Relief floods me, and I feel my body sag against him. I squeeze him back, wrapping my throbbing arms around his body.
“What happened?” I ask.
Silas looks at Fen and Warrick. “They were able to get three of Andorwood’s top healers here faster than I expected. I gathered supplies and prepared the room for their arrival. They nearly arrived before me.”
I shake my head. “How is she?”
“Asleep. They will work for many more hours to heal the damage and minimize scarring, although it seemed that might not be possible. She will be alright, but they asked us to remain outside, except for Oak. He refused to leave her side.”
“How is he?” I ask, looking toward the closed door.
Silas looks at Fen and Warrick. “He’s calmed down, but just barely. I’ve… I’ve never seen him so scared and so angry, and I hope I never witness that again.”
“Thank you.” I feel the tears welling once again. “Thank you all so much.”
“We would do that for any of us standing here. We’re family, after all,” Fen says, standing and smiling.
Warrick stands alongside Fen. “Can I get you anything, Briar?” he asks in his usual, gentle tone.
I attempt to steady the tremors coursing through my body from adrenaline, exhaustion, and fear. “No, I’m alright.”
Fen observes my mental and physical state, then indicates my bedroom down the hall. “Go take a bath and rest. When she wakes up, you will be the first person I come to get. I won’t leave this door.”
I look down at myself, and I’m filthy, coated in my own blood and dust from the library. “I don’t think I should leave,” I reply.
“Well, do what you want, but I know the healers won’t let you near Maines while you’re coated in blood. The cleaner you are, the better,” Fen replies.
She’s right, I need to get out of these clothes and cleaned up. I reek of sweat and blood, and this is no way to see Maines.
“Come on,” Silas urges, as he grabs my hand. “I’ll run you a bath.”
I nod and let him guide me down the hallway toward our bedroom. The door opens, and fresh morning air fills my senses from the open windows. The sea I’ve grown so accustomed to hearing crashes below us, and I feel my body relax—something I never thought possible again. Silas lets go of my hand and disappears into the bathing chambers to run the bath for me.
I walk over to the large open window and glance across the sparkling ocean. Right now, it’s calm and quiet. But, I can’t shake the feeling that something is off, and I know it’s what heads toward us. Every day it gets closer, growing more restless to put its feet on the ground. We are prepared for this fight, but with all the recent events, I know exhaustion hangs over us like a shroud.
On the horizon, I swear I see something, but it quickly vanishes behind the glow of the light. I push away from the window and turn to see Silas standing at the threshold, his hands tucked in his pockets, watching me.
“What?” I ask.
“You are filthy,” he huffs, indignantly.
“That’s all you have to say?” I reply.
“Oh, no. I have a lot to say.” Silas tilts his head, looking at me. “But first, I’m worried about getting all the blood off of you. The water is running, so come on.”
“Impossible worrywart,” I mumble, as I walk past him into the room.
The bathing chamber is filled with warm, steamy air. I almost groan at the sight of the hot, running water pooling in the tub, and the space is filled with the scents of various soaps. The drain isn’t latched, so I can ensure the water runs clear before plugging it. I slowly remove my pants, letting them hit the ground with athud and make my way to my shirt. My body screams as I lift my arms over my head, and my injury barks in protest.
Silas stands behind me, helping me remove the blood-soaked shirt while paying close attention to the cut across my forearm. He tosses the shirt across the room, and my arms dangle at my sides. Silas carefully unbraids my hair and assists me in stepping into the warm water.
I slowly lower myself into the warm water and close my eyes. I never thought a bath could feel so wonderful. Silas grabs a pitcher and a rag and sits beside me on the ground.
“Sit back,” he instructs.
I don’t argue.
I lean my head against the hard porcelain tub and close my eyes. Warm water flushes around me as Silas works to clean the dried blood from my body. He slowly takes the rag to my cheeks and forehead to rid my body of the Rigils, both completed and broken. I know he sees that and is burning to ask me questions.
