard her movement.
He held a pewter tankard in his hand. He placed it on a tray and then walked to the bed, perching on the edge.
“How do ye feel?” he asked, concern creasing his youthful, handsome features.
“Like death,” she groaned. As she said it, her stomach rumbled with hunger.
“Come eat. I brought a tray of food.” He waved to the tray sitting on a table between two chairs in front of the hearth.
The simple gesture sent a pang of…what? It was such a foreign emotion, she wasn’t sure what to call it. He was sweet and thoughtful and she was fairly certain she didn’t deserve any of that. But she shoved off the blankets and put her feet on the ground. She still wore her shoes. He hadn’t bothered to take them off when he’d placed her on the bed and covered her with the quilt.
Now, she toed them off. She pushed off the bed and stood.
And immediately sat again as a wave of dizziness accosted her.
Jamie was at her side, though.
“Are ye all right?”
“I’m a bit lightheaded, that’s all,” she said.
He held his hand down to her. She stared at it for the longest moment, trying to make her unwilling brain accept that this man wanted to help her in every way. Tipping her head back, she looked up into his dark eyes. He grinned, showing off those deep dimples that did funny things to her innards.
She was ridiculous. Even as she thought it, she placed her unbandaged hand in his. He helped her to her feet and, holding her hand, led her to the chair next to the fire. She eased her tired body down and leaned back with a heavy sigh. God, she was exhausted.
Jamie picked up a pewter plate and loaded it with bread, cheese, sliced meat, and fruit and then handed it to her. She took it from him, watching him intently as he poured another tankard of a dark brew and placed it on the tray in front of her. Then he turned to the hearth and added another log to the fire.
“Thank you,” she finally managed to say.
She placed a slice of cheese on a piece of bread and popped it into her mouth.
Still kneeling by the hearth, he looked up at her, their eyes meeting. That curious swooping feeling went through her again. She swallowed her bread and cheese as her mouth turned to ash.
“Tell me what happened when ye sliced open yer hand,” he said.
She reached for the tankard and sipped. It smelled like weak ale. She took a healthy swig and then placed it back on the try. It was definitely weak ale and nothing like what she was used to drinking.
“I ken there is blood magic,” Jamie added.
“Blood magic.” She scoffed at the words, shaking her head.
“Ye dinnae believe in it?”
“I don’t know what to believe, honestly.” She picked up a red grape and popped it into her mouth.
“But somethingdidhappen, aye?” he asked.
“Yes.” She pushed a piece of dried meat around on her plate. “I’m not sure I can explain it.”
He moved from the fire, sitting in front of her and looking up at her, the light from the fire flickering through his eyes, illuminating them with golden light.
“Try,” he said in an encouraging tone.
