“You what?” he roared.
I looked over at Ariyon, where Sorrel had eased him into a sitting position and was now getting him a glass of water. She tended to the cut on his cheek and a spike of jealousy surged through me at the sight, but I ignored the ridiculous feeling.
“I got you a healer. You’re going to be okay now,” I told him and then crawled across the floor to Ariyon.
Ariyon looked up at me, like he was seeing me for the first time. His gaze ran over my wild, dark hair, which had sprung loose from its bun in all the commotion, and then settled on my lips for a brief second.
“Thank you. I willneverforget this,” I told Ariyon earnestly.
He pulled up his hands, which were shaking slightly, and flipped them over to look at the backs. The wheel of silver markings was now larger. A thicker band of glowing, ice-blue ink ran around the entire edge.
Ariyon’s mouth popped open. “Master marks.”
I frowned, hoping that was a good thing. “Is that what you wanted?”
He looked up at me, slightly terrified, and shook his head. “I’d wanted my second-year healer marks. Systemic infection. This was…” He looked at my father. “This was more than that, but I didn’t know that until I got in there, and… You don’t get these marks untilaftergraduation, if ever.”
My stomach flipped over. “Will you get in trouble?”
He let out a shaky breath, touching his cut cheek as Sorrel fussed over him. “I don’t think so. But…maybe. It’s complicated.” He pulled Sorrel’s hand away. “It will heal automatically. Small injuries will not sustain on my body.”
Well, that was handy. If my father had that ability, we wouldn’t even be in this position.
“Are you the one who helped me?” My father was propped up on his knees now and knelt before Ariyon.
The young healer shook himself, seemingly snapping out of whatever shock he’d been in.
“Yes sir, are you feeling better?” Ariyon asked, his gaze going to my dad’s stomach. I followed his line of sight and gasped when I saw that my father’s cut was not only lacking the red streaks, but it was also completely healed and now just a light pink scar.
“Son,” my father said and looked him in the eye, “I don’t know much about magic, but I think you just saved my life. Can I make you some dinner?”
We all laughed, and my father looked at us in surprise. “What’s so funny?”
I held my gloved hand over my mouth. “It’s probably closer to breakfast and none of us have slept.”
With that statement, Ariyon let out a huge yawn which then traveled around the room like a contagion. Sorrel yawned, then me.
“Why don’t you get some rest, son. You can have my bed,” my father told him.
Ariyon waved him off. “No, I should get going back to the city.” He stood suddenly and stumbled backwards, off balance.
“Whoa.” My father rose and reached out to steady him. “Have a lie-down. It’s the least we can do.”
Ariyon blinked, heavy bags showing under his eyes. He looked like he was going to drop right there. “I do get fatigued after a big healing, so a quick nap would be great.”
“I won’t take no for an answer,” my father said and hooked Ariyon under the armpit, dragging him to the back room where he slept.
I wanted to tell my father not to treat him like that. That Ariyon could liquify his brain. But The Gilded City healer didn’t complain as they walked back to the bedroom and disappeared behind the curtain.
Sorrel stepped in front of me next, bleary-eyed and half asleep. “He touched you,” she whispered. “You have to tell your father.”
Right. I’d totally forgotten about the touch. I nodded and she opened her arms. “Air hug.”
With a grin, I opened mine too. “Air hug. Thanks for everything.”
She left out the front of the hut, and I stood there for a moment until my father returned. “Poor kid is already snoring. Do you think the healing hurt him somehow?”
Fear spiked through my gut. “I hope not. He seemed pretty important when we left The Gilded City. The guards knew him by name.”
