“Thank you, Maelsar.” I meant the words too. His support would be absolutely necessary, if only for my sanity and nothing else. Sylaira moaned, drawing my attention in an instant. “I need to get her to the healer. See you soon?”
“Aye,” he replied, ducking into the downpour again. “Goddess save you, Vaeron.”
“You are honored by our divine creator, Maelsar,” I grumbled back the traditional Angel goodbye.
He shot me a mischievous grin before shouting at his crew to get moving. In one smooth motion, he mounted his horse, the gelding tossing his sopping mane as he set off. I watched the group roll out of Stadur before shuffling my mate in my arms and preparing to race across the square to the apothecary.
Lightning cracked as I emerged from beneath the shelter. Rain pelted us both, the wind drawing a deep shudder from Sylaira. I curled myself over her, trying to keep her as still as possible while protecting her from the elements. By the time I reached the door, an icy chill had dug its way into my bones.
Thank the Goddess the healer threw open the door for me, ushering us inside. “Herr Räviel, it has been some time,” he said as he shut and latched the door behind him. A hearth roared off to one side, necessary on such a frightful day. Summer storms were intense, and this one was no exception.
“Aye, it has. This Seer needs urgent care,” I told him, remaining in place when all I wanted was to bring us towardthe warmth. As it was, a puddle formed beneath me on the tidy wood planks.
“Let’s get her upstairs and dry,” he said, stretching his arms and magic out to take her.
My hold tightened, and I inched her away from him, almost without thinking. “I’ve got her.” My words came out sharper than intended, and I berated myself. Normally I handed off Seers and Elessarum without a second thought.
The healer regarded me for a long moment, assessing eyes sweeping over my face and my form like he suspected something. I was a wild mess, but surely he couldn’t see the angst of our bond written in my expression.
Finally, he sighed. “Leave your boots then,” he instructed.
I quickly heeled out of them and followed him up to the infirmary, every muscle screaming in protest. But I couldn’t drop her. Couldn’t cause her any more pain.
Moments away from relief, Vaeron. Don’t fucking quit now.
The loft was blissfully devoid of others in need of tending. But I wasn’t taking any chances, not with her. “I’d like a private room for her please.”
The healer glanced over his shoulder. “Certainly.” From his pocket he produced a ring of keys, going to the closest door and unlocking it. It swung inward on silent hinges, revealing a clean space, smelling faintly of citrus and antiseptic.
“I’ll examine and treat her out here, if you don’t mind. Then once she’s dry we can let her rest in there.”
“Fine,” I told him.
He pulled wool blankets from a nearby bin and situated them on a wooden table, then gestured for me to place Sylaira there. With the gentlest care, I did. My muscles breathed a sigh of relief when her weight was out of my arms. But the moment I took a step back, the chain linking me to her rattled in my chest.
My hand flew to the spot just over my magic, pressing likeit could quell the thrashing beast punishing me from separating from my mate.
“I gave her a poppy mixture that would keep her unconscious until I could get her to you,” I conveyed, continuing my retreat toward the roaring hearth. “She injured her knee, and I think her ribs too, in a tumble into a ravine.”
The healer produced shears and cut into the fabric of her pants. When he placed a hand on her thigh, I nearly jumped forward and shoved him away. Instead, I forced myself to focus on pulling our clothes out of my soaked pack and laying them over racks by the fire. The leather was likely ruined, despite the magic the craftsman had imbued into it to ward it against the elements.
The heat of the hearth brought much-needed warmth to my flesh as I finished my task. I unbuttoned my jacket and tugged my tunic overhead too. With my back to the flames, hiding the perfect circle that now decorated the space between my shoulder blades, I kept my attention firmly focused on my mate.
The male leaned over, giving Sylaira’s now-bare knee a thorough examination. I snatched another blanket for myself, if only to allow myself closer to her, to ensure he wasn’t hurting her. The healer shot me a glare, and I slunk back to a chair.
“Yes, I think her kneecap is broken. How many days ago was this? It appears as though it happened only hours ago. I’ll give her some potions to aid her own internal healing process. She appears malnourished too, which isn’t helping.”
Guilt gnawed at my gut. It was all my fault. I was the reason she wasn’t healing quickly enough.
He moved on to her torso, and I had to dig my fingers into the blanket, keeping myself wrapped up, to prevent myself from jumping on him and yanking him off my mate. When his hands brushed over Sylaira’s ribs, a flare of painshoved between my own.
“That looks to be the right spot,” I gritted out.
The healer raised an inquisitive brow in my direction, and once again a whiff of suspicion drifted off of him. I’d brought countless to him to be treated over the years. And yet I couldn’t help but think this time, he saw the stark contrast I felt within myself.
Calculated control wrecked and replaced by an obsessed monster.
I covered my words with what I hoped was a reasonable explanation. “At least that’s what she told me before I gave her the potion.”
