“Don’t make a bigger deal of this than it is; I’m just wrapping your ribs.”
I give him a dark look but don’t argue. If I keep arguing, he’s going to think this is more than it is; and it’s not. It’s just a friend wrapping my ribs, an acquaintance really. I don’t think we’re to the friendship stage yet. “Fine,” I cave. “Auri, close your eyes.” She closes her eyes.
“Go ahead and stand,” Rauk says, all business. I do as he says, hating what we’re about to do. I don’t think I’ve ever been this vulnerable before. Of course, because of that, I do what I do best. I say exactly what I'm thinking. “I guess this beats getting them wrapped in front of everybody today.”
His hands on my back go still. “What?”
"Reika wrapped my ribs for me right on the field, so I guess this is better than that.”
“Over your shirt or under?” His voice is a low growl.
“What?” I ask in confusion.
“Did she wrap your ribs under your shirt or over it?”
I frown at the question. “We flew back together; you saw me after the battle.”
“Under or over?” he asks through what sounds like gritted teeth.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but she made me take off my shirt.”
It's silent in the room. I turn my head, ready to ask him if he decided not to wrap my ribs. But the expression on his face stops me. His eyes lock on mine, and I nearly pull back at the look in his eyes. “There were nearly a dozen men on that field,” he growls. “Did any of them see you?”
I scoff. “Believe me. The last thing any of those men were doing was trying to get a glimpse of me shirtless.”
Those eyes don’t look away from me. “Are you really that clueless?”
My spine all but snaps at his question. “Are you really that much of a jerk?” I turn away from him, annoyed and in pain again. “Are you going to help me or not, because if not—” His hands move on my back again, and he hands me the wrap.
“Do the front.” His voice is gruff, but I've lost my fight. Now, I’m just tired and ready to move on from all these intimate, uncomfortable moments. We work in silence. When my ribs are wrapped, and I can breathe a little easier, I grab a clean shirt from my bag and tug it over my head. The movement makes my ribs ache, but I do it quickly. When I finish, I’m sweating again. I sit on the side of the bed and try to catch my breath as I’m suddenly exhausted.
“Why don’t you let your ribs rest and heal for a little while,” Rauk suggests. I don’t need him to tell me what to do, but I’m so exhausted, I can barely keep my eyes open. I lay back on one of the pillows. Auri’s worried gaze meets mine.
“I’m just tired,” I whisper, so she doesn’t worry. I think I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow. When I wake up some time later, the room is dark, except for the light from the fire.Auri is sound asleep next to me. I hear heavy breathing and assume Rauk is asleep on the floor, but when I start to sit up so I can see, my ribs scream at me. I give up and settle on my pillow and try to go back to sleep. I don’t think I’ll be able to, but the next thing I know, there’s somebody banging on the door. I jerk awake, wincing at the pain in my ribs. I manage to sit up and blink, trying to figure out what woke me up.
Rauk appears at the foot of the bed, shirtless, looking like he just woke out of a deep sleep, yet is somehow completely awake. I hate him for it. He glances at me a moment and then opens the door. Farrah blows in past him. “Harper! They came after Kinsley! We’re going there now. Kaldar said it was planned and intentional.”
I blink, trying to process what she’s saying. My mind definitely works slower during the morning hours. I have so many questions, but all I manage to get out is, “What?”
Rysden appears behind Farrah, coming into the room. “Anybody else we can invite in this morning?” Rauk asks dryly, but all of us ignore him.
“What happened?” I ask, trying to get the cold, hard facts.
Rysden’s face is grim. “One of the guards at the portal told one of my men that guivre men came after Kinsley. She and her jag fought them off and got to safety before they shifted.”
I nod. “Good. Are she and the baby okay?”
“That’s what we’re going to see. The guard didn’t get that information,” Farrah answers. I don’t miss the look Rysden gives Farrah. She doesn’t either, apparently. “I’m not staying here, Rysden. Kinsley is my friend; I’m going to make sure she’s okay.”
“Me too,” I add.
I look over to Rauk, fully expecting him to say he’ll stay with Auri; but he surprises me. “I’ll go too.” I start towards the bathroom, but he stops me by stepping in front of me. “Are you sure you’re up to going after your injuries from yesterday?”
I look him dead in theeye. “Yes.”
Chapter 40
Less than thirty minutes later, I find myself back on Redara, heading for the Jaguar Kingdom. I feel terrible for leaving Auri, again; but she told us she understood. Hector volunteered to check in on her from time to time, and Farrah tracked down a few books for her to read. I really thought Rauk would stay behind, but he was adamant about coming with. And even though I suggested Redara stay behind, she was adamant about coming as well and carrying me. It’s a quiet ride over the city. When we get to the portals, the guards eye us warily. “I really want to keep going,” I tell Rauk. “But I don’t want Rysden and Farrah to make the trek without the protection of the dragons overhead.”
