A hand catches me. Warm. Steady.
It cradles the back of my head as the darkness swallows me.
Chapter
Six
For a moment, I don’t know where I am. Darkness presses in, thick and heavy, swallowing me whole.
I’m cold, uncomfortable. The air is close and sooty.
Then the world crashes back around me—lost, scared, fainting—and I bolt upright with a shout.
“Wheesht, lass.” A hand finds my shoulder, firm but careful, steadying me. “Hush now. You took a fall.”
A male voice. Thick accent. Gruff—roughened, but not rough. The low, steady hum of it soothes something primal inside me.
My pulse slows as I take stock. A blanket anchors my legs, its weight grounding me. The fire crackles low. And this person…he’s helping me.
“Did I faint?” I try to ask, but it comes out a croak.
I was so cold before. Can that make you pass out?
“Sorry, lass,” he says, almost tenderly.
Sorry?
But then his hand is back, the perfect amount ofpressure, telling me to take my time. “’Twill be all right. I swear it. But you must rest a wee bit longer.”
His certainty unwinds something inside me, and I let him ease me deeper into the chair. A pillow, crackling like straw, cushions my head.
“Aye, that’s the way.”
I flex my fingers, curling and uncurling them, then point and relax my toes. I hate losing control in the best of circumstances, but here I’ve just lost it completely. In front of a stranger.
I clear my throat, try again. “What happened?”
“You’ve traveled far,” that husky voice says.
I nod. He must’ve heard my accent.
I thought I’d caught up on food and sleep, but my body feels wrong. Heavy. Bloated and dull. Like I’ve been stuffed with wool.
Thirst hits hard and sudden, desperate and all-consuming.
“Water.” The word rasps from my throat. “Please,” I add, steadier this time. “I need water.”
Liquid pours into a cup, and relief shivers through me.
I blink, trying to clear my head. I need to see. Need to know where I am. The black spots gradually fade from my vision, but the room stays dark. Shadows pool in the corners, the only light coming from the fire and a few flickering candles, their flames jittering over rough-hewn walls.
I clear my throat. “Is the electricity out?”
“Beg pardon?”
A metal cup appears before me, and I gulp greedily, water dribbling from the corners of my mouth.
A quiet, amused chuff. “Easy, lass.”
